1999 SUBARU IMPREZA 22R T500 SCR

Highlights

• Incredible 22B replica restomod with only 4,500 miles since build
• Built by Scooby Clinic
• One of five wide-body replicas built
• Absolutely spotless condition
• UK delivery included

Overview

22B. Two words and one letter spoken of in hushed tones by Subaru Impreza enthusiasts all over the world.

Built as a homologation special and blessed with 345bhp from its EJ22 STi-developed engine, the 22B used a two-door, wide body shell so that Subaru could use a naturally stiffer body in its WRC campaigns. 400 were made and most went rallying. A road car, given as a gift by Subaru to a certain Colin McRae Esq when new, recently sold at auction for £480,000. That one was a bit special, but even one with less iconic provenance is still a deeply valuable machine, easily commanding six figures.

If you’re not too fussed about the real deal, though, there is another way - and here it is! This car, known as a 22R, is the first of five 22B replicas assembled by The Scooby Clinic in Chesterfield. Built from the ground up into a two-door, wide-body shell kit, the 22R has an authentic 2.2-litre flat-four and a replica body echoing the look of the Peter Stevens-designed WRC car, wider and shorter than a standard saloon, and undoubtedly more purposeful.

The Scooby Clinic’s replica is as authentic as it can be except for the colour. The WRC Blue is avoided out of reverence to the originals, not least because the people who built this car have an infectious enthusiasm grown from a youth spent playing Colin McRae rally on the PlayStation, followed by an adulthood tinkering with the real things. Sounds like a dream job, doesn’t it?

This is a beautifully executed replica, engineered to be arguably better than the factory models thanks to the hand-finished attention of died-in-the-wool enthusiasts and skilled engineers.

It’s rarer than a real one, too. Just five of these 22Rs exist and the vendor also has one of the others, so the chance to own the very first is a rare and privileged opportunity, and one you’ll most likely never see again.

History and documentation

• UK V5C
• MOT December 2024 – no advisories
• Built in 2017 – just two owners and 4,500 miles covered since
• 22R replica Number One
• Built at a cost of over £50,000
• TOAD alarm and immobiliser
• Build details and maintenance invoices since
• Two sets of keys
• Dyno printout showing 414bhp
• Original jack and tool kit
• HPI Clear
• The seller will deliver within the UK at no extra cost

Interior

• Safety Devices full roll cage in red
• Custom-built rear seat area
• Cobra Pro Sebring bucket-fit rally seats
• Five-point racing harnesses
• Momo rally steering wheel
• JT Innovations Toucan touchscreen to control Syvecs ECU
• Black leather handbrake gaiter and gear knob, with hand-finished red stitching
• Electric windows and mirrors
• SCR floor mats
• New carpets and dash

Exterior

• Two-door bare shell kit from The Scooby Clinic, fully fitted up and painted (includes front and rear bumpers, side skirts, door handles, mirrors, fog lamp covers, bonnet, boot lid, two doors and adjustable spoiler)
• Subaru 230 Feather White base coat with red graphics and clear coat
• Replica race graphics but in unique colour scheme
• Fully Waxoyled and undersealed underneath
• Built-up into two-door widebody shell
• New headlamps and rear lamps
• New glass all-round
• Four new wheels with fresh Toyo 888R tyres
• Absolutely incredible condition inside and out

Mechanical

• 2.2-litre EJ22 engine
• Dyno-tested to produce 414bhp
• Blouch SC46 billet turbo
• Syvecs ECU with external control via JT Innovations Toucan touchscreen – three separate maps from 380bhp to circa 420bhp
• 2.1 forged stroker kit
• Cold air induction kit
• New wiring looms
• R10 diff with new shafts and hubs
• Five-speed DCCD helical gear kit
• New clutch and flywheel
• Loud Cobra exhaust system
• SCR big brake kit
• Poly bushes all round
• Front and rear ARB kit
• New Bilstein coilovers

Summary

In its purest of senses the Impreza 22B is a legend – and imitation is, of course, the sincerest form of flattery. While Scooby Clinics 22R Number One (for this was the very first build) may not ever have the provenance of the original cars, it’s very much a legend in its own lifetime. A fantastic resto-mod, built to an evidently exacting quality in deference to the original. This is not a cheap replica – it’s hero-worshipping on wheels. A very different equation.

It's beautifully executed, too. It’s a proper weapon – a beast of a car that will stir every one of your senses, but which has been constructed to the highest of standards by a team who are as passionate about Impreza 22Bs as we are. It’s incredible.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire.