01
Origins
Prodrive — the Banbury firm behind Subaru's World Rally titles and Aston Martin's racing — built the P2 in 2006 as a technology demonstrator and, transparently, because it could: a compact two-seater on Subaru R1 kei-car dimensions hiding an Impreza WRX STI drivetrain, active centre and rear differentials, and anti-lag turbocharging, wrapped in Peter Stevens bodywork. Around 345 horsepower in under 1,100 kilograms delivered supercar pace with rally-car manners; Top Gear's track test suggested cornering ability beyond established exotics. Production was never seriously intended — the P2 existed to showcase Prodrive's engineering breadth to manufacturers. One car, endlessly discussed, perfectly served: the P2 remains Britain's best answer to what happens when a championship-winning engineering house briefly works for itself.
2006 Prodrive P2 · Alexander Jones · CC BY 2.5
