Point out the title ‘Impreza WRX’ to any British police officer of a sure age and watch them flashback to late-night smash-and-grab robberies and high-speed pursuits. Subaru’s rally-bred sedan was the getaway automotive of selection for a technology of criminals tormenting UK regulation enforcement.
The Impreza’s sturdiness, honed over gruelling World Rally Championship particular phases, made it equally adept at surviving the chaos of being pushed by way of store home windows – after which evading seize.
Ultimately, British police embraced the adage ‘if you happen to can’t beat ‘em, be a part of ‘em’ and welcomed the turbo all-wheel-drive Impreza into their fleet of pursuit and interceptor autos. From the late Nineties by way of to the late 2010s, the WRX was utilized by each sides of the regulation.
Within the Nineties, British police fleets had been largely made up of Vauxhall Vectras and Ford Mondeos, making the Impreza a standout on each metropolis streets and rural B-roads. It was additionally extra agile than one other well-known British police automotive of the late ’80s/early ’90s period – the Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth.
Australian police, too, discovered the Impreza’s agility preferable to their normal GM Holden Commodores, which had been bigger rear-wheel-drive sedans with extra grunt than a Vauxhall Vectra. In Japan, WRXs served home wants, however largely patrolling for speeders reasonably than chasing ram-raiders.
For the West Midlands Police Motorclub, mentioning the Impreza probably elicits delight reasonably than disdain. That’s as a result of they ran this Prodrive-built 2004 GDB WRX STI in membership rallies throughout the UK within the 2018 season, with its retired police officer proprietor Paul Clackett behind the wheel.
You see, vehicles just like the Subaru Impreza WRX and its rally foe the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution left such an impression on British police that it wasn’t lengthy earlier than some constabularies fashioned their very own rally groups. It turned a singular method for officers to have interaction with the neighborhood and lift consciousness in regards to the risks of dashing – by, nicely, dashing – however in managed, closed-road environments.
We don’t know the way profitable the automotive was within the arms of former Constable Clackett, nor within the years earlier than he owned it – the Impreza’s pre-2018 historical past is murky – however I’m certain it introduced pleasure to many because it sloshed round gravel roads throughout Nice Britain.
Initially constructed for Group N, someplace alongside the road, the Impreza was upgraded with the complete WRC wide-body and wing remedy. It was seemingly fitted with the WRC-spec driveline too, however, regardless, that’s no longer within the automotive.
Present proprietor Tatsumi-san – who bears a placing resemblance to a detective from a Tokyo crime sequence – imported the automotive as a pleasant addition to his Subaru assortment.
Cruising the streets of Tokyo is a far cry from a gravel rally stage within the Midlands, however at the least it’s now in semi-tarmac spec.
It took 4 years of tinkering to deliver the automotive as much as Japanese highway security and emission requirements, making that quantity plate well-earned. Except for the drivetrain, the Impreza retains a lot of its unique interval Prodrive configuration.
Seeing a manufacturing unit team-built rally automotive on public roads is among the finest elements of automotive tradition – particularly when its wearing competitors white with no livery like this one. A giant due to Tatsumi-san for bringing this Subaru from the particular stage to the road.
Toby Thyer
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