According to CCC the new Impreza prodrive group N car is ready for sale at 80k pounds. It sounds very much like it will be the ultimate Impreza anyone could ever put on the road. The car is completly seam welded, WRC style roll cage, new suspension mountings, custom geometry, custom ohlins shocks, plus i'm sure quite a bit more.

I wonder just how much the roll cage would improve handling for public road use, now that the stock Impreza is a formidably rigid car? Also wondering how the seam welding and cage compare instead of airbags in a crash?

Indeed someone should and I hope will make a road car out of one. Any takers?

Group buy?

Just remember not to take it on track or to rally it, as this would probably void the warranty ;)
ian

Buahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha!

I accidently spat coffee all over my keyboard reading this.

ANY PICTURES?

Daz you tight git! For £3.30 you can have your own copy :) ;)

Cheers,just got up brain not in gear yet!!!!!!

The seam welding and cage would make quite a difference to the handling, even with the new rigid shell.

They would so nothing to help protect you if you hit a wall, which is what airbags do.

Personally I'd prefer to take my chances with airbags than a rollcage - assuming no helmet of course.

So in terms of safety, the question is how to keep the airbags with the roll cage and seam welds? However this might not be possible as airbags are designed only for the regular cars crumple characteristics. I wonder if this group N car would crumple in a crash?

The roll cage would provide good protection IF you are strapped in properly with at least a four point (preferably 5 or 6 point) harness. When I say "properly" strapped in, you shouldn't really be able to move your shoulders more than an inch or two.

I presume a "proper" group N car would come with this anyway? Unquestionably there is no substitute for a helment though.

80k is a lot of money to spend modifying a car to very specific rally regulations, and then not using it in an environment where it needs to meet those regs. If you wanted a track car which doesn't need to be modded to specific regs then you could probably make a considerably quicker car for a lot less money IMHO.

Personally I would much rather have a roll cage than Airbags. I find airbags a disconcerting idea, and have heard too many stories about them .When it goes off it can deafen you, and if you're wearing glasses...

The problem with harnesses is that you cant move foward in your seat. In regualar driving you need to, to see round obstructions, at junctions etc.

As for the price, £50K will buy you a lot of mods for your own car

Richard