Mention the name ‘Impreza WRX’ to any British police officer of a certain age and they’ll reminisce about night-time robberies and high-speed chases. The rally edition of Subaru’s sedan was the getaway car of choice for a generation of criminals who plagued British law enforcement.
The Impreza’s durability, honed during the gruelling special stages of the World Rally Championship, made it equally suited to surviving the chaos of driving through shop windows – and then avoiding being pulled over.
Eventually, the British police embraced the saying “If you can’t beat them, join them” and welcomed the turbocharged all-wheel drive Impreza into their fleet of pursuit and interceptor vehicles. From the late 1990s through the late 2010s, the WRX was used by both sides of the law.
During the 1990s, British police fleets consisted mainly of Vauxhall Vectras and Ford Mondeos, making the Impreza a standout on city streets and country B-roads alike. It was also more agile than another famous British police car of the late 1980s/early 1990s, the Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth.
Australian police also found the Impreza’s handling superior to their usual GM Holden Commodores, which were larger rear-wheel-drive sedans with more pep than a Vauxhall Vectra. In Japan, WRXs served domestic needs, but mainly for patrolling for speed devils rather than chasing ram-raiders.
For the West Midlands Police Motor Club, mentioning the Impreza is likely to evoke more joy than disdain. That’s because they Penetrate-built 2004 GDB WRX STI during club rallies in the UK during the 2018 season, with retired police officer owner Paul Clackett behind the wheel.
You see, cars like the Subaru Impreza WRX and its rally rival the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution made such an impression on British police forces that it wasn’t long before some police forces formed their own rally teams. It became a unique way for officers to engage with the community and raise awareness of the dangers of speeding – by, well, speeding – but in controlled, enclosed environments.
We don’t know how successful the car was in the hands of former police officer Clackett, or in the years before he owned it – the Impreza’s history before 2018 is unclear – but I’m sure it brought plenty of joy to many people as it raced around gravel roads in Britain.
Originally built for Group N, at some point along the way the Impreza was upgraded with the full WRC wide-body and wing treatment. It was also reportedly fitted with the WRC-spec powertrain, but whatever the case, it’s no longer fitted to the car.
Current owner Tatsumi-san, who bears a striking resemblance to a detective from a Tokyo crime series, imported the car as a nice addition to his Subaru collection.
Cruising the streets of Tokyo is a very different matter to a gravel rally in the Midlands, but thankfully it’s now a semi-tarmac course.
It took four years of tinkering to bring the car up to Japanese road safety and emissions standards, which earned it a license plate. Apart from the drivetrain, the Impreza retains much of its original Prodrive configuration from that era.
Seeing a factory-built rally car on the road is one of the best parts of car culture – especially when it’s dressed in race white with no livery like this one. A big thanks to Tatsumi-san for bringing this Subaru from the special stage to the street.
Toby Thyer
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