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Special edition cars have always been covetted but can be hard to spot. On top of that, with an international market there are tons out there you've never heard of. Today we're exploring some of our favorites from a very thorough list from Subaru-Impreza.com. Not only does this website list them by country, but they also include photos, press material and technical data!
We will work our way through this list in chronological order starting with...
- Series McRae (1995) in the UK
If you haven't heard of Colin McRae and you own a Subaru, do yourself a favor and watch some of his driving. Though Colin only won a single drivers championship, the 1995 World Rally Championship, his driving style and legacy continue to have an impact on motorsports. This special edition was limited to 200 units and produced with Prodrive. Cars were numbered 1-201, with the number 13 car excluded for lucks sake (you'll see this often).
- Only available in WRB
- 16 x 6.5 wheels in gold (Speedline) with Pirelli P Zero 205/50ZR16 tires
- Recaro front sport seats with McRae embroidery
- Seats and door cards in "LeMans-/Avus" material
- Sunroof
- Numbered McRae plaque in the center console
- McRae decals on the side and back of the car
- WRX STi Sauber Edition (2002) in Switzerland
Do you really think that Sauber, the F1 team more recently known as Alfa Romeo Sauber or Stake for the 2024 season would make a special edition Subaru? Are you crazy? No... they actually made 4... As an official partner of the swiss based Formula 1 Team, Emil Frey (Subaru CH) made this special edition possible. There were made 50 made with number 1 and 2 going to the F1 drivers Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa.
- Sauber decals on the fog light covers and back of the car
- 17" 10 spoke alloy wheels (Kosei Sniper)
- Leather seats with Sauber embroidery
What, you didnt think we would keep the other 3 models from you did you? There was also a 2003 Blobeye model, 2010 Hatch, and 2013 Sedan seen below.
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WRX Type Euro Turbo (2002) in Japan
Wowee, look at this thing. I wouldn't say this is my taste but maybe my yeehaw American brain just cant comprehend the brilliance and class that this holds. Using the Impreza Sports Wagon chassis, the TYPE EURO was jointly styled by Austria-based Porsche Design and FHI. It featured new exterior components jointly developed by the two companies. The TYPE EURO TURBO featured an EJ20X DOHC turbo-charged engine. There were 2 NA variants offered as well; TYPE EURO 20 with a 2.0L DOHC engine and TYPE EURO 15 with a 1.5LSOHC engine. With this wide array of model variations and options, FHI has set a monthly sales target of 100 for TYPE EURO.
- Low rise spoiler
- Xenon headlights
- 7 spoke wheels
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WRX STi Spec C (2002) in Japan
If you're a Subaru nerd like me and used to watch Best Motoring International videos you'll recognize the Spec-C. To enter racing and rallying championships that take place around the world, cars must be homologated according to the FIA regulations. Group N (production cars) is one of the rally and off-road vehicle groups set forth by the FIA. There are many very well known homologation cars like the Mercedez-Benz CLK GTR, BMW E30 M3, Dodge Charger Daytona/Superbird, the list goes on. To me the absolute coolest thing about these are the fact that you're buying a road-legal version of a purpose built race car. Compared to the standard STi, the STi spec C is about 90 kg lighter with lighter glass, aluminum trunk, and thinner roof construction. This car also features a TON of the notorious "STI Pink" upgrades like suspension arms, springs and struts.
- Upgraded forged engine internals
- Rear crossbar has been fitted to further improve body rigidity
- IHI VF42 twin scroll Ball Bearing turbo
- Roof scoop
- Large water reservoir for the intercooler water spray
- Front mount engine oil cooler
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WRX STi V-Limited (2003) in Japan
I'll be honest, while I've heard of the V-Limited I wasnt quite sure what it stood for. Produced for the celebration of World Rally Championships, Subaru would release the blue special models, V-Limited. If the Subaru World Rally Team did not win the world championship the year before, they were simply called "Limited". While the V-Limited models were produced prior to 2003, the Petter Solbergs win at the World Rallye Championship broke a bit of a dry spell, reviving the well-known V-Limited special edition.
