Which Subaru model became known for its World Rally Championship success in the 1990s?

The Subaru Impreza became known for its World Rally Championship success in the 1990s.

Subaru first competed in the WRC with the Legacy RS, but the smaller Impreza quickly became the company’s defining rally model. The Impreza’s combination of four-wheel drive, a turbocharged boxer engine and a compact body made it highly competitive on gravel, tarmac and snow.

The turning point came in 1995, when Colin McRae won the drivers’ championship in an Impreza 555. Subaru also captured the manufacturers’ title from 1995 through 1997. The works cars were developed and operated by the British motorsport organisation Prodrive, which helped turn the blue-and-gold Impreza into one of rallying’s most recognisable machines.

A common mix-up is Subaru’s Legacy, which preceded the Impreza in top-level WRC competition from 1990 to 1992. The Forester and Justy had motorsport roles, but neither became synonymous with Subaru’s 1990s WRC dominance. The Impreza later carried Subaru to further drivers’ titles with Richard Burns in 2001 and Petter Solberg in 2003.