We always like to say that PH is a broad church, welcoming car enthusiasts of all stripes and persuasions - but there do tend to be fundamental ties that bind us. One of them is getting all misty-eyed at the mere mention of Colin McRae or Richard Burns threading a Subaru through a Welsh forest. You don’t need to be a dyed-in-the-wool bobble hat wearer to get what the WRC meant to people in a certain time and place. Rallying was obviously very cool before the ‘90s - especially in its Group B pomp - but if you’re middle-aged now, there’s one era, and chiefly one make of car that always springs to mind.
It was so special that the manufacturer continued thriving on our cherished memories for years afterwards. The 'Hawkeye' generation represents the final flourish of the classic three-box Impreza formula before Subaru's design department took a questionable detour with the hatchback that followed. This 2007 example of the increasingly coveted WRX STI Type UK in Sapphire Blue appears to be a proper late-model gem, not least because it features the letter P repeated three times.
While standard STIs delivered 280hp courtesy of its 2.5-litre EJ25 boxer, its top-mounted intercooler justifying the trademark bonnet scoop, the Prodrive Performance Package upgrade – which included a stainless-steel exhaust, high-flow fuel pump, and ECU remap – bumped output beyond 300hp, and ladled yet more motorsport kudos onto the car. The STI didn’t necessarily need a 15 per cent improvement in torque - but 332lb ft from 3,700rpm is sufficient to make the WRX respectably senior even today.
And in all weathers, of course. The current vogue for four-wheel drive in all manner of active variations absolutely does not detract from the simpler, grittier pleasure of Subaru's symmetrical AWD system - its way of doing things is still liable to make your head spin. Especially if you do get the opportunity to venture away from tarmac and take advantage of the rather magnificent N12 light pod (fitted in 2020) and STI-branded mudflaps. Nothing says "I might take a detour through a forest" quite like purpose-built splash protection.
Crucially, the service history would suggest that despite wearing the armour of a gravel-warrior, the car appears to have been meticulously maintained. Not only are there 14 service stamps in the book, but the head gasket – the Achilles' heel of these engines – was replaced in January 2025 at 67,431 miles, along with the timing belt. Additionally, the rear dampers and top mounts were refreshed in June 2024, suggesting that when something needed doing, the most recent of its previous owners saw to it that it was done. Even now, there are only 71,500 miles showing.
But it’s about the vibe more than anything. There are cars which speak more directly to Subaru’s time in the WRC sun - some faster still and many more valuable - but if you want an affordable, gold-wheeled example of what was special about so many wet mornings in cold forests, the WRX STI is a perfect daily for someone who refuses to let adulthood extinguish their inner rally driver. Which, as we’ve established, is surely most of us.
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