AN EX-RICHARD BURNS 1999 SUBARU IMPREZA WRC99 RALLY CAR CAN BE YOURS - IF YOU HAVE AROUND R12 MIL.
The 1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 (S5 generation) T15 SRT was built for the 1999/2000 World Rally Championship and was to be campaigned by the late, great Richard Burns. The car was forced to retire from its first event in Sanremo Rally thanks to a transmission failure, but still snagged a 5th spot overall. A year later at the 2000 Monte Carlo Rally, the Impreza suffered ignition failure, cutting that race short too but the stages it did complete saw only 1st and 2nd podium spots - the car and driver combo was properly fast. After these rallies, the 'T15 SRT was sold to Armando Pereira in France, who piloted the Subaru to numerous victories in the French Championship throughout the 2001/2 race season. Then in 2004 the car was switched up a bit and Michel Sambourg converted the car to 'gravel' specification to allow the car to compete in the French Gravel Championship, which it won convincingly. The car changes hands again in 2009 when Gilbert Magaud bought the car, and he used it in competition a few times until the car was fully retired from competition use in 2011. Another owner change happened in 2018 when the current owner bought the car to fulfil a motorsport-inspired dream of owning an actual ex-rally car and one of the most significant rally cars of its era.
T15 SRT underwent a complete restoration at the hands of VMS Historic Cars in France, a company specialising in keeping classic rally cars in top shape. The Impreza was completely disassembled, stripped to the barest of metal, and no expense was spared in the restoration - something that would take plenty money to do. Rebuilding any normal street-legal Subaru comes with astronomical costs, so you can imagine what kind of cost this rebuild set the owner back. When everything was renewed, the car was refinished off in its iconic 2000 Monte Carlo Rally livery, that self-same look that everyone who thinks of a Subaru rally car imagines. A plethora of rare and original parts were sourced and purchased to complete the car, including carbon fibre seats and the proper magnesium wheels as used in the 2000 Monte Carlo Rally. This extensive restoration took almost five years to complete before the engine was restarted by former Prodrive engineer, Terry Stamper. In March of 2023, Prodrive conducted a detailed inspection of the car and concluded that the Subaru Impreza World Rally Car WRC99.011 (T15 SRT) is still a genuine Prodrive-built car. The vehicle shows no obvious signs of heavy damage, and any previous damage or repairs have been carried out to a high standard. Despite its storied history, T15 SRT is more than just a collector's item - it's a fully functioning rally car that's ready to take on the toughest of courses. With its extensive restoration and Prodrive certification, it's sure to turn heads both on and off the track. It won’t be cheap though, the auction of the car through Bonhams will be live-streamed from the massive motorsport-inspired auction at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, and the car is expected to sell for between £430 000 - £520 000. Daaaamn son.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows clips from way back when of Subaru drivers Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen testing the Subaru Impreza WRC cars - it's pretty clear why these cars won rallies, but for us the best part is the soundtrack - that whistle is just something special: Juha Kankkunen & Richard Burns testing Subaru Impreza WRC - with pure engine sounds | amjayes2
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!
Article Tags:
News World Rally Championship 555 Juha Kankkunen Richard Burns Iconic Racecar Impreza 1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 Rally Car WRC Subaru SXdrv Bonhams Auction Rally