2000 Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type R

Instructions

The first generation Subaru Impreza was a car born from rally. While the BC5 Legacy RS was finding some success in Group A WRC at the hands of drivers like Colin McRae, Subaru new they could do more with their capable symmetrical all-wheel drive and turbocharged EJ20 boxer engine. They went to the drawing board, searching for a boxer powered car with a shorter wheelbase than the Legacy's family sedan proportions. What they came back with was the Impreza 555, a modern rally car built to win- and it certainly did. Despite a change to the Impreza WRC formula in 1997, the first generation (GC8) Impreza ran in Group A from 1993 to 2000. Not only did it win its first WRC event, but it gave Subaru the manufacturer's championship victory from 1995-1997, and famously took Colin McRae to victory in the driver's title in 1995. Though its domination would be brought to an end by Mitsubishi's raw power in the Lancer Evolution at the hands of Tomi Makinen, the second and third generation Imprezas continued racing in WRC up until Subaru's withdrawal from the competition in 2007, carrying several famous drivers to victory. Out of the Impreza 555, letting normal people get a taste of a rally car, was the GC8 Impreza WRX (World Rally Experimental.) Built in six different facelifts from 1993-2000, each having slightly different styling and performance, the WRX wasn't quite a full-blown rally car for the streets- but it was certainly close. For those desiring more than what the base WRX offered, the Subaru Technica International (STi) tuned WRX STi offered more aggressive styling and better performance overall. The trims of the sixth facelift, called the WRX STi Version VI or GC8G, were (with the exception of some rarer models) the peak of performance for the GC8 Impreza. Their EJ207 was the most powerful and reliable EJ20 yet. Pictured in the project is a GC8G WRX STi Type R, one of two trim options past the standard WRX STi. The Type R was the only two door WRX offered (the 22b was of course two door, but that was based off of a Version IV Type R). It featured more aggressive aerodynamic styling, and was overall higher performance. The GC8 WRX STi is my dream car, though this isn't necessarily my dream spec. I'd probably prefer just a standard GC8G sedan.