The type R sti is better .. p1 was tamed down with no dccd.. type r is also faster and lighter than a 22b .. 22b was made from a type r version 5 with added weight .
is the WRX a good example of the whole impreza idea? I've always dreamed of owning an impreza, the sti, 22b all sound and look amazing but often wondered if the wrx is a good substitute
@@Vtecdragon The marginal return of hyper-expensive cars is poor--has always been. A WRX will be roughly 80% of the fun of a 22B at 20% of the cost, just like a Porsche Boxster is roughly 80% of the fun of a Ferrari 458 at 20% of the cost, and the Ferrari isn't even better in some aspects.
200 - 250k pounds for an old subaru really makes the classic car market seem like a huge ponzi scheme. buy a hyped up old car - find someone who will pay you more for it than you did - let the cycle continue
Great Video James, the Subaru 22b is a very special car with sale prices achieved above 300k. But being an enthusiast and driver its such a shame they are now out of reach for most. Anyone who has sold a car for 23k and then has to pay 5 times to get one back will know the mental pain. For me in my era it was king of the road, I sold my TME Mitsubishi as it did quite live up to my expectations but I love the looks of the Tommi Mak. I do love driving the 22b for the memory’s past and it was the car I always wanted. Having owned Mcrae series - 2000 - Terzo - RB5 - P1 the RB5 was one of favourites. Thanks for a great video 👏
This is my all time favourite car and I was hoping so much to get an opinion from you, thanks James for all the amazing content you bring to this channel.
I was lucky enough to own a 1996 Impreza STI version 3 grey import (this version was rumoured to have 300bhp from the factory) some 9 years ago for which I paid the bargain price of £5500 and boy did I love the thing.. There was lag below 3000rpm but once the turbo started whistling you knew it was only moments before that massive sudden surge lit up your senses in any gear.. 50 to 70 in just 2.5 seconds in third gear would truly amaze any passenger I had in it. My girlfriend at the time loved the car so much that she married me to gain access to it herself on a regular basis. Seriously!. It averaged 16 miles to the gallon though and would understeer if you were not committed and mine had lowered bilstein suspension which made the ride quite stiff and the car snappy in the wet and I only got insured on it because I was a personal friend of the manager of a local branch of a national insurance company but all that was all part of the fun!. I DREAMED of owning a 22B though.
Talking about value and the 22B: I feel like the ever increasing value of the 22B also had a massive impact on Impreza WRX/STi values in general. It's difficult to find any sort of decent used performance Impreza for less than 15.000 euros where I live. People are starting to look at the less desirable variants because the market gets thinned out and prices rise to a point only a few people can actually afford.
A guy who owned a butchers near me owned one of these a few years ago. Absolutely awesome car. I got talking to him once about it he said he sold his escort cosworth after buying the 22B as he just didn’t want to drive it anymore with the 22B in the garage. It stood out a mile in the car park too, to the point where my 50 year old mother pointed it out one day and said “that Impreza looks like it’s been sent to the gym,it’s got muscles” 🤣🤣
I remember driving my then-new, 1998 STI version 5 and feeling like I had been granted immortality - I just couldn’t get into trouble with it. I lived near a truly massive shopping centre + retail park, complete with large roundabouts and even a huge section of dual carriageway. In the very early hours of the morning it was truly deserted and I would have some real fun. Oh to be young and stupid again…
This, just like many others, is not a car anymore. It's merely an appreciating asset that just happens to be a moderately fun mean of trasportation. As you mentioned, a low production number and a legendary status can do miracles for the asking price of such thing. And us plebeians can just sit here and watch it happen in front of our eyes...
Yeah as with a lot of JDM too (Supra, R34 GTR), the Subbie is a very capable shitbox, but a 25 years old one, nonetheless. A low mileage original NSX goes for the same price as a similar mileage new generation NSX. I don't think these cars don't deserve the praise, I really do believe the 90s had cars just a little bit more robust and reliable, were prettier and a lot more simple (except when they tried to fit technological innovations). But it doesn't explain a 30 years old car overtaking a new car in price. If I have 75 grand, I don't buy an old NSX or a Viper GTS even if these are favorites of mine, the reasonable decision would be to buy an Alpine new from the dealership. (Or buy a car that will keep appreciating I guess -- but as James said, we're in a speculative bubble and it may pop soon enough)
@@HipsterNgariman I own a 2011 987.2 Cayman Manual with 40,000kms on it. A good R34 GTT or a S2000 is roughly the same price. I previously had a R34 GTT Manual Coupe when I was 18 (10 years ago). Paid $11000 AUD ($6000 GBP) for it. While it was fun to drive, and looked the part. Would I now pay the same price as one of the best Caymans??? Answer: No
Hell, sure even in this video we've seen what's happening. The rich asshole who owns this has another one just sitting around collecting dust. It really disgusts me how many iconic cars have been utterly ruined by the parasite 'investor' class. It's one thing to be a rich car enthusiast, it's another to be a rich asshole who merely sees it as an investment asset, and many of these cars are now in the hands of the latter.
Such a great car. I was offered one in 2001 for around 25 grand maybe I should have bought it?! But I didn’t and bought a 360 CS and an ex works 306 maxi years later which are just as much fun. Are they the best Subaru probably not but they look so good and echo the wrc car of the day. 👍
I was born 1999 so just missed the hype this car brought. Growing up, the rally icons for me was your hawkeyes and evo 7 8 9's etc. Likely speaking of the fast and furious era, rather than the peak wrc/group a/b etc. but I was always more drawn to the rwd applications such as your supra's, rx7s etc. so got myself a toyota chaser, but can certainly appreciate the history of a car like this
As a 13 year old in 1998 I used to dream about this thing. Although had they made a two door hawkeye I would dare to say I would have liked it more than this.
@@mmtot me too. My friends dad had a gb270 which i believe was a slightly higher spec hawkeye closer to the rally car and it was my first real life exposure to a quick car. I'd still say F&F had a stronger influence the hawkeye was the impreza i thought of when it came to rally
A vehicle like that is worth precisely the amount of nostalgia in the bidding room, multiplied by the amount of drinks served and squared for each rich drunkard in said room.
