Until I turned on Gran Turismo for the first time, Subarus were dinky little sedans and wagons that made a farting noise wherever they went. Sure, the SVX was around, but that was a freak of nature. Leones, Loyales, Legacys and Imprezas were plentiful in the Pacific Northwest, and all went about their jobs just fine. Then some codes started to appear that were not seen: WRX. STI. 22B. These were cars no Subaru dealer would know anything about in the States, but the world knew them. World Rally enthusiasts could spot the blue and gold “555” Subaru that Prodrive built up. But it was when I actually saw this episode of MotorWeek that I started to investigate the boxer hot rod some.
The 22B first appeared in 1997, and the numbers it cranked out were more than enough to open eyes. Subaru officially claimed 276 horsepower in line with the “gentleman’s agreement” deal that Japan had, but the second a press car hit American shores, drivers started screaming “Bullshit!” at the top of their lungs. Numerous figures were thrown around, with the most likely figures hovering around the 300-320 horsepower range. In 1997, that was edging onto Corvette territory, and with the all-wheel-drive and a locking adjustable diff, the gold chainer had better be sincerely worried. Or not, because only the press got a crack at the 22B. Once the official drives were over, the car was promptly shipped back to where it came. Shame, too…looking at the Subaru culture we have now, it’s not a far-fetched assumption to think that they would have sold every last one they shipped over.
