The WRC has spawned some all-time great road cars in recent years, including the Lancia Delta Integrale, Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 and Celica Turbo GT-4.   Thanks to homologation requirements, these cars were just a rollcage and a few decals away from being the same beasts that blasted down the deserts of South Africa and through the forests of England.  To buy any of these detuned race cars meant not only buying into the image but also the idea that they contained some of that rally technology-enhancing speed, handling and durability. 

In the past couple of years, two teams have been dominant in the battle for WRC supremacy:  Subaru and Mitsubishi.  They split the championship last year, with Subaru taking the constructor's championship, and Mitsubishi's Tommi Makinen the driver's title.  

Subaru has been well-known as a maker of quirky, inexpensive four-wheel drive cars. These were quite popular in the snow-prone areas of the U.S.  Lately, though it has shown a decidedly sporty side to its cars, with the release of the Legacy GT, the semi-utility Outback, and of course the Impreza.  The Impreza looks rather like a Corolla, so generic is its shape.  Yet with the introduction of the Impreza WRX, the car was quickly recognized as a supercar in econobox's clothing.