True enough. They make British Leyland cars look well built and reliable, yet somehow have a reputation of bullet proof 😆 They do have a huge desirability factor though.
Yeah, I've been a car guy all my life - 47 years now - but I just can't get nostalgic about old cars from my past to want to own one again - they are interesting pieces of history - but they are just objectively crap compared to the modern equivalents. Then of course you have the speculators wanting to make money of peoples nostalgia. There is a reason why nostalgia was originally considered a mental disorder.
@@Beer_Dad1975 Without yesterday's crap there would be no modern equivalents. I also can't imagine that a Tesla - no matter which model - will arouse the same interest and emotion among car fanatics as this Subaru in 20 years' time.
@@gromit3315 Oh sure I get the historic context, it's just not something I'd want to spend so much money on - others emotions will differ of course and that's why these things are now fetching such crazy amounts - it's just not for me. Tesla's don't even interest me now I'm afraid, I love tinkering with ICE's too much. Maybe for a daily.
I've driven a 22b and own a V5 Tyre R limited and its very true you cannot tell the difference in the driving experience. If you bought one 10 years ago its quids in, but buying one now then I think it's definitely reached the top and not an investment. I think the American Market will put them up slightly more but nothing like the first boom in prices. My advice would be to go get a P1 or preferably a fresh imported type R. Save a ton of cash for the same driving experience and that awesome burble.
@@cvillalobos27 I just love seeing one geeking out of another, a pure mark of respect. Now that makes me wish I could see Jay and Doug do a video together. Maybe, a matter of time?
I used to have a JDM version of these. My understanding is that the 22B name came from the fact that in a hexadecimal base the decimal number 555 is 22B
The Dream Scooby, absolutely destroyed everything when Hot Version tested it, and there's a video in thr depths of youtube of a Standard 22B absolutely wrecking a GTR(35) on a Tougue run. I was on my way to finally buying a Scoob, likely only a T2k or WRX which are nothing on an STI but ill health put me out of work and well its gonna take some catching up when I finally get back earning. IF I can keep a car running on these fuel prices. Great review Jay as always :)
For anyone saying “silly prices”. Prices exist for a reason. You may not see the value but if someone is willing to pay that much then they clearly do see the value.
Lovely car, one of the poster child cars for the Gran Tourismo generation! I love this shape anyway, but the 22b is definitely "peak Impreza" in my eyes.
As an owner of three classic cars and one retro, I can say hand on heart, prices have gone beyond the point of stupidity, and verging on the insane. I'll never sell my cars so their value is the last thing I care about, but 250K for an Impreza? Err, no, just no.
Very fair review - I remember evo magazines review of the 22B when it was new and it wasn’t considered the best Impreza even then. Smart money goes on the RB5. A bit slower but all the pro drive bits on it for a fraction of the cost - that’s always been my fave Impreza.
I sat on the 22B at the STi museum in Japan, an incredible moment for me. I’ve owned several wrx since 2006. Today I still have a 2002 wrx sedan with an ej207 and a 2005 wrx wagon with an ej205. They are both lovely to drive, I’m 57yo and can’t imagine not owning my old cars for as long as I live.
It’s not worth £250k to real petrol heads, don’t get me wrong this is the holy grail of Scoobys and I’d love one (I currently own a spec’d up Foz STI) but unfortunately this has turned into a rich kids investment toy, u could get a version 6 STI coupe with a remap that would get u a very similar drive but unfortunately these r now also turning into collectors cars and r fetching big bucks 😡
Well now any pure enthusiasts only car is unworthy of its price and this is one such example. Sure it was a limited run model but as you said the normal v6 stis or any old sports car are rising in value as the day passes. Sadly i am a victim watching such wonderful once cheap enthusiasts car that made me smile because it was affordable rising in price and becoming crazy expensive and becoming collectors gem as time passes :(
I recall one of these picking up one of my classmates from my (not posh!) senior school, circa 1999. As a teenager of the Max Power generation, I can still remember the level of adoration for the muscular arches, throaty exhaust and those GOLD WHEELS. 😍
Great review! I've always liked the 22B, It does look just right, That wheel design, in that size, and the tyres filling the arches. Just popping to the classifieds, I didn't know P1's were fetching £50K plus now!
I’m 50/50 when it comes to the Subaru, I just think it’s a bit cringe and maybe a slight bit chavy, when I think of Subaru I think spoiler, loud exhaust, bonnet scoop and a driver that thinks he’s faster than everyone, but it was a fast car back in the day and it’s performance isn’t bad at all
I'd never even heard of the 22b? I was only talking the other night with my dad about the different impretza models. It's a absolute legend for a certain generation me included.
I had a P1 back in the day and whilst it looked great and went well, my Bug Eyed Station wagon with slight modification was quicker down the back roads, more comfortable and a lot more practical, and didn't make your ears bleed! Standard imprezza with a few mods and save yourself the best part of £175000.
I seem to remember that Peter Stevens of Mclaren F1 fame was responsible for the 22B styling. The rear wing on the 22B was actually bigger than the one on the WRC car. The one thing that has always baffled me about the 22B was the choice of engine, why was it a 2.2 when the WRC limits capacity to 2.0?
At risk of sounding a little bit of a cock, I think Jay got the story wrong a wee bit. I think the 22B wasn't actually a homologation special, it was created to celebrate 40 years of Subaru. The WRC rules didn't require a specific variant of the model you needed to homologate against, to Subaru the WRC rules basically said as long as there's 2500 Subaru Imprezas of some description existing then off you go. And because Subaru at the time was famous for rallying, what better way to celebrate than making a car as close to the WRC car as you could reasonably make it. I don't know if prodrive based the cars upon the 22B or if they were silhouette cars with the shell being made from the ground up like the teams do now, but that doesn't take away from how damn cool either the 22B or the WRC cars were though. That's the story I've heard anyway so it might be wrong. Hopefully you found my ramblings interesting
Do love these sorts of special cars but with the massive economic crash we are looking at i think all these will drop in price quite a bit, i think that is why so many special cars are going up for auction these days before the prices crash back down.
