This is the first generation Impreza, launched in 1992. It set the bar for compact economy cars, but with typical Subaru twists. These were definitely a step above the Honda Civic and Ford Escort.
The Impreza was offered in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive layouts. The AWD version was the one you wanted, though.
Styling is classic 1990s Japanese. Gone are the hard edges and layers of detail on their 1980s designs, and in are smooth edges, bubbly corners, flat planes and round lines. In basic trim they were very generic looking, but in higher trim with some larger wheels and bottom skirts, they started to look a little more edgy.
North America never received the coveted high-performance WRX version of the first-generation Impreza. In 1994, the STI (Subaru Tecnica International) version was launched in Japan only, improving on the WRX. The turbocharged engines, transmissions and suspensions were specially tuned. These were very successful as rally cars and street racers.
This is not an authentic STI from Japan as a decode reveals (VIN# JF1GC2359SG516379). The seller has instead done an incredible conversion to right-hand drive and STI specifications. Although at first counter-intuitive, the effort involved and apparent success is impressive. The seller says they did a complete conversion with all JDM wiring and computer work. No cost is mentioned, but it couldn't have been cheap.
Under the hood is an engine swap to an STI-correct Version 4 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine powering all four wheels and mated to a close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission. The seller says the odometer reads 63k, but the swap equipment have 61k on it.
Cosmetically, the car is missing side molding and has a bunch of scrapes.
But if you want something fast, grippy and unique, few other cars will fit the bill as this does.
Available here on ebay in Chandler, Arizona for a Buy-It-Now of $9,800 and the Make Offer option.
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