Here are nine of the very best Subarus ever made*

Known simply as the WRX STI Version in 1994, this GC8 had 247bhp, a new intercooler, uprated brakes, stiffer springs and a louder exhaust. Giggle about that acronym all you like, but this car started a dynasty.

Before the STI, Subaru offered the first Type RA to the Japanese domestic market. You bought this Impreza to go racing. Was lighter thanks to the sound deadening removed and the fitment of manual windows, was punchier thanks to a stronger engine and shorter gearing.

One of many Prodrive specials, the Series McRae was based on the Impreza Turbo and was built in the UK to celebrate Colin McRae’s 1995 World Rally Championship title. Finished in the appropriate Rally Blue paint with gold wheels, too.

Anyone sensing a theme here? The limited run, all-black GD RB320 was actually released two years after Richard Burns’ sad death. It was another proper Prodrive project, with lower springs and Bilstein dampers combined with an engine upgrade bumping power to 316bhp.

The most sought-after Impreza, the widebody 22B. Built in 1998 to celebrate Subaru’s 40th birthday (and three back-to-back WRC titles), it featured a bigger 2.2-litre EJ22G turbo’d boxer, an adjustable centre diff, bigger brakes, those BBS alloy wheels and more.

Subaru has made more than just hot Imprezas, honest, but we just can’t get past how good the different variants were. The P1 was designed to be the ultimate. Again it was Prodrive for the oily bits and Peter Stevens (of McLaren F1 fame) did the styling.

We couldn’t ignore the rally cars. The 555 was the first Impreza rally car, replacing the larger, heavier Legacy. Ari Vatanen got second on its 1993 debut at the 1000 Lakes Rally and in 1995 it secured a WRC title double for Colin McRae and Subaru.

With Group A giving way to new WRC regs, Subaru completely redesigned the Impreza for 1997 and won the manufacturers’ title that year. McRae missed out on the driver’s title by just one point to Tommi Mäkinen in his Mitsubishi.

We could have included the Brat, the Legacy or the Outback. We could even have included the 2017 BTCC-winning Levorg estate, but first and second gen Imprezas are clearly the best thing about Subaru. The iconic 2003 blobeye gave Petter Solberg his only WRC title in 2003.