Song of The Asbo! Great Post. Luvvit - That's the closest I am ever gunna get to one... But am waiting for my GR Yaris (Sept/Oct time) so all is not lost!
I have exactly the same view. You can can sit and talk heritage and raritie all you want. But for me it’s about the driving experience and can’t see the driving experience being any better that any other classic STI. So what are you paying for wide arches and the attention of Subaru fan boys. I also own a classic STI and that’s my view. Keep up the great videos James.
Well said James, the fact that they’re fetching crazy money doesn’t stop it from being a great car. As you say, though, the sensible money goes on a £25-£50k less rare edition that’s 95% of the experience and you can afford to put miles on.
Never got these in the states, I’m 27 finally got my hands on 2000 2.5rs ol’ girl got 250k miles and still reliable as hell as my daily driver. Definitely a different feel compared to my 07 Sti and has way more soul than my wife’s ‘16 wrx
I worked at a dealership who had Subaru as one of thier marques when Colin won in 1996. The shear number of people that win in his famous 555 liveried car got through the showroom door was huge. The 22B is a nice car, but if I was looking for a Mk1 Impreza, I'd be seeking out the the wonderfully unique "Catalunya Edition". The same 2 door shell, but was only sold in Black Mica with gold alloys and bright red seats. Very rare thing, and totally apart from the typical blue you see most in. If you can find one, I'd suspect they're even more rare than the 22B now.
@@50018Resolution Really? Well, given the last (and frankly, only) time I saw one was in 1997 and I'm working from memory, so I guess that's possible and I recall the number of doors wrongly.
An awesome presentation with a great balance between visuals and text, conveying an impressive knowledge on motorsport, car markets and tech sides. This car really evokes the heydays of modern rallying and that cool 'Boxer burble' never grows old! Thank you, always a good surpise and a lot of fun ✌😎
A weird thing about those STIs is the rev limiter at 8K where their best ends even before 7K rpms. No point to draw the motor so much higher when the torque/power range is between 3K-6,5K. Other than that, the understeery chassis of that gen was the only handling con that if you pushed on it was vanished by the diff setup when gas pedal was pushed hard. A great car of its epoch though.
I used to repair Subaru's like this 20 years ago for B&C, one customer's P1 was a regular appearance in the workshop, as I recall the Roof Skin panel was the only thing that we hadn't replaced on it !
Wow this takes me back to the 90's and my original 5 door scooby. My favourite thing was fetching some unweildy item from the timber/stroke builders merchant and having to keep the boot propped open. The feed back noise through the cabin is still the!! Best driving experience I haver ever!! had bar none.. Two fantastic uploads back to back well done Jay!!
Having had two impreza's and two audis (s4 and RS4) i didnt really noticed the understeer in the impreza's as much Maybe it's the weight difference but both Impreza's felt much more sure footed.
I remember the Impreza being the car everybody wanted to progress to after a hot hatch. I never bought into the Japanese saloons on steroids but I do appreciate the engineering behind them. I also agree with on the interior which was typical of many Japanese cars of the era. I recently filmed at a Subaru meet where unsurprisingly the Impreza was the most common car attending. If course being so rare there wasn't a 22b anywhere in sight.
8:20 the big difference is that modern ECUs will generally limit performance somewhat if the car is truly cold, modern synthetic oil works much better at low and high temps than conventional or early synthetic, and lastly I'm 99% sure most modern turbo cars have an oil pump that runs after the car is turned off to keep oil from burning in the turbo. I know on BMWs, for example, you can hear a slight electric humming after the car is turned off that stops after about 5 minutes and an oil pump is the only thing that makes sense to me to explain it.
This was certainly a car I coveted when I was in my 20s. Since growing up a bit, I kinda went off them. When hear one it certainly is distinctive and, dare I say it, the 4pot boxer is much more recognisable than my busso! Even to me. It still has the mud of a chavmobile for me though, I'm afraid. I would find something else to spend my 200k on(should i ever be lucky enough to be able to spend that on a car). Likely I could find 2 specimens of my taste for that kinda money...something luxurious and, something tasty for the weekend
Fabulously funky shirt: ✅ Vivid vocabulary: ✅ Excellent editing: ✅ Love your work mate. It's easily on par with Fifth Gear and Top Gear's old school "serious" reviews. It's great to see so much information packed into your videos!
Surely it can't be a coincidence that 22B is hexadecimal for 555. Failing that, 2.2 Boxer would be more logical than 2.2 Bilstein. But what do I know 😂
Many presenters comment on later models feeling as though you are sat lower. My Australian bugeye WRX wagon Recaro has a hight adjuster and you can experience both positions. What was meant to be my toy is now the preferred family car by my wife and daughter, only they can't handle it's cornering potential. I also find it more economical than my other car at 10.5L/100km around town.
Dream car of mine , saw one once and they look amazing . I drove a classic standard Sti recently too and I was blown away by how light and alive it felt . Gear change and steering felt great. I now want one Surprised you loved the Supra, I had a UK mk4 and whilst mega rapid it was so dull in comparison to sportier cars I had around that period
I was a real fan of the 2dr body models; the 22B caught my attention immediately, I loved the P1, and thought the colour scheme of RB5 was spot on as an alternative to the sonic blue with gold alloys which I thought looked great. I preferred the Impreza to the Lancer that competed with it throughout their height of popularity.
One of my mate's son and his friends are big fanboys of the Subaru, they all have a tuned one and could confirm these cars are becoming classics increasing in value.
Great video James, takes me back to watching the best of the WRC, something that just isn’t as watchable anymore. My friend had the RB320, really great sounding and fast car, always. Ade me laugh it had so much glass compared to modern cars it was light sitting in a fast greenhouse. I agree with you, I love everything about the Subaru but not it’s not worth £200k, 911 R or GT3 touring all day long.
