Estimated Price: £25,000 - £30,000

Introduced on 1st  March 1993, the Impreza, which according to an article in Motor Trend was initially to be called the Loyale, was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door saloon or five-door hatchback. Subaru chose to continue their longstanding use of the boxer engine in the Impreza as according to Subaru, their configuration of the engine in-line with the transmission minimises body-roll due to the lower centre of gravity compared with offset engines in most other vehicles. The boxer design also provides good vibration mitigation due to the principles of a very well-balanced engine, the movement of each piston is largely countered by a piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a counter-weighted rotating crankshaft (harmonic balancer). Torque steer is also minimised with this type of powertrain layout since the front drive shafts are of equal length and weight. This formula proved highly affective, with Subaru winning the constructors World Rally Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and the driver’s championship in 1995 and 2001.

The Impreza was hugely popular in Europe, especially the United Kingdom, and a number of limited-edition cars were supplied, whilst the Japanese Domestic Market were offered cars not usually available in other countries. The Type RA was never intended for the UK market, and stood for Record Attempt/Rally Applicant, essentially a factory-built rally car for the road and the ideal basis for a team to prepare it for motorsport. With thinner glass, no sound deadening, no unnecessary interior refinements and usually offered without ABS, the RA is a road car that provides a closer driving experience to a rally car than a WRX. With a specially engineered close-ratio gearbox for more aggressive acceleration and boasting Driver Controlled Centre Differential, the RA was built for stage performances not motorway overtaking.

This smart example GC8, regarded as "peak" Impreza by many, was built in 1996, imported into the UK on 12th December 2020 and registered to the first of two keepers. On 5th August 2025, the car visited marque specialists at David Coe Garage Services in Swansea for a thorough service costing £622 at 41,065 miles.

Presented to auction with a history file that includes the aforementioned service receipt, V5C, purchase invoice from 2020, and MOT Certificates. A good opportunity to buy a low-mileage example of a rare variant of the Impreza for those who appreciate a purer driving experience derived from an era dominated by the model.