Match Made In Heaven
In the ’90s, the world of rallying was taken over by the Japanese. What used to be dominated by the Europeans was now in the hands of Mitsubishi‘s Lancer and Subaru’s WRX STI. One reason the STI gained so much following was the man behind the wheel, no-fear driver Colin McRae.
He was responsible for piloting the GC8 generation Impreza to multiple wins and a WRC Title. His tenure with Subaru gave birth to many special-edition models, and while all the attention usually falls on the 22B, a post-McRae limited edition was also created.
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Overlooked but Rare WRX STI S201
In the year 2000, just as the GC8 generation’s production was coming to an end, the brand decided to make it stand out one last time. It was then that the S201 was born, a special, limited edition performance version. In fact, this is the first S-series Impreza, and it set the precedent as the ultimate STI before production ended and the next generation’s introduction.
One such car is now for sale on Cars and Bids. This car is a right-hand drive model listed in New Hampshire and is finished in a combination of Silver and Grey. It was reportedly imported back in December of 2025, and it has 159,000 kilometers (99,200 miles) on the clock.
What looks like an aftermarket body kit is actually the factory kit for the S201; it was considered polarizing back in the day, but an interesting tidbit is that the rear wing was developed by the aerospace division of Fuji Heavy Industries. It also features a set of 16-inch forged Rays wheels finished in the iconic gold.
In terms of capabilities, the S201 underwent many modifications; the EJ20 boxer 4 was widely considered the first motor to break the old Japanese gentlemen’s agreement of just 276 horsepower. The S201 advertised a 300 hp power output. It featured a special sports ECU and enhanced intake/exhaust systems.
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Rarer Than You Think
Power is delivered through a 5-speed manual transmission and an all-wheel-drive system with a front helical limited-slip differential (LSD). A standout S201 feature would have been the suspension system, which was reinforced with height-adjustable parts, but that is gone, and in its place is a TEIN coilover kit. Other non-factory parts include an HKS blow-off valve, an exhaust, and a Seibon carbon fiber hood.
Originally, 300 S201s were slated for production, but for some reason Subaru never made it to 300. Some people have said that they stopped production after just 87 cars, making number 20/300 even rarer than the famed 22B STI.
The current bid is at $9,555 and has days left. If you want a rare piece of Subaru’s golden years, this is your chance.
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