Subaru Impreza 555 -1993 RAC Rally Ari Vatanen and Bruno Berglund, 5th Overall

In 1992, Vatanen and Berglund had finished second on the RAC Rally driving a Subaru Legacy and in '93 hoped their new Impreza would go one better. However, it was team-mates McRae and Ringer who led initially, whilst Vatanen and Berglund had damaged their Impreza in two incidents and lost over ten minutes. Unfortunately, McRae and Ringer retired on day three with a damaged radiator but on the last day some Subaru honour was restored as, in treacherous arctic conditions, Vatanen and Berglund stormed back through the field and set three fastest stage times. They finished a well-deserved fifth, eight minutes behind the winning Toyota of Kankkunen and Grist
Did you know? The 1993 RAC Rally was the UK rallying debut of the Subaru Impreza but the model's first appearance in the World Rally Championship was on Vatanen's home event, the Finnish 1000 Lakes Rally, three months earlier. Remarkably the Impreza proved instantly quick and reliable. For two days the Vatanen/Berglund Impreza traded fastest times at a furious pace with the Kankkunen/Giraudet Toyota Celica. Other crews either accepted that they could not match the pace or exited the rally whilst trying. Eventually, the Toyota edged ahead and Vatanen decided to drive for second rather than continue a fight that could end in disaster. A remarkable debut rally for the Impreza which had clearly shown its potential; the wins would come with time.