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This 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi Is Collector-Grade JDM Exotica

Excluding modern automobiles, VIN 001 auctions, and no-nonsense racers, the most expensive Japanese cars ever sold include the Toyota 2000GT, Nissan Fairlady Z432R, the second-generation Skyline GT-R, and the 240Z that hammered for $310,000 on Bring a Trailer last January.
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi for sale 84 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
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Subaru has also made the list with the 22B STi, the most desirable variant of the Impreza ever meant for the road. Only 424 examples were produced in total, and 24 of them hit the export market outside of Japan. Chassis number GC8069816 is a JDM-spec model offered with a clean title, Japanese service records, and show-or-display paperwork for a lot of cash.

We may not know the reserve, but the online auction currently stands at $155,555 with ten days left. That’s enough to make a few bidders drench in sweat, more so if you compare this price with the original price of $41,600.

Offered in Palm Springs, California, with a load of factory literature and fewer than 40,000 kilometers (24,855 miles) on the clock, the Super Subie is a homologation special through and through. The closed-deck boxer engine, for example, houses forged pistons, sodium-filled valves, molybdenum-coated internals, as well as a water spray for the intercooler.

Finished in World Rally Blue, the 156th of 400th models produced for the Japanese market had its timing belt, water pump, and cat-back exhaust replaced in preparation for the sale. The flat-four mill has also been tested on the dyno earlier this year, and the best run shows 241 horsepower and 248 pound-feet (336 Nm) of torque still left in the hand-assembled EJ22G.

Impeccable from every angle, the 22B STi features a few amenities, including automatic climate control, leather for the transmission shifter and steering wheel, and power windows. A driver-adjustable center differential and blue inserts for the manually adjustable Recaro seats are also included.

That said, how high do you think this car will sell for? For reference, we last covered a 22B STi last year when a British dealer advertised the 309th chassis for 295,000 pounds sterling or $373,000 at that time’s exchange rates.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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