Solberg offers taxi serviceIt's not every day you're given the keys to a brand new car and get to sit alongside a World Rally Champion, but last Saturday a select group of Subaru enthusiasts experienced both during a day they'll remember for a long time.
The occasion
was the handover of keys to buyers of the Subaru Impreza RB320 road car. The limited-edition machine was developed in memory of 2001 World Rally Champion Richard Burns, who died of cancer in November 2005.
The RB320 features bespoke 18-inch alloys, specially developed suspension, unique body styling and a engine tuned to produce 320PS of power and 450Nm of torque. Just 320 examples of the car have been built and all of them have been sold.
The first 50 people to place an order for the Impreza were invited to the special handover day at a test track near Warwick, UK. After picking up the keys to their new, gleaming Imprezas (available in just one colour - Obsidian Black Pearl), the owners got a ride around the circuit with Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg.
After his day of flat-out passenger rides, Petter said: "This is probably the best road-going Impreza I've ever driven. It's great fun and I hope the people who have bought one are going to enjoy it as much as I did. When you drive it, you can tell Subaru UK has put lots of thought into the design of the RB320. A special car like this is an ideal way to honour Richard's memory and raise awareness of the Richard Burns Foundation."
Also in attendance were Phil Mills, who gave a short talk about the Subaru World Rally Team's experiences with the new WRC2007, and Robert Reid, who provided an update on the progress of the Richard Burns Foundation, the charity set up in memory of the 2001 World Rally Champion. A very special guest for the day was Richard's father, Alex.
Subaru World Rally Team