Well I do agree, I had one when nearly new for over 3 years and would buy one again when prices come down under £100k I think a ok one should be around £70-£80k 😊
A 22b here in New Zealand fetches $600,000 nzd. (About $312,000 pounds) I sold my v5 sti 6 years ago for $6500 nzd which now go for around $60,000 nzd. A Subaru ST201 is now a $120,000 car. Don’t get me started on EVO’s lol
I owned a Subaru Type R and got a run out in the garage owners 22B, when i was buying it. To be honest, mine felt a tad quicker and there was no difference in the handling and grip. Looks wise, yes, i preferred it, but you are not going to notice any difference in the driving experience and you can still get Type R impreza’s for a little bit less than 250k🤣 The adjustable diff really made a big difference to the way the car handled and was well ahead of its time.I think it went from a full 50:50 split to 60:40 or 65:35, i cant recall. For those in the know an RA-R is the best impreza!
It´s a common misunderstanding that you could adjust the torque split. In fact it is always 65:35, but just as you have an LSD in the rear, you also have an LSD in the transfer box. And this LSD in the transferbox could be manipulated from locking 0% (open) to 100% (like welded) with steps inbetween.
@@kristofevo Well people reviewing cars, even on TV get this wrong :) Just like people think BMW Vanos is same technology as Honda VTEC :P I like to correct when I can.
My mate had one of the UK 22b's, it plate was actually 22 UK or similar, he sold it for less than 40k, I still ridicule him to this day about it. It had hardly any miles and was absolutely mint. God knows what it would be worth now, hardly ever see a genuine UK one for sale.
I had an Sti 4 from new back in the day and was fortunate enough to drive a friend's one of these for several hundred miles. Truth is from a driving perspective there was nothing in it differentiating the 2 cars. The 22B does look fantastic, but it's not a homologation special and really shouldn't fetch those sort of prices.
Awesome rare car. But as other people have said, you can get 95% of the experience for a tenth of the price. Its an investment only now. Just like a crap painting by Picasso, all be it the Subaru is easier on the eyes!
Had 2 wrx, both were amazing. Turbo lag is huge compared to modern turbo engines tho, once above 4k they fly, but incorrect gear choice really hurts the acceleration. This is why people going from modern turbo engines might feel short changed with one. I never had a problem redlining it to get it stoked up properly though 😂😂😂
It's the most commonly known yet rarest model. It's as close as you can get to Mc Rae. It's the car from Sega Rally or the Playstation games of the 90s. Even In Japan they're worth a mint. Go and watch 'the best of McRae' and then tell me which other rally car apart from group B sends it any harder than the late 90s Scotish legend. Hope you're right and prices fall, I'd love one!
@@JayEmmOnCars Also, great review of the car! As "one of those Americans" with an eye on the 25 year window opening soon I took your advice and looked into the Prodrive P1's and agree that is a much more realistic and approachable goal. Off hand advice like that is why even Americans get so much from your videos.
A good friend of mine - sadly passed on now - had one for a while, as well as some grey market JDM Impreza specials. He laughed at how prices had soared for all of them but, as Mark Twain allegedly stated, buy now, they've stopped making 'em! A very short run special that didn't pretend to be the ultimate, just a celebration. The legend for half of the rally fans (sorry Mitsu) of the era. No American silver screen 'hero car' status for fans/viewers. And certainly not - yet - another money-making, marketing 'special' from Porsche or Ferrari. You either want one or you don't. Myself, being of a certain age, yes please! Unfortunately my bank only offers laughing noises.....
This is my dream car which I will never be able to afford... however I found a base model coupe (same chassis as 22b without widebody) with a blown engine for $900, got a smashed up bugeye WRX and swapped everything over in about a year. Now I'm rocking a poor man's wanna-be-22b for about $8k total investment :)
![Why This 20-year-old SUBARU Costs £250,000! [Impreza 22b STi]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VVC2sVj7EoY/mqdefault.jpg)
The 22B was an absolute dream of mine, unfortunately silly prices will always make it just a dream. I’d happily take a P1 or RB5 instead though.
And you'll still be getting 99% of the experience!
I used to love my RB5, my hawkeye Spec C RA is even better though.
I actually prefer the look of the P1, obv love the wide arches of the 22b though...
The type R sti is better .. p1 was tamed down with no dccd.. type r is also faster and lighter than a 22b .. 22b was made from a type r version 5 with added weight .
My dads old neighbour had one back in the day. I think it got stolen.
Evo6 TME, 22B, R34 GT-R ... The golden age
As a WRX driver, I love the 2 door 22B, but these prices are clearly a form of tulip mania.
is the WRX a good example of the whole impreza idea? I've always dreamed of owning an impreza, the sti, 22b all sound and look amazing but often wondered if the wrx is a good substitute
@@Vtecdragon the WRX is the same deal as an sti but a bit less go, and less fancy suspension.
@@Vtecdragon WRX is the perfect B road car. Less power means you can use more of the performance, still very sure-footed and sound great.
@@Coxy002605 I own am fn2 typer but always looking at wrx
@@Vtecdragon The marginal return of hyper-expensive cars is poor--has always been. A WRX will be roughly 80% of the fun of a 22B at 20% of the cost, just like a Porsche Boxster is roughly 80% of the fun of a Ferrari 458 at 20% of the cost, and the Ferrari isn't even better in some aspects.
200 - 250k pounds for an old subaru really makes the classic car market seem like a huge ponzi scheme. buy a hyped up old car - find someone who will pay you more for it than you did - let the cycle continue
Great Video James, the Subaru 22b is a very special car with sale prices achieved above 300k. But being an enthusiast and driver its such a shame they are now out of reach for most. Anyone who has sold a car for 23k and then has to pay 5 times to get one back will know the mental pain. For me in my era it was king of the road, I sold my TME Mitsubishi as it did quite live up to my expectations but I love the looks of the Tommi Mak. I do love driving the 22b for the memory’s past and it was the car I always wanted. Having owned Mcrae series - 2000 - Terzo - RB5 - P1 the RB5 was one of favourites. Thanks for a great video 👏
This is my all time favourite car and I was hoping so much to get an opinion from you, thanks James for all the amazing content you bring to this channel.
