*Undated
The 2000 season was very important for Prodrive. A new version of the well-known two-door Impreza WRC was built to replace the one used up to now.
Although they premiered it at the beginning of the season, the successes were resounding since its debut. At first glance it looked identical to its predecessor, but in reality it was a completely new car, with more than 80% of the parts different.
All the experience on the circuits was applied in the construction of the new car. Christian Loriaux led the design team alongside Simon Carrier and Prodrive team technical director David Lapworth. An evolution, that of the car in question, which was taken to the limit of the regulation.
The new WRC featured three active differentials and a lower center of gravity to optimise weight distribution. This was precisely where the experience gained by the team on the circuits was put to use.
The front bumper was redesigned and a new lower air intake and larger diffuser were added, which generated more downforce by reducing the air flowing under the chassis. Another of the aesthetic changes was the rear spoiler, which was modified with a shorter and thinner blade.
The first tests were developed together with the old model. Richard Burns and his co-driver Robert Reid compared the times of both cars and were surprised in an unimaginable way.
The new one was a second per kilometre faster. Prodrive couldn't wait any longer to debut their new and promising Impreza and at the Rally de Portugal they went all out, achieving a resounding victory.
The excitement was huge in the team, which had managed to develop an incredible car. To this victory would be added later those of Argentina and Great Britain, although this was not enough for Burns to win the title against Marcus Grönholm.
The model was known as the S6 WRC00, but for the Prodrive team it will always be the P2000. In 2001, the street model becoming obsolete, it was replaced by the S7 WRC, with which this time Burns and Reid won the world title.
The unit in this report is one of the 9 cars used by Prodrive in the World Rally Championship during the 2000 season. It is chassis number 8 (W22 SRT). His debut was at the New Zealand Rally with Juha Kankkunen, who later also used him at the difficult Cyprus Rally. His last participation within the official structure was in Australia, this time in the hands of Petter Solberg.
After its official stage, the W22SRT passed into private hands in 2001: Vovos, Victor Sá, Papadimitriou, Caldani or James Harrison, in Ireland, were some of its owners, until in 2008 it travelled to France to end up in the hands of Christophe Remy, who used it until 2012, being acquired by the Belgian Paul Lietaer.
The latter used it in a good number of national rallies until in 2016 it was acquired by a Spanish collector, Paco Roig. After receiving a mechanical overhaul on its 300hp Boxer 2.0 engine and the different electronic components, the Impreza received a small restoration and now it once again spots the characteristic blue colour used by the official team.