In the rearview mirror: A special drive concept for a cult car

30 years ago, the world's first and still only compact class model with a boxer engine and standard all-wheel drive was launched on the German market: The Subaru Impreza subsequently established itself as a multiple champion in the World Rally Championship under the legendary WRX STI type code and won the title six times. With the round birthday, the Impreza now also reaches the candidacy for the H license plate as a rolling cultural asset in this country.

The model name was intended to underscore the vehicle's position as a special challenger in the compact class, which was already densely populated at the time: It originated from a play on words with the English verb "impress". Until today's fifth generation - the sixth will follow next year - the Subaru Impreza has remained an exceptional compact car: No one else offers the standard combination of permanent symmetrical all-wheel drive and powerful boxer gasoline engine with mild hybrid system.

With the introduction of all-wheel drive into large-scale passenger car production, Subaru laid the foundation for its rise to become the largest manufacturer of 4x4 passenger cars over 50 years ago. What was still missing in the early 1990s was a model with strong character in the C-segment. This gap was filled by the Impreza. From the boxer engine installed low in the vehicle to the transmission and cardan drive shaft to the rear differential, the entire drivetrain runs in a line exactly along the centerline of the car ("Symmetrical AWD"). The first generation was available as a practical five-door model with a wide-opening tailgate, a classic four-door notchback sedan and, from 1995 on selected markets, as a two-door coupe (from 1995 on selected markets).

These were joined by adrenaline-fueled high-performance athletes, developed by the Subaru Tecnica International (STI) motorsports division. While the Impreza WRC stirred up the World Rally Championship starting in 1993, the road-going version WRX STI (WRX stands for World Rally Experimental) offered ambitious sports drivers a family-friendly all-wheel-drive alternative to conventional sports cars starting in 1994. To this day, everyone who enjoys motorsports, console racing games, ghymkana drifting challenges or movie blockbusters like "The Fast and the Furious" knows it: the WRX STI is cult. Subaru won the World Rally Championship three times in a row with the Impreza - usually in the striking blue with gold aluminum wheels - and there were another three WRC titles in the drivers' championship. In addition, there were many national championship titles; in Germany, rally idol Armin Kremer won the championships in 1998 and 1999 with the Impreza WRC, which dominated for years.

On circuits such as the Nürburgring, the road-going WRX STI with up to 300 hp (221 kW) burned record times into the asphalt, for example in 2010 with 7:55 minutes as the then new best time for a four-door car on the Nordschleife. In addition, the Impreza has enjoyed numerous successes in circuit and endurance races. And the Impreza was also good for that: in 2009, stunt driver Travis Patrana jumped 82 meters with an STI. In 2016, British rally champion Mark Higgins circumnavigated the infamous Isle of Man TT motorcycle circuit in record time in a WRX STI. In the UK, emergency doctors, ambulance services and police also liked to rely on the Impreza. In 2018, the iconic Subaru with the large rear wing took its leave from the European stage in a "Final Edition".

The first generation of models was built until 2000, including special models such as the "Stalk" with increased ground clearance for forestry workers and hunters. The second edition of the Impreza was built until 2007, followed by further model changes in 2011 and 2016. From 2008, the world's first high-volume boxer diesel engine complemented the engine lineup, before a new four-cylinder boxer gasoline engine was introduced in 2013. At the same time, the Lineartronic continuously variable automatic transmission with manual mode was introduced as standard. From 2010, a true crossover joined the model family in the form of the XV. In the fifth and current Impreza generation introduced in 2016, Subaru installed the predictive and multiple award-winning Eyesight assistance system for the first time, which links an emergency braking and a lane departure warning system, among other things.

Next year, Impreza number six is expected to continue the success story. (aum)