I was lucky enough to own a 1996 Impreza STI version 3 grey import (this version was rumoured to have 300bhp from the factory) some 9 years ago for which I paid the bargain price of £5500 and boy did I love the thing.. There was lag below 3000rpm but once the turbo started whistling you knew it was only moments before that massive sudden surge lit up your senses in any gear.. 50 to 70 in just 2.5 seconds in third gear would truly amaze any passenger I had in it. My girlfriend at the time loved the car so much that she married me to gain access to it herself on a regular basis. Seriously!. It averaged 16 miles to the gallon though and would understeer if you were not committed and mine had lowered bilstein suspension which made the ride quite stiff and the car snappy in the wet and I only got insured on it because I was a personal friend of the manager of a local branch of a national insurance company but all that was all part of the fun!. I DREAMED of owning a 22B though.
Another fantastic Subaru....A friend had a Type R and another had the RA version in a 4dr
Are you still married to her?
I have a 97 v3 sti, that I also paid $5,500 for just over a decade ago. But kept it. It's just ticked over 200,000 km's.
Talking about value and the 22B: I feel like the ever increasing value of the 22B also had a massive impact on Impreza WRX/STi values in general. It's difficult to find any sort of decent used performance Impreza for less than 15.000 euros where I live. People are starting to look at the less desirable variants because the market gets thinned out and prices rise to a point only a few people can actually afford.
A guy who owned a butchers near me owned one of these a few years ago. Absolutely awesome car. I got talking to him once about it he said he sold his escort cosworth after buying the 22B as he just didn’t want to drive it anymore with the 22B in the garage. It stood out a mile in the car park too, to the point where my 50 year old mother pointed it out one day and said “that Impreza looks like it’s been sent to the gym,it’s got muscles” 🤣🤣
That is what I call an absolute champion car.great work jay
Thankyou!
@@JayEmmOnCars no worries mate
I remember driving my then-new, 1998 STI version 5 and feeling like I had been granted immortality - I just couldn’t get into trouble with it. I lived near a truly massive shopping centre + retail park, complete with large roundabouts and even a huge section of dual carriageway. In the very early hours of the morning it was truly deserted and I would have some real fun. Oh to be young and stupid again…
This, just like many others, is not a car anymore. It's merely an appreciating asset that just happens to be a moderately fun mean of trasportation.
As you mentioned, a low production number and a legendary status can do miracles for the asking price of such thing. And us plebeians can just sit here and watch it happen in front of our eyes...
Yeah as with a lot of JDM too (Supra, R34 GTR), the Subbie is a very capable shitbox, but a 25 years old one, nonetheless. A low mileage original NSX goes for the same price as a similar mileage new generation NSX.
I don't think these cars don't deserve the praise, I really do believe the 90s had cars just a little bit more robust and reliable, were prettier and a lot more simple (except when they tried to fit technological innovations). But it doesn't explain a 30 years old car overtaking a new car in price. If I have 75 grand, I don't buy an old NSX or a Viper GTS even if these are favorites of mine, the reasonable decision would be to buy an Alpine new from the dealership. (Or buy a car that will keep appreciating I guess -- but as James said, we're in a speculative bubble and it may pop soon enough)
@@HipsterNgariman I own a 2011 987.2 Cayman Manual with 40,000kms on it. A good R34 GTT or a S2000 is roughly the same price.
I previously had a R34 GTT Manual Coupe when I was 18 (10 years ago). Paid $11000 AUD ($6000 GBP) for it. While it was fun to drive, and looked the part. Would I now pay the same price as one of the best Caymans??? Answer: No
Hell, sure even in this video we've seen what's happening. The rich asshole who owns this has another one just sitting around collecting dust.
It really disgusts me how many iconic cars have been utterly ruined by the parasite 'investor' class. It's one thing to be a rich car enthusiast, it's another to be a rich asshole who merely sees it as an investment asset, and many of these cars are now in the hands of the latter.
Such a great car. I was offered one in 2001 for around 25 grand maybe I should have bought it?! But I didn’t and bought a 360 CS and an ex works 306 maxi years later which are just as much fun. Are they the best Subaru probably not but they look so good and echo the wrc car of the day. 👍
I was born 1999 so just missed the hype this car brought. Growing up, the rally icons for me was your hawkeyes and evo 7 8 9's etc.
Likely speaking of the fast and furious era, rather than the peak wrc/group a/b etc. but I was always more drawn to the rwd applications such as your supra's, rx7s etc. so got myself a toyota chaser, but can certainly appreciate the history of a car like this
As a 13 year old in 1998 I used to dream about this thing. Although had they made a two door hawkeye I would dare to say I would have liked it more than this.
@@mmtot me too. My friends dad had a gb270 which i believe was a slightly higher spec hawkeye closer to the rally car and it was my first real life exposure to a quick car. I'd still say F&F had a stronger influence the hawkeye was the impreza i thought of when it came to rally
A vehicle like that is worth precisely the amount of nostalgia in the bidding room, multiplied by the amount of drinks served and squared for each rich drunkard in said room.
Well Put
True enough. They make British Leyland cars look well built and reliable, yet somehow have a reputation of bullet proof 😆
They do have a huge desirability factor though.
Yeah, I've been a car guy all my life - 47 years now - but I just can't get nostalgic about old cars from my past to want to own one again - they are interesting pieces of history - but they are just objectively crap compared to the modern equivalents. Then of course you have the speculators wanting to make money of peoples nostalgia. There is a reason why nostalgia was originally considered a mental disorder.
@@Beer_Dad1975 Without yesterday's crap there would be no modern equivalents.
I also can't imagine that a Tesla - no matter which model - will arouse the same interest and emotion among car fanatics as this Subaru in 20 years' time.
@@gromit3315 Oh sure I get the historic context, it's just not something I'd want to spend so much money on - others emotions will differ of course and that's why these things are now fetching such crazy amounts - it's just not for me. Tesla's don't even interest me now I'm afraid, I love tinkering with ICE's too much. Maybe for a daily.
36 years old and this is 100% in my dream garage, these are way more interesting to true car guys than any modern supercar
Spot on. 22B are the best Subaru but the Evo TIME will always be the better drivers car.
I've driven a 22b and own a V5 Tyre R limited and its very true you cannot tell the difference in the driving experience. If you bought one 10 years ago its quids in, but buying one now then I think it's definitely reached the top and not an investment. I think the American Market will put them up slightly more but nothing like the first boom in prices. My advice would be to go get a P1 or preferably a fresh imported type R. Save a ton of cash for the same driving experience and that awesome burble.
