Mention the name ‘Impreza WRX’ to any British police officer of a certain age and watch them reminisce about late-night robberies and high-speed chases. Subaru’s rally sedan was the getaway car of choice for a generation of criminals who tormented British law enforcement.
The Impreza’s durability, honed during the grueling special stages of the World Rally Championship, made it equally adept at surviving the chaos of being driven through shop windows – and then evading capture.
Ultimately, British police embraced the adage “If you can’t beat them, join them.” and welcomed the turbo all-wheel drive Impreza to their fleet of pursuit and interception vehicles. From the late 1990s to the late 2010s, the WRX was used by both sides of the law.
In the 1990s, British police fleets consisted mainly of Vauxhall Vectras and Ford Mondeos, making the Impreza a standout on both city streets and rural B-roads. It was also more agile than another famous British police car of the late 80s/early 90s: the Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth.
Australian police also felt that the Impreza’s agility was preferable to their usual GM Holden Commodores, which were larger rear-wheel drive sedans and had more grunt than a Vauxhall Vectra. In Japan, WRXs served domestic needs, but mainly patrolled speeders rather than chasing ram raiders.
For the West Midlands Police Motorcycle Club, the mention of the Impreza is likely to provoke delight rather than scorn. That’s because they raced this Prodrive-built 2004 GDB WRX STI in club rallies across the UK in the 2018 season, with retired police officer Paul Clackett behind the wheel.
Cars like the Subaru Impreza WRX and its rallying foe, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, left such an impression on British police forces that it wasn’t long before some police officers formed their own rally teams. It became a unique way for officers to connect with the community and raise awareness about the dangers of speeding – by, well, speeding – but in controlled environments with closed roads.
We don’t know how successful the car was in former Officer Clackett’s hands, nor in the years before he owned it – the Impreza’s pre-2018 history is murky – but I’m sure it brought joy to many when he gravel sloshed. roads through Great Britain.
Originally built for Group N, somewhere along the line, the Impreza was upgraded with the full WRC wide-body and wing treatment. It was also reportedly fitted with the WRC-spec powertrain, but that’s no longer in the car anyway.
Current owner Tatsumi-san – who looks strikingly like a detective from a Tokyo crime series – imported the car as a nice addition to his Subaru collection.
Cruising the streets of Tokyo is in stark contrast to a gravel rally stage in the Midlands, but at least it’s semi-tarred now.
It took four years of tinkering to bring the car up to Japanese road safety and emissions standards, making that license plate well deserved. Aside from the drivetrain, the Impreza retains much of its original Prodrive configuration.
Seeing a factory team-built rally car on public roads is one of the best parts of car culture, especially when it’s dressed in competition white and without a livery like this. Many thanks to Tatsumi-san for bringing this Subaru from the special stage to the streets.
Toby Thyer
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