The Story of the 22B in the magazine "AutoVisie"

The story of the 22B in the magazine "Autovisie" The hunger for stronger impulses is a thing of the present. not the most realistic rally simulator, not the tuned impreza turbo is giving you a rally-fever after getting used to it. Subaru knows the problem and finally gave us, what they gave Colin McRae. Now we know for sure that the Scotsman-without-fear went to Ford only for the money. They may know how to rebuild a Focus to a (very good) World Rally Car, in some way the manner in which Subaru manifests itself on the rally-scene is rougher, more impressive. More impressive also then the Mitsubischi Lancer Evo V(still waiting for version VI). Is it the hoarse, raw sound of the blown boxer-engine? Is it its appearance, that in threatening efficiency can compete with a bomber?

We don't know. We don't have to. The insurance that, in tools, you aren't less than the great of the earth, is comforting, and that's one insurance you do have..... The Impreza 22B is made in a series of exactly 423 cars built at Subaru Tecnica International in Japan. At first their planning was to build 399 cars (400 minus unlucky 13), but in the end there were 16 extra built for the UK and 8 for several Subaru-topexecutives. The suspension is partly developed by Prodrive, the firm that runs the WRC team. As WRX Coupe was the base for this car, a two door Impreza-Variant with 280 hp that wasn't imported in Europe. They cut the sideskirts off and pasted large bulged ones on the side. Just as the complete welding through the car to improve stiffness. The transformation that makes the 22B look just like the by Peter Stevens developed WRC-car is made complete by replacing the front and rear by larger Polyamid pieces. The 22B is 80 millimeter wider than the average WRX. Enormous air vents in the nose give away a great need of cooling air. There are, besides the wheels (goldcoloured 17 inch BBS and with P Zero's in the size of 235/40) two exterior changes with the WRC car. The sideskirts are more rounded than the 98/99 WRC-version and the adjustable rear wing is higher than Richard Burns, Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Thiry are competing. Because the wing is somewhat higher you can look under it, so that you have a better view of the people that are behind you using their flashing lights and sirenes to pursue you. WRC-pilots don't have the problem off traffic from the back, unless they have a mechanical. failure.

About the exact engine power of the 22B or the most wild rumours, in Japan they set a limit to 280 hp. Nevertheless a lot of people want to believe that the 22B has 350 hp and some think (or is it hope) that it even could be 380. The hard and disenchanting truth is that the 2,2 liter boxer exactly produces 288 hp. But that is not bad at all, because the machine is trained to deliver the real power (NEWTONMETERS) and not the amout of hp, thinking of the motto: torque wins races, power sells cars. The torque of the 22B is high, real high. How much exactly is not known, but it has to be over 400 Nm. More important is, that the torque curve is real flat from three to six thousand revs per minute. At 3200 revs it developes the power of an enraged Iron Mike (Tyson). In "souplesse" the 22B-engine wins over the 2-liter WRC version, which has a very narrow powerband. The interior of the 22B-engine is besides a bigger bore, the same of the WRC-machine. Molybdenum coated pistons, welded steel connecting-rod, and a race crank-shaft make the 22B-engine less fragile than the 260 to 280 hp standard engines of the Impreza WRC. At (rude) roadtraffic there are no complaints about durability. If the temperature in the engine is extremely high by hot outer air or heavily racing it can be cooled by a watercooled system, that waters the intercooler. It takes (ice)water from a 3 liter reservoir and knows an "auto"-mode in which once in a while it sprays some water on and there is a show mode. For about six seconds there is extra water sprayed and extra cooled air enters the engine. The result is a sensational steam cloud coming from under the hood, followed by a more destructable acceleration than normal.

What is normal? Normal is 4 seconds to launch from 0-100 km/h. At wet asphalt we managed without torturing the driving shaft just under 5 seconds. In that way a 22B is better than a Lancer Evo V. People say that from 0-50 kph it is the fastest production car in the world. We believe it, and couldn't find it in the heart to push the 22b of Dr Anders Skarsten (owner of number 187 who we are eternally grateful of borrowing us with his car) to its outer limits. He has had to replace the twin plated ceramic/metal clutch already because of another British TV carmag. that tormented his car. The WRC had a three double plate, which can probably take on more, but has to be hell in everyday stop and go traffic. The "problem" of the 22B is the clawing grip which it has on every surface. The one who sets the mid diff to max 100%, can even leave from wet tarmac with 0% wheelspin (lifting the clutch at 5000 revs with one go). Even a child can see that the driving shaft suffers under that. That is why we play "adult" and don't do such extraordinary things. Just dab the rough feeling clutch with caution and let the monster roll off before you put your foot down, that is the right way to let it last long. The sensation isn't any less, it starts just tenths of a second later . Who realises that, also sees the "uselessness" of the comparison of the acceleration times. You can't read how spectacular a car is in comparison with another canon. It is the feeling, not the numbers. If a car has to produce a top time in testing 80-120 kph in 5th gear or 100-160 in IV depends of the specific torque-relations of the engine and the gear ratio's of the gearbox. Thus the 22B is handicapped by a gaping hole between IV and V. There is a six shift gearbox available, but it almost cost as much as a regular Impreza Turbo. Whoever drives the 22B with the short and tight shifting five shift gearbox (In which V is comparible by a short end redutcion with IV in a regular Impreza Turbo), will have to be at piece with himself getting beaten by an Evo V at the 100-160 kph sprint in V. The 22B takes 9 full seconds to realise that. The Mitsubishi in 7,8. But do the same in fourth gear and you beat the mitsubishi by three tenths of a second. The 22B has to be capable of 0-160 kph within ten seconds, the Lancer needs 11,4. To a comparison: a 430 hp strong Porsche 911 GT2 roars in 8,4 seconds from 0-160. Enough numbers now.

