Though the Holy Grail was an object, Google lists the noun's definition as "a thing which is eagerly pursued or sought after." Just like the legendary medieval object, this Subaru 22B is something that most automotive enthusiasts would pursue, given the chance.
While it isn't a particularly quirky car like other strange Subaru models over the years, the Impreza 22B is incredibly rare, and an all-wheel drive rally monster.
Named after the 2.2-litre turbocharged boxer engine that sits under the hood, the two-door 22B has a big body to back up that big Japanese displacement. Featuring widened front and rear fenders, it's easy to tell that this isn't just any STI Impreza.
Advertised with 280hp (208kW) just like every other Japanese sports car of the time, the 22B reportedly came with a number that was north of 300hp. Pushing all that power to all four wheels through a manual transmission, it could shoot to 100km/h in just 5 seconds — an incredible number back in 1998.
Looking at the interior of the car, you wouldn't think that anyone hadn't driven it since it rolled off the production line 19 years ago.
Universally known as Subaru's rarest car, there is a bit of confusion over how many 22Bs were actually made. 400 models were built for Japan, five for the Australian market and a further 16 were sent off to the UK, but according to the majority of sources, 424 were built in total.
According to the Hong Kong-based seller, Contempo Concept, this example only has 55 kilometres on the clock and is one of three 0/400 vehicles. Can it get any rarer?
While Contempo hasn't listed a price on their post, we can't imagine that anyone is going to pick up a bargain here. Two years ago a rally-livered prototype that featured the same 0/400 badge sold for $224,000.
With this in mind, and seeing the recent price hike in the classic Japanese market, it is entirely possible that this car could sell for close to half a million when it goes up for auction.