2:22 ''and then, we're going to give it a Doug score.''
Jay, you had one job Jay.
That reference alone is worth 1 millon views
@@cvillalobos27 I just love seeing one geeking out of another, a pure mark of respect. Now that makes me wish I could see Jay and Doug do a video together. Maybe, a matter of time?
I used to have a JDM version of these.
My understanding is that the 22B name came from the fact that in a hexadecimal base the decimal number 555 is 22B
The Dream Scooby, absolutely destroyed everything when Hot Version tested it, and there's a video in thr depths of youtube of a Standard 22B absolutely wrecking a GTR(35) on a Tougue run.
I was on my way to finally buying a Scoob, likely only a T2k or WRX which are nothing on an STI but ill health put me out of work and well its gonna take some catching up when I finally get back earning. IF I can keep a car running on these fuel prices.
Great review Jay as always :)
Not quite sure you changed in the format but it’s your best video ever. I think it’s the walk around in the beginning, concise, informative and sharp.
9:08 "The song of the yob" 😅 very good.
For anyone saying “silly prices”. Prices exist for a reason. You may not see the value but if someone is willing to pay that much then they clearly do see the value.
I love the 22b, it's nice seeing these cars shared and looked after. I honestly reckon they will go over 1million over the next 25years.
We definitely need an ASMR clip consisting of drive-by's. Can't beat old school.
Lovely car, one of the poster child cars for the Gran Tourismo generation! I love this shape anyway, but the 22b is definitely "peak Impreza" in my eyes.
As an owner of three classic cars and one retro, I can say hand on heart, prices have gone beyond the point of stupidity, and verging on the insane. I'll never sell my cars so their value is the last thing I care about, but 250K for an Impreza? Err, no, just no.
Very fair review - I remember evo magazines review of the 22B when it was new and it wasn’t considered the best Impreza even then. Smart money goes on the RB5. A bit slower but all the pro drive bits on it for a fraction of the cost - that’s always been my fave Impreza.
The ONE AND ONLY 22B. My all time favourite Subaru Impreza. It got me into watching and visiting rallying around the UK. RIP Burns and McRae.
I sat on the 22B at the STi museum in Japan, an incredible moment for me. I’ve owned several wrx since 2006. Today I still have a 2002 wrx sedan with an ej207 and a 2005 wrx wagon with an ej205. They are both lovely to drive, I’m 57yo and can’t imagine not owning my old cars for as long as I live.
It’s not worth £250k to real petrol heads, don’t get me wrong this is the holy grail of Scoobys and I’d love one (I currently own a spec’d up Foz STI) but unfortunately this has turned into a rich kids investment toy, u could get a version 6 STI coupe with a remap that would get u a very similar drive but unfortunately these r now also turning into collectors cars and r fetching big bucks 😡
Well now any pure enthusiasts only car is unworthy of its price and this is one such example. Sure it was a limited run model but as you said the normal v6 stis or any old sports car are rising in value as the day passes. Sadly i am a victim watching such wonderful once cheap enthusiasts car that made me smile because it was affordable rising in price and becoming crazy expensive and becoming collectors gem as time passes :(
I recall one of these picking up one of my classmates from my (not posh!) senior school, circa 1999. As a teenager of the Max Power generation, I can still remember the level of adoration for the muscular arches, throaty exhaust and those GOLD WHEELS. 😍
The sound of that thing is absolutely scintillating. Back when Subaru built Imprezas properly
Great review! I've always liked the 22B, It does look just right, That wheel design, in that size, and the tyres filling the arches. Just popping to the classifieds, I didn't know P1's were fetching £50K plus now!
The 22B is an absolutely amazing classic. I love Subaru's (as you can see from my channel!!) and the 22B is a dream 🔥👌
Truly insane pricing, Nice video. Keep up the good work.
I’m 50/50 when it comes to the Subaru, I just think it’s a bit cringe and maybe a slight bit chavy, when I think of Subaru I think spoiler, loud exhaust, bonnet scoop and a driver that thinks he’s faster than everyone, but it was a fast car back in the day and it’s performance isn’t bad at all
I'd never even heard of the 22b? I was only talking the other night with my dad about the different impretza models. It's a absolute legend for a certain generation me included.
I had a P1 back in the day and whilst it looked great and went well, my Bug Eyed Station wagon with slight modification was quicker down the back roads, more comfortable and a lot more practical, and didn't make your ears bleed! Standard imprezza with a few mods and save yourself the best part of £175000.
22B is hexadecimal for 555 which was the main sponsor of the championship winning rally car
Love the Doug demero reference! May as well have started the video with THHHHHHISS
I seem to remember that Peter Stevens of Mclaren F1 fame was responsible for the 22B styling.
The rear wing on the 22B was actually bigger than the one on the WRC car.
The one thing that has always baffled me about the 22B was the choice of engine, why was it a 2.2 when the WRC limits capacity to 2.0?
At risk of sounding a little bit of a cock, I think Jay got the story wrong a wee bit. I think the 22B wasn't actually a homologation special, it was created to celebrate 40 years of Subaru. The WRC rules didn't require a specific variant of the model you needed to homologate against, to Subaru the WRC rules basically said as long as there's 2500 Subaru Imprezas of some description existing then off you go. And because Subaru at the time was famous for rallying, what better way to celebrate than making a car as close to the WRC car as you could reasonably make it.
I don't know if prodrive based the cars upon the 22B or if they were silhouette cars with the shell being made from the ground up like the teams do now, but that doesn't take away from how damn cool either the 22B or the WRC cars were though.
That's the story I've heard anyway so it might be wrong. Hopefully you found my ramblings interesting
Do love these sorts of special cars but with the massive economic crash we are looking at i think all these will drop in price quite a bit, i think that is why so many special cars are going up for auction these days before the prices crash back down.
I chuckled at “Doug score”, but you missed out “quirks & features”. 😊
Song of The Asbo! Great Post. Luvvit - That's the closest I am ever gunna get to one... But am waiting for my GR Yaris (Sept/Oct time) so all is not lost!
