Codenamed VB, the second-gen WRX is a bit of a hit and miss. On the one hand, upgrading from a 2.0-liter to a 2.4-liter boxer enables greater tuning potential. But on the other hand, the larger mill lays down similar horsepower and 20 pound-foot (27 Nm) less torque at the wheels.
The VB also happens to be… well, aesthetically challenged. The proportions may be spot on, there’s no mistaking that. Be that as it may, black plastic cladding used all through the lower end – on all four sides of the vehicle – is too much and too cheap as per many prospective customers and fans. Another serious problem is the GT specification, which features Ultrasuede-wrapped Recaro front seats, electronically controlled dampers, 430 different customization options for the Drive Mode Select System, summer performance tires, 18-inch aluminum wheels, and a boring CVT.
Subaru had the nerve of calling it Subaru Performance Transmission, waxing lyrical about its eight-speed manual shifting mode that simply doesn’t match the inherent pleasure of using a good ol’ manual gearbox.
Adding insult to injury, Subaru offers a torquier WRX in Japan. As if that wasn’t bad enough for the VB, the Japanese automaker has shot down any hopes of a WRX STI. A statement from March 2022 highlights that an ICE WRX STI will not be produced on the new platform, which isn’t actually new given that the Subaru Global Platform was introduced back in 2016.
The Japanese automaker is gearing up for either a partially electrified or a fully electrified WRX STI, but only time will tell when the all-new model will go official. In the meantime, Prodrive has reimagined the Impreza 22B STi into a limited-run restomod with carbon-fiber bodywork throughout.
Pixel artist Marouane Bembli went on a different route, using the VB as the basis for the return of the Impreza 22B STi. The rendering featured in the clip below also includes a two-door makeover, which improves the aesthetic qualities of the second-generation WRX by a tremendous margin. Body-color trim rather than black plastic cladding on the wheel arches also needs to be mentioned, along with bodyside graphics, better wheels, painted brake rotors with a similar finish to the graphics, and a body-color rear wing.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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