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The only hatchback Impreza in WRC, and what turned out to be the final Impreza WRC car.
Engine: EJ20 2000cc Flat-4 Turbo
Power: 304 PS/299 hp
Weight: 1230 kg/2712 lbs
Expected Class: Gr.B
Having struggled with poor results in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in the early half of the 2000s, the Subaru World Rally Team unveiled a new rally race car in 2008, with hopes of returning to the top of the WRC heap. The car was based on the third-generation 5-door Impreza "wagon" that went into production in 2007.
It was 1.9 inches shorter than the outgoing race car, with a 3.7 inch longer wheelbase. it featured shorter front and rear overhangs and a new reinforced front subframe (this component was lacking on the previous WRC Impreza racer). The rear suspension was also changed from a double-wishbone setup to one that utilized struts. The end result was a much more nimble car that possessed greater cornering speed.
Under the hood was the same engine as the previous car, a horizontally-opposed turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-4, but this unit was now paired with a more compact transmission that was 10 kg lighter.
The Impreza WRC 2008 made its debut at the Acropolis Rally, the 7th round of the 2008 championship, and although the car experienced minor problems at the onset, it hit its stride in mid-season. At Rally Japan, Round 14 of the season, the Subaru team entered the event with high hopes of regaining the top spot on the podium, but it was not meant to be as driver Chris Atkinson finished 4th and Petter Solberg retired from the race. Later that year, Subaru announced its withdrawal from the WRC series.
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