I have exactly the same view. You can can sit and talk heritage and raritie all you want. But for me it’s about the driving experience and can’t see the driving experience being any better that any other classic STI. So what are you paying for wide arches and the attention of Subaru fan boys. I also own a classic STI and that’s my view.
Keep up the great videos James.
Well said James, the fact that they’re fetching crazy money doesn’t stop it from being a great car. As you say, though, the sensible money goes on a £25-£50k less rare edition that’s 95% of the experience and you can afford to put miles on.
*yeah so you buy a STI legacy RS which is the daddy of all things STI and McRae Vatanen Allen and even Derek Warwick drove them*
As honest as always. Great viewing.
Fantastic looking car
Never got these in the states, I’m 27 finally got my hands on 2000 2.5rs ol’ girl got 250k miles and still reliable as hell as my daily driver. Definitely a different feel compared to my 07 Sti and has way more soul than my wife’s ‘16 wrx
I worked at a dealership who had Subaru as one of thier marques when Colin won in 1996. The shear number of people that win in his famous 555 liveried car got through the showroom door was huge. The 22B is a nice car, but if I was looking for a Mk1 Impreza, I'd be seeking out the the wonderfully unique "Catalunya Edition". The same 2 door shell, but was only sold in Black Mica with gold alloys and bright red seats. Very rare thing, and totally apart from the typical blue you see most in. If you can find one, I'd suspect they're even more rare than the 22B now.
Catalunya's were a 4 door.
@@50018Resolution Really? Well, given the last (and frankly, only) time I saw one was in 1997 and I'm working from memory, so I guess that's possible and I recall the number of doors wrongly.
An awesome presentation with a great balance between visuals and text, conveying an impressive knowledge on motorsport, car markets and tech sides.
This car really evokes the heydays of modern rallying and that cool 'Boxer burble' never grows old! Thank you, always a good surpise and a lot of fun ✌😎
A weird thing about those STIs is the rev limiter at 8K where their best ends even before 7K rpms. No point to draw the motor so much higher when the torque/power range is between 3K-6,5K. Other than that, the understeery chassis of that gen was the only handling con that if you pushed on it was vanished by the diff setup when gas pedal was pushed hard. A great car of its epoch though.
Thanks J, glad I see them now & again, as they're so distinctive.
I used to repair Subaru's like this 20 years ago for B&C, one customer's P1 was a regular appearance in the workshop, as I recall the Roof Skin panel was the only thing that we hadn't replaced on it !
Wow this takes me back to the 90's and my original 5 door scooby.
My favourite thing was fetching some unweildy item from the timber/stroke builders merchant and having to keep the boot propped open.
The feed back noise through the cabin is still the!! Best driving experience I haver ever!! had bar none..
Two fantastic uploads back to back well done Jay!!
Having had two impreza's and two audis (s4 and RS4) i didnt really noticed the understeer in the impreza's as much
Maybe it's the weight difference but both Impreza's felt much more sure footed.
£250k? You must be joking. Lots of people hammer their cars from cold, you can't do that with any ICE car. You do that the engine will be fucked.
I remember the Impreza being the car everybody wanted to progress to after a hot hatch. I never bought into the Japanese saloons on steroids but I do appreciate the engineering behind them. I also agree with on the interior which was typical of many Japanese cars of the era.
I recently filmed at a Subaru meet where unsurprisingly the Impreza was the most common car attending. If course being so rare there wasn't a 22b anywhere in sight.
I see 22B, I click. That and for the noise!!!
Five Doug's out of five!
I have two! Well, the baby brother USDM 2.5RS version. One heavily modified and one stock. I smile just as much per mile in either one!
hello from the republic of Ireland. Love this video! keep doin' what you're doing kid.
8:20 the big difference is that modern ECUs will generally limit performance somewhat if the car is truly cold, modern synthetic oil works much better at low and high temps than conventional or early synthetic, and lastly I'm 99% sure most modern turbo cars have an oil pump that runs after the car is turned off to keep oil from burning in the turbo. I know on BMWs, for example, you can hear a slight electric humming after the car is turned off that stops after about 5 minutes and an oil pump is the only thing that makes sense to me to explain it.
This was certainly a car I coveted when I was in my 20s. Since growing up a bit, I kinda went off them. When hear one it certainly is distinctive and, dare I say it, the 4pot boxer is much more recognisable than my busso! Even to me. It still has the mud of a chavmobile for me though, I'm afraid. I would find something else to spend my 200k on(should i ever be lucky enough to be able to spend that on a car). Likely I could find 2 specimens of my taste for that kinda money...something luxurious and, something tasty for the weekend
Man, that old 2.0 boxer engine has such a childish noise.
Love it
What a great insight and honest review
Fabulously funky shirt: ✅
Vivid vocabulary: ✅
Excellent editing: ✅
Love your work mate. It's easily on par with Fifth Gear and Top Gear's old school "serious" reviews. It's great to see so much information packed into your videos!
Surely it can't be a coincidence that 22B is hexadecimal for 555. Failing that, 2.2 Boxer would be more logical than 2.2 Bilstein. But what do I know 😂
The Bilstein bit comes from the fact on a "Spec B" Subaru, the B is for Bilstein
@@JayEmmOnCars with my Legacy GT-B, the B also stands for Bilstein.
Seems subaru have a habit of uniquely badging cars that have bilstein suspension.
@@mrdayumfine109 the GT-B is our 4th Scooby, but really miss our first 2000 Classic STi and brutal turbo kick
Many presenters comment on later models feeling as though you are sat lower. My Australian bugeye WRX wagon Recaro has a hight adjuster and you can experience both positions. What was meant to be my toy is now the preferred family car by my wife and daughter, only they can't handle it's cornering potential. I also find it more economical than my other car at
10.5L/100km around town.
Dream car of mine , saw one once and they look amazing . I drove a classic standard Sti recently too and I was blown away by how light and alive it felt . Gear change and steering felt great. I now want one
Surprised you loved the Supra, I had a UK mk4 and whilst mega rapid it was so dull in comparison to sportier cars I had around that period
I always thought 22B meant “2.2 boxer”…why would they mention the suspension in the name?
