Even among the legends of ’90s rally culture, Group A monsters, homologation specials, and turbocharged icons, the Subaru Impreza 22B sits in a category of its own. It wasn’t just a celebration of Subaru’s World Rally Championship dominance. It wasn’t just a limited-edition road car. It was a moment in automotive history captured in metal, carbon, and boost. When Subaru released the 22B in 1998, only 400 units were built for the Japanese market, with a handful more allocated globally. No one could have predicted that this small production run would turn the 22B into one of the most valuable and sought-after rally-derived cars in the world.
The 22B story begins with Subaru’s golden era of rallying. By the late ’90s, Subaru had secured three consecutive WRC manufacturer titles, and the combination of the Impreza chassis, boxer engine, and Prodrive engineering had become synonymous with blue-and-gold speed. To commemorate Subaru’s 40th anniversary, and their ongoing rally success, engineers were given rare freedom: build something special, something unrestrained by ordinary production constraints. The result was the 22B, a car often described not as a road-going Impreza, but as a rally car wearing a license plate.
Visually, the 22B was unmistakable. It wore a widebody design directly inspired by Subaru’s WRC car, flared fenders, aggressive bumpers, and a massive adjustable rear wing that looked lifted straight from a gravel stage. Under the hood sat the EJ22G, a hand-assembled 2.2-liter turbocharged flat-four producing a conservatively rated 276 horsepower. In reality, output was higher. A larger displacement block, forged internals, and rally-spec responsiveness gave the 22B a character unlike any previous Impreza. Paired with a close-ratio five-speed transmission and upgraded all-wheel-drive hardware, the car delivered brutal acceleration and razor-sharp handling.
Subaru announced the 22B in March 1998. All 400 Japanese-market units sold out within 48 hours, some say within 30 minutes. Its exclusivity was immediate. A small number of additional units, identified as “export” cars, were built for the U.K., Australia, and Prodrive personnel, bringing the total production to around 425. Even at the time, enthusiasts recognized that this was no ordinary special edition; it was the pinnacle of Subaru’s rally engineering, distilled into a car accessible to civilians only through luck or connections.
The 22B’s cult status grew quickly. Reviews described it as unfiltered, explosive, and impossibly capable on real roads. Its balance became the stuff of enthusiast mythology: a rally-bred chassis with just enough refinement to make it usable, but not enough to dilute its purpose. Owners raved about the immediacy of its power delivery, the grip that felt endless, and the sense that every control surface, clutch, steering, throttle, was tuned for drivers who understood what the car represented.
But the real surge in value came decades later, driven by a perfect storm of nostalgia, scarcity, and a growing recognition of how unique the 22B truly is. Unlike many homologation specials, the 22B was not built for regulatory compliance—it was built for celebration. This freed the engineers to overbuild it, to prioritize character over cost, and to produce a car that captured the spirit of late-’90s rallying at its absolute peak. As younger enthusiasts who grew up with Gran Turismo and Colin McRae Rally gained purchasing power, demand for the 22B exploded.
Today, the 22B routinely crosses auction blocks for six-figure prices, with pristine examples selling for well over $300,000. In rare instances, particularly for extremely low-mileage or export models, values push into even higher territory. Few cars from the era have seen such dramatic appreciation. Its combination of pedigree, limited production, and WRC connection places it among automotive royalty.
What makes the 22B so beloved isn’t just speed or scarcity. It’s the feeling that Subaru poured its entire rally identity into one machine, the sound of the boxer engine, the stance of the widebody, the heritage etched into every corner of its design. The 22B represents a time when manufacturers built cars for enthusiasts first and spreadsheets second. In the years since, Subaru has produced plenty of impressive performance models, but none have captured the raw, mythic energy of the 22B.
For collectors, drivers, and dreamers alike, the Subaru 22B stands as a masterwork: a limited-run rally hero that transcended its small production numbers to become one of the most valuable and treasured performance cars ever made. Its legend grows not because it was rare, but because it embodied an era that can never be recreated.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on documented automotive history, period testing, and archival Subaru/Prodrive information. Certain descriptive elements are reconstructed for narrative clarity.
Sources & Further Reading:
– Subaru of Japan 22B Anniversary Model Release (1998)
– Prodrive engineering notes on WRC-era Impreza platforms
– Contemporary reviews from EVO, Car and Driver, and Top Gear
– Auction records from Bring a Trailer, Collecting Cars, and major houses
– Subaru technical documents on EJ-series engines and chassis development
(One of many stories shared by Headcount Coffee — where mystery, history, history, and late-night reading meet.)
