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A rare JDM legend is for sale on Bring a Trailer and you know what that means. It’s time once again to guess just how unattainable our once relatively humble childhood video game hero cars have become. The imported Japanese performance car in question today is the legendary 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi, specifically one with just 25,000 miles on the odometer. It’s gonna be a good one.
Since the 22B sadly was never sold new in the U.S., this particular car was apparently imported to America last July under the Show or Display exemption (this country outlaws importing cars the regular way if the vehicle is less than 25 years old, remember?).
This thing ticks all of the classic Subaru boxes: World Rally Blue on gold wheels, 2.2-liter turbocharged flat-four, AWD, a five-speed manual, a locking center diff, adjustable rear wing, and red STI brake calipers. Rocking a bigger hood scoop, bulgier fenders, the 22B was made to commemorate the company’s 40th anniversary as well as its third WRC title. Only 400 were made for the Japanese market and this one happens to be number 156 according to its serialized plaque.
Par for the high-dollar Bring a Trailer sale course, this 22B comes with service records, factory literature, import papers, and a clean Montana title. It’s being sold from Palm Springs, California and, as of this writing, the auction is already sitting at $88,888 with 13 days left.
Per Hagerty, another example sold for the equivalent of $172,000 in the U.K. last year. A factory-fresh, 271-mile car traded hands for a mortgage-worthy $370,000 last year as well. Now, who wants to guess how many reasonably priced houses this one will end up selling for?
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