I was a real fan of the 2dr body models; the 22B caught my attention immediately, I loved the P1, and thought the colour scheme of RB5 was spot on as an alternative to the sonic blue with gold alloys which I thought looked great. I preferred the Impreza to the Lancer that competed with it throughout their height of popularity.
One of my mate's son and his friends are big fanboys of the Subaru, they all have a tuned one and could confirm these cars are becoming classics increasing in value.
Peter Stevens is so underrated as a designer
Subaru's finest hour, I must say!
Great video James, takes me back to watching the best of the WRC, something that just isn’t as watchable anymore. My friend had the RB320, really great sounding and fast car, always. Ade me laugh it had so much glass compared to modern cars it was light sitting in a fast greenhouse. I agree with you, I love everything about the Subaru but not it’s not worth £200k, 911 R or GT3 touring all day long.
Well I do agree, I had one when nearly new for over 3 years and would buy one again when prices come down under £100k I think a ok one should be around £70-£80k 😊
A 22b here in New Zealand fetches $600,000 nzd. (About $312,000 pounds) I sold my v5 sti 6 years ago for $6500 nzd which now go for around $60,000 nzd. A Subaru ST201 is now a $120,000 car. Don’t get me started on EVO’s lol
Legendary car! Superb work mate!
What a legend.
One of the best cars ever made.
An automotive legend doesn't turn go rust after 10 - 12 years.
Congrats on the 200k subs man
I owned a Subaru Type R and got a run out in the garage owners 22B, when i was buying it.
To be honest, mine felt a tad quicker and there was no difference in the handling and grip.
Looks wise, yes, i preferred it, but you are not going to notice any difference in the driving experience and you can still get Type R impreza’s for a little bit less than 250k🤣
The adjustable diff really made a big difference to the way the car handled and was well ahead of its time.I think it went from a full 50:50 split to 60:40 or 65:35, i cant recall.
For those in the know an RA-R is the best impreza!
It´s a common misunderstanding that you could adjust the torque split. In fact it is always 65:35, but just as you have an LSD in the rear, you also have an LSD in the transfer box. And this LSD in the transferbox could be manipulated from locking 0% (open) to 100% (like welded) with steps inbetween.
bingoberra18 Well every day is a school day!
Thank you for educating me and others on that, as I’m no engineer.👍🏻
@@kristofevo Well people reviewing cars, even on TV get this wrong :) Just like people think BMW Vanos is same technology as Honda VTEC :P I like to correct when I can.
bingoberra18 Well, if somebody doesn’t correct inaccurate statements and explain why they are inaccurate, then you never learn!
My mate had one of the UK 22b's, it plate was actually 22 UK or similar, he sold it for less than 40k, I still ridicule him to this day about it. It had hardly any miles and was absolutely mint. God knows what it would be worth now, hardly ever see a genuine UK one for sale.
Subaru have spoken about the name before, the B was the internal code for turbo within subaru, so it's just 2.2 litre turbo in the name
I had an Sti 4 from new back in the day and was fortunate enough to drive a friend's one of these for several hundred miles. Truth is from a driving perspective there was nothing in it differentiating the 2 cars. The 22B does look fantastic, but it's not a homologation special and really shouldn't fetch those sort of prices.
The 22B name comes from the fact the engine was bored out from 2.0 to 2.2 and B stands for turbo. Essentially what you said.
Quater of a Million will get you a genuine rally Subaru WRC car!
Awesome rare car. But as other people have said, you can get 95% of the experience for a tenth of the price. Its an investment only now. Just like a crap painting by Picasso, all be it the Subaru is easier on the eyes!
As a Subey owner this is tremendous! Loved the opening sounds :)
A friend had one and sold it. A FRP Puma replaced it. Make of that what you like.
Had 2 wrx, both were amazing. Turbo lag is huge compared to modern turbo engines tho, once above 4k they fly, but incorrect gear choice really hurts the acceleration. This is why people going from modern turbo engines might feel short changed with one. I never had a problem redlining it to get it stoked up properly though 😂😂😂
I bet you flew to 59MPH on those A+B national speed limit roads 😂
It's the most commonly known yet rarest model. It's as close as you can get to Mc Rae. It's the car from Sega Rally or the Playstation games of the 90s. Even In Japan they're worth a mint. Go and watch 'the best of McRae' and then tell me which other rally car apart from group B sends it any harder than the late 90s Scotish legend. Hope you're right and prices fall, I'd love one!
I love these cars. They have brought me more smiles than any other vehicle as they disappear in the rear view mirror of my ZZR1400....
"Then we're going to give it a Doug Score! Wait, no..." Thanks for that. I needed a good laugh this morning!
My pleasure - just trying to bring a little levity to the world!
@@JayEmmOnCars Also, great review of the car! As "one of those Americans" with an eye on the 25 year window opening soon I took your advice and looked into the Prodrive P1's and agree that is a much more realistic and approachable goal. Off hand advice like that is why even Americans get so much from your videos.
A good friend of mine - sadly passed on now - had one for a while, as well as some grey market JDM Impreza specials. He laughed at how prices had soared for all of them but, as Mark Twain allegedly stated, buy now, they've stopped making 'em!
A very short run special that didn't pretend to be the ultimate, just a celebration. The legend for half of the rally fans (sorry Mitsu) of the era.
No American silver screen 'hero car' status for fans/viewers. And certainly not - yet - another money-making, marketing 'special' from Porsche or Ferrari.
You either want one or you don't. Myself, being of a certain age, yes please! Unfortunately my bank only offers laughing noises.....
This car looks perfect.
This is my dream car which I will never be able to afford... however I found a base model coupe (same chassis as 22b without widebody) with a blown engine for $900, got a smashed up bugeye WRX and swapped everything over in about a year. Now I'm rocking a poor man's wanna-be-22b for about $8k total investment :)
I remember a friend trying to get parts for his 22B.. long waiting times and eye watering costs
I do remember a story stating it was named 22B as this was the horse power in hexadecimal. Just Googled it and 555 does seem a bit on the high side😆
555 was the sponsor of the rally team
@@JayEmmOnCars Oh yea, completely missed that - lol