The Subaru Impreza is a compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993. "Impreza" is a coined word, deriving from an originally Italian word, impresa, meaning a feat or achievement. In Polish, "Impreza" means "party", "event" or "show".
On 2007-04-03, Subaru officially unveiled the next generation Impreza WRX at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Created for the 2008 model year, the new Impreza is offered as both a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback. The EJ253 engine carries over from the previous generation to power the 2.5i and the EJ255 engine carries over from the previous generation to power the turbocharged WRX trim levels.
The range has been changed with the new Impreza, a 1.5 litre engine is quipped with the base model, next is the 2.0 litre, the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and the WRX 2.5 litre turbocharged engine. Both of the turbo engines (for the first time) are available in a five door hatch; this was chosen to match its BMW and Alfa Romeo rivals. The new base model Impreza is 50 mm shorter than its previous version but is wider and has a longer wheel base. The dashboard in the Impreza is much more open and is easier to configure. Also for the first time the windows now have frames on them to improve NVH levels and rigidity of the car.
The Impreza chassis rose to prominence in rally racing more effectively than Subaru's previous contenders. Prior to the introduction of the Impreza into WRC in 1993, Subaru had fielded its larger mid-size Legacy for rally purposes. However, as rally competition shifted toward smaller and lighter chassis, Subaru needed a smaller and faster car—a role in which the Impreza was immediately successful and in which the Impreza continues to compete effectively, albeit in more powerful versions than were initially introduced. To jumpstart its rally efforts, Subaru had initially teamed with Prodrive in 1989, a very successful partnership that has lasted to this day. Prodrive also provided input during the Impreza's development to help it become a better rally car.
After winning its first World Rally Championship event in the Legacy at Rally New Zealand, Ari Vatanen finished second in the debut rally of the new WRC Impreza. Carlos Sainz brought the Impreza its inaugural victory in the 1994 Acropolis Rally. The Impreza brought Subaru three consecutive WRC titles (1995–97) and a driver's championship for Colin McRae in 1995, the late Richard Burns in 2001, and Petter Solberg in 2003. While its rivals have come and gone, Subaru and the Impreza have remained one of the only consistent contenders in WRC during the last 13 years.
The latest evolution of the rallying Imprezas is Subaru Impreza WRC 2007 made its debut in 2007 Corona Rally Mexico. Unfortunately, team was having several major problems with reliability - car has kept breaking down in almost every rally since it's first. Acropolis Rally was first round when newest Impreza (12a) finished in top 3. Subaru has delivered a 2008 Impreza hatchback to Prodrive, the team fielding the WRC Imprezas, for conversion to a rally car, the WRC contenders should be feeling the heat from that car soon. Wikipedia