How does it feel to play with the arsenal of men like McRae? After one hour it feels like you never did anything else in the world, you experience the astounding acceleration in every gear and at any speed and also the endless grip gets self-evident. Why? Because the car makes it feel like you never ask too much of it, it doesn't take any trouble. You can make it harder to yourself knowing how to play the game. Of the Lancer we knew the secret was putting the pedal down, especially when you are afraid of loosing it. Thanks to the magic of the well tuned suspension, viscodifflocks and four wheel drive it seems that the laws of nature aren't taking effect anymore and every pilot with "balls" can make a real nice impression of.....(fill in your favourite rally driver).

Until you start experimenting with the diff settings. Normally it is zero and the Scooby (British nickname) is nice to you. Setting one is nice in wet weather and the rear tends to be more spontaneous at fast acceleration. Whoever gets it in his thick skull to try setting 2, knows immediately why not him but McRae can make a living out of rallying. If things get nasty, the unlucky driver doesn't have to to make a living anymore, a fatal car crash will take car of that. What about fitting a rollbar? We are eager to say: "Yes, please". Because with a 22B you can go so frightening fast in every weather condition.and the limits are so far away that a case of "loosing control" will have a big bang. The sound of puffing airbags won't be heard in that case, it doesn't have any. Nevertheless it has an exciting interior. Efficiency where the eye can reach, and enough room for four people. Beautiful race seats and one fine Nardi steering wheel. The revometer at the one and only right place. Also the use of dashboard materials look better than that of the standard turbo.

Surprisingly it does have airconditioning. Handy for taking on the cold sweat of the passenger beside you. But you will have surprisingly little frightened people in the passenger seat. Because the 22B constantly lets people know it isn't at its limits yet. For the passenger that is a good feeling. For the driver it has a dark side. Because the light and swift steering (two and a half rounds form total left to total right) is not much with knowing the battle that the rubber is having with the road surface. It is hard to determine where the limits are, it takes a long time getting there. Also the fact that the 22b is a extremely mobile, makes it that you must be sparse with steering commands, which is an advantage in a tough rally.

Another huge advantage of the car is its active safety. Overtaking is so fast and easy that nobody notices it. Not seeing a turn and being scared you can't make it doesn't happen also because of the fantastically dosable brakes(when they are warm) and they are so powerful you can make the tarmac frizzle. The danger is that you are tempted to go to the roller-coaster feeling. Then immediately you are confronted with a lack of space. The tarmac is mostly too short to make the acceleration-orgy satisfying, a turn is not wide enough that you can accelerate from with full throttle. To generate a mild drift a wet-road conditions, you have to put your foot down and create such a speed you need a road as wide as a runway to drift through it. Topspeed? We haven't mentioned that yet. Can't say what it exactly is. It doesn't matter. NOT with THIS car.

What ScoobySport improved on this 22B

Two hundred and eighty horsepower at 6200 revs a minute is absolutely satisfying. Also the topspeed of 112 miles an hour; those weird japs with their masochistic tendencies to limit their cars at this speed. Luckily it is quickly removed by a modification in the limiter of the car. With later cars it is harder to do according to Pete Croney of Scoobysport, but there is a way for those too. There is also a solution for the very hard suspension on the standard 22B which makes it a very nervous and tiring car. Prodrive has made a setup of the car with Bilstein-shock absorbers and Eibach suspension , which makes it ideal for circuit running or real flat roads, but not for someone like Dr Anders Skarsten, who drives his 22B through London every day. By the way, he is a working Psychiatrist and has the car registered as a Medical Response Vehicle, which makes him capable of driving with great rush (and a flash light on the roof). [ Actually the green flashing lights were a joke ;-) ] Together with LEDA, Scoobysport fixed a combination of shock absorbers and suspension which doesn't remove the sharp handling of the car, and relieves the driver of buying a kidney-belt. The car also got a bit of toe in(was 0) and the front wheel camber was set a bit negative. Of the LEDA absorbers/suspension is the ingoing as the outcoming stroke and ride height are adjustable, in which the balance between under and oversteer is also adjustable. It can go up so high, you can drive a Safari-rally with it. If you want to drop it 5 cm for circuit use, you just have to remove the innerskirts. Dr Skarsten isn't going that far, but he did replace the standard front brakes with Brembo instead of Pagid. That improved the reaction time of the brakes a lot and are better for a day on the track, in the sense of durability. Which let another modification show to full advantage. Peter Croney and his men let the 22B breathe through a thicker pipe at the exhaust side of the turbocompressor. Which makes the car use its revs to full extent. Before the modification the 22B lost enthusiasm above 6500 revs, now it goes like a madman all the way to 7900 revs a minute. Also the response on the throttle improved. And thanks to a handmade exhaust of Hayward & Scott the 22B sounds like a real rallycar has to sound.

All credits to Autovisie.
Translation by Wilko 555 flying Dutch man J