2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Litchfield Type 25 - One of 38

Entering the World Rally Championship in 1980, it took Subaru seven years to reach the podium, with a third at the New Zealand Rally of 1987. Predicting the domination of the sport by Subaru in the following decades would’ve been considered lunacy by many, however, Team Principal Dave Richards and his Prodrive engineers shaped the Legacy of Subaru, pardon the pun, and Subaru, with the Impreza that followed becoming a legend on the gravel, piloted by the much missed Colin McRae and Richard Burns amongst other international names. The styling of the second-generation WRX received mixed reviews at launch and was swiftly nicknamed the “Bugeye”, however, a better received face-lifted version was launched in 2004 a much more handsome car which was to remain in production for the following two years. Under the bonnet was a 2.0-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder boxer engine, delivering around 261bhp to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

This is what Evo Magazine had to say about the Litchfield Type 25 in the May 2004 edition. Jethro Bovingdon, then road test editor, proclaimed 'It's the best Impreza I've ever driven', placing it above the new WR1, the Spec C, and the P1 WR. In August 2004, Autocar  placed the Type 25 at No.2 in the Britain's Best Driver's car awards, ahead of such greats as the Porsche GT3RS, BMW M3 CSL, Lotus and behind only the Noble M400. In Autocar ,February 2004, Chris Harris called it “The Best Impreza on Planet Earth”. T25WDW is #38 of just 38 cars built by Litchfield who imported highly specified JDM cars, transplanted the EJ20 motor with the federal spec EJ25 for more torque, which was further developed by Power Station, and revised suspension and steering to create what was widely regarded as the best Impreza ever built. Options included Anthracite wheels, a track kit upgrade, STI pedals, Superguard, and Alpine ICE, as stated on the order form in the comprehensive history folder.

Now, having covered around 73,000 miles, T25 WDW has been cherished and maintained thoroughly and diligently by its three former keepers. In remarkable condition inside and out, it's ready to be enjoyed properly. So how to improve the 'Best Impreza on Planet Earth'? If the past 18 years has revealed one thing about the recipe for the T25, and indeed all fast Subarus from this point on, it is the potential fragility of the EJ25 engine. The extra torque the 2.5 affords over the earlier 2.0, and even 2.1 'stroker' engine is compromised by reliability worries.

In order to address this, Thwaites Development Racing (TDR) in Warwick have developed an ultimate spec for reliability, robustness and a base for big power in what they call their 'Forged Engine Rebuild' (in excess of £8,000, and just run-in). From our vendor " This was the upgrade we decided on, which takes away any niggles in the mind and allows you to use the car as it was intended without worry. Whilst this forged build is designed to take 450bhp, we opted to keep turbo and map close to Litchfield standard and just a little more potent at 360bhp and 346ft.lb."

The car is presented to auction with handbooks, service receipts, a well-stamped service book and an advisory-free MOT valid until 5th October 2023.