Dedicated to a late, great rally champion
The road to the Welsh village of Portmeirion is deserted. The few people who live in this desolate outpost of the British Isles have already taken to their homes and the land is mine to enjoy. In the late evening gloom I can just make out a slither of tarmac, outlining an arc across the moors.
I extend my right foot, the 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti takes a lug of fuel, the turbo draws breath and the car lifts its skirt. There is no feeling in the world quite like an Impreza at full chat.
And this is no ordinary Impreza. The final iteration of the current-generation Impreza, the RB320 is a tribute to the late Richard Burns, the rally champion whom England called its own. Developed by Prodrive, the company responsible for Subaru's World Rally Car, the RB320 is a limited-edition version of the 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi offered only in the United Kingdom. Even at a price of $58,850, all 320 cars have quickly sold out.
The legacy of Richard Burns
Richard Burns was the first and thus far only Englishman to become world rally champion (Scotsman Colin McRae doesn't count here). Burns achieved this feat in 2001 at the wheel of a Prodrive-prepared Subaru Impreza. Afterward, Burns then moved to the Peugeot team and two years later was still in contention for the championship as he traveled to the final round in Wales.
Sadly, it was a journey he would never complete. Burns collapsed at the wheel of his road car and soon was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died in 2005 at the age of 34.
Last year, the Richard Burns Foundation was established to help those faced with similar adversity. The Foundation's chief executive is Robert Reid, Burns' co-driver. David Lapworth, the motorsport director at Prodrive and the man responsible for the Subaru rally cars, also has a leadership role in the Richard Burns Foundation.
Proceeds from the sale of the RB320 will be given to the Foundation.
The way things work
This is not the first RB special edition to be developed by Subaru. The RB5 was launched in 1999, the year in which Burns finished 2nd in the championship for Subaru. Though less extreme than some of the Impreza's subsequent special editions, the RB5 still is widely regarded as the best of the first-generation Imprezas.
The RB320 is based on the British-specification Impreza STi, but the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is fitted with the Prodrive Performance Pack. A reprogrammed ECU, a fuel pump with a greater flow capacity, a high-flow catalytic converter, and a low-restriction muffler combine to liberate 39 extra horses from the boxer four-cylinder. The peak power output is now 317 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, with 344 pound-feet of torque at 3,700 rpm.
After breathing on the engine, Prodrive set to work on the suspension. The Impreza's familiar MacPherson strut configuration has been upgraded with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, as well as an Eibach rear antiroll bar. The front springs lower the ride height by 1.2 inches, while the rears reduce it by 0.4 inches. Pirelli provides P Zero Corsa Assimetrico tires.
Meanwhile, the RB320 supplements the STi's four-wheel-drive system with a driver-controlled center differential with a yaw rate sensor. Put simply, this allows you to adjust the handling balance by altering the quantity of torque delivered to the rear wheels. There's even a switch to spray the intercooler with water, which helps you maintain full power when the engine is really cooking.
Slightly menacing
Henry Ford would have approved of the color choices for the RB320, as you can have any color you like as long as it's Obsidian Black Pearl. The 18-inch cast-aluminum wheels are also black, and they frame gold brake calipers from Brembo. These wheels also bear the emblem of "RB," which is repeated on the back and side of the car's bodywork, just in case anybody should be unclear about your choice of Scooby.
The interior is a mix of STi and RB detailing. Each car is identified not by a plaque, but instead by a numbered alloy tax disc holder. It's the only feature of the car that we might describe as tacky.
Once the home of the RAC Rally of Great Britain
Let's get back to that road in Wales. What strikes you first about this car is how well damped it is. For a car this focused, it is astonishingly compliant. British roads are famous for their bumps, ruts and undulations, but never once does the Scooby feel nervous or unsettled. Nobody knows more about how to set up an Impreza than Prodrive's engineers, and they've done a brilliant job of transferring rally know-how into real-world performance.
In Britain, the natural rival of the RB320 is the 366-hp Mitsubishi Evo IX MR FQ-360. On a drag strip, the Evo will be marginally faster, but it lacks the roadworthy finesse of the RB. On narrow tracks in mountainous Wales, you're working harder in the Mitsubishi just to keep up. In contrast, the Impreza is more consistent and more communicative.
With just 2.5 turns from lock-to-lock, the steering is wonderfully direct, even chatty. The brakes boast a pedal that's racecar firm, making heel-and-toe shifts a joy to complete. An STi Quickshift system increases the speed of the gearchange without any loss of precision.
After a few miles of driving, you learn to trail brake to the apex of the corner, and set your trajectory with the steering. Then it's hard on the power, as the center diff works its magic and the four-wheel-drive system hauls the car out of the corner.
You can take outrageous liberties with this car. There's huge grip from the 235/40ZR18 tires, yet you can still adjust the cornering attitude with the throttle. Lift as you turn in and the rear will step out a degree or two, then get hard on the throttle and feel the car ease into a glorious four-wheel drift. Burnsy would have approved.
So good is the chassis that it could no doubt handle more than the 317 horses. Not that it ever feels slow. If anything, Prodrive might be a bit conservative in its claim of acceleration to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and we have little reason to doubt a top speed of 158 mph. Above 3,000 rpm, the RB's engine has a magnificent growl.
The best of the best
The long highway cruise back toward London offers scope for reflection. Over the past few years, we must have driven at least a dozen different iterations of the Impreza, from the standard WRX to the outrageous 22B. Some have been better than others, yet we can say without hesitation that the RB320 is the finest of the breed.
Subaru might have simply slapped a few decals on an Impreza and called it a Richard Burns special, but instead it has been true to Burns' legacy. This car gives you the impression that it was tuned by engineers who cared deeply about what they were doing. The end result is a great car and a fitting tribute to a great driver.
- Insideline
