The 22B is based on the two-door Impreza STi Version IV Type R and was offered for sale in Japan in early 1998. All 399 Japanese-market cars sold out within days — some accounts say within half an hour. Beyond those 399 units, Subaru produced a further 16 Type-UK cars with taller gearing for the British market, five cars for Australia, and three numbered development cars — carrying the designation #000 — which were sold to Prodrive rally figures Colin McRae, Nicky Grist, and David Lapworth. McRae's car subsequently sold at auction for £480,000.
The 22B's defining visual feature is its bodywork, which is 80 millimetres wider than the standard Impreza to accommodate the enlarged wheelarches. Under the bonnet sits a 2.2-litre EJ22 turbocharged flat-four engine — an increase in swept volume over the standard 2.0-litre unit, achieved with forged pistons and a short-geared transmission carried over from the RA models. Official power output was quoted at 276 bhp at 6,000 rpm, in line with Japanese industry conventions of the period, though the actual figure is likely closer to 300 bhp. Torque is stated at 268 lb ft, delivered at 3,200 rpm and spread across a wide rev range.
Kerb weight is 1,270 kg, giving a power-to-weight ratio of approximately 220 bhp per tonne. Subaru quoted 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph.
The suspension is one of the 22B's technical landmarks: it was the first road car to use Bilstein's upside-down (inverted) damper design, matched with Eibach springs. Steering is handled by a Super Quick Steering rack at a 13:1 ratio, more direct than the standard car. The wheels are BBS Elektra units, 8.5 inches wide and 17 inches in diameter, shod with 235/40 tyres and filling the enlarged arches to their limit. The most sought-after colour combination is Sonic Blue Mica paint with gold BBS wheels.
The 22B occupies a singular position in the history of the all-wheel-drive Japanese performance era. The Impreza WRX STi line — and particularly the GC8 generation — was born directly from the rally homologation programme that delivered the 1995, 1996, and 1997 WRC manufacturer championships