You Can Buy The Original Subaru Impreza 22B Prototype

There's no shortage of legendary Subaru Imprezas, but the 1998 22B must be one of the most iconic. Just 400 were built to celebrate both 40 years of Subaru and the firm’s third World Rally Championship in a row. And now the original prototype is up for auction. Prepare to spend a considerable chunk of cash if you want to add it to your collection – it’s one of the most collectable Scoobies ever made.

This 1997 car is the one that introduced the 22B to the world at the Tokyo Motor Show. Five prototypes were built, of which this was the first. As is now common knowledge among Scooby fans, it’s got a 2.2-litre, turbocharged flat-four with 276bhp and a very strengthened four-wheel-drive system. The suspension has Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, with BBS forged alloys on each corner. Top designer Peter Stevens penned the aerodynamic bodywork. It’s basically as close to a road-going rally car as you can buy. Well, apart from a rally car.

The prototype car was given to David Lapworth from Prodrive as a thanks for building Subaru’s WRC-winning rally car. Since then, ownership has transferred from Lapworth to Subaru of Japan, Prodrive and a 20-year stint with a Japanese collector. Somehow, during that time it’s racked up just 70km on the odometer.

It’s not often a prototype makes it past the development phase of a new car’s introduction, as most are crushed by manufacturers after the project is completed. So if you’re heading to the Bonhams Quail auction in Carmel, USA on 18 August, bring a fat wallet – it’s expected to sell for between $450,000 and $550,000 (£350,000-£430,000).