A rally-tuned Subaru Impreza S5 will go on sale on February 25 expected to bring home £340,000–380,000 (U.S. $420,000–467,000). Its first driver was none other than Colin McRae, who drove it during the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally (see video).
During the race, McRae had only made it to the eighth special stage when he crashed the car and had to retire. The Prodrive team subsequently restored the car and sold it to another racing team, which used it in various rallies all around Europe. It scored two victories in Hungary at the turn of the millennium and claimed awards.
As you can see from the photos, the steering wheel is on the right-hand side. This was not the case originally: rather, one of the drivers sent it to the UK for a retrofit, intending to drive it in that country. The seller claims that the modification is fully reversible.
Despite the state of the coupe – which looks hardly collection-worthy – the auction holder believes that it would make a fine thematic set piece or become a prime decoration of a rally fan’s garage. The engine and transmission were completely overhauled, and the car has only traveled a couple hundred kilometers since then.