- 555 cars were built
- Special suspension by Toshi Arai
- Front spoiler lip
- Aluminium gear knob
- SWRT badges at the fog light covers and the front doors
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WRX STi WR1 (2004) in the UK
So we mentioned the revival of the V-Limited due to Petter Solberg's 2003 WRC victory. We'll, Subaru was really stoked on that, like, REALLY stoked. This spurred multiple Petter Solberg based special editions. For the WR1, Prodrive produced one of the strongest Imprezas ever. Only 500 of the WR1 were built with a 316HP/310Tq that reached 250 kph (155 mph). It could do the 0-100 kph-sprint in only 4.3 seconds. The wheel choice was an 18-inch seven-spoke alloy that brought the car an inch closer to the road than the stock-STi.
- Prodrive tuned ECU
- Black and grey Alcantara seats and interior
- Special mesh front grills
- WR1 Badging on the front fenders and trunk
- Prodrive wheels
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RB320 (2007) in the UK
In memory of rally hero Richard Burns, Subaru announced a new special edition STI Called the RB320. This variant features the 320 PS Prodrive Performance Pack. This reduces the 0-60 mph time to 4.8 seconds with a 0-100 mph time of 12.2 seconds. Among other features, the RB320 features specially developed Prodrive suspension comprising Bilstein dampers, a sports spring kit with revised rear anti-roll bar and a ride height lowered by 30 mm at the front and 10 mm at the rear.
- Available only in Obsidian Black Pearl
- Chrome mesh front grille
- Front lip spoiler
- Short Shifter
- RB320-branded gear knob, fender badges, and floor mats
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WRX STI Travis Pastrana (2009) in the USA
I'll be honest I never knew about this model. This released just around the time where I was getting into Subarus in particular and as Rallycross was hitting the main stream. For the 3rd victory of the North American Rally Championship for SOA, there is this single piece named after the one and only Travis Pastrana. This features an SPT-chassis and the interior is dominated by blue alcantara with yellow stitching and a professional sound system, which is also connectable to the Xbox 360.
- High flow downpipe with ECU tuning
- Red Brembo calipers
- Carbon fiber hood
- Taller rear spoiler and front lip
- PIAA daytime driving lights
- Black 18x9 Work XD9 wheels with 275/35R18 BFGoodrich G-Force Super Sport A/S tires
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WRX STI S206 NBR Challenge Package (2011) in Japan
With a lot of press around the 2024 Subaru WRX NBR Challenge car getting a ton of press lately I figured putting this on the list would be a good idea. The NBR Challenge package was assembled to commemorate the class win at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in 2011.
- Carbon fiber roof
- Larger Carbon Fiber rear spoiler
- Black BBS wheels and silver Brembo Calipers
- Red sill plates by Subaru Tecnica International
- Only 100 cars were built
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WRX STI Final Edition (2017) in the UK/Europe
Can you believe that Subaru canned the WRX/STI in the UK?! With all the rally heritage I almost didn't believe it until this special edition was announced. Subaru UK launched the WRX STI Final Edition, strictly limited to 150 models to say farewell to this brand icon and mark the end of the Impreza era of Subaru’s heritage in the UK. A Final Edition badge is located on the door and shifter trim. I wish I could say they went all out on this one but its basically a USDM 2018 STI, featuring the acid green 6 pot brembos.
Which model would I take? Honestly I love the RB320. The color combination of the OBP, wheels, and RB320 badges really stand out. While I dont love the chrome grills I also don't hate them. Its a really well rounded special edition and better yet it was produced for a great cause, raising awareness and money for cancer research.
Now obviously this isn't a comprehensive list but which would you choose? Click the link to our youtube video and let us know!
- Jeff @ Circuit Demon