SUBARU has unveiled a special edition Impreza WRX STi to celebrate Petter Solberg winning the Driver's Title in the 2003 World Rally Championship. On sale in the spring and limited to 500 units, the WR1 - as it will be called - will feature a power upgrade to around 320 PS plus a host of technical and visual upgrades. For example, the Impreza WR1 will feature a driver's control centre-differential (DCCD) via a switch mounted next to the handbrake.

It means the torque distribution between front and rear wheels can be manually selected. This allows the choice, for example, between a sharper cornering turn-in or more stable straight-line running. The system defaults to 'automatic' mode whenever the ignition is restarted. Also new for the WR1 are special, Prodrive-developed, uprated springs and bumpstops with a 25mm lower ride-height.

Other handling-enhancing features include 18-inch diameter P-FF7 (Prodrive Flow Forming seven-spoke) alloy wheels with Pirelli PZero tyres. Externally, the new WR1 will be instantly recognisable thanks to its new Ice Blue Metallic paint plus driving lamps and a stainless steel mesh grille. The new Subaru Impreza STi WR1 will enter dealer showrooms in April costing £29,995 on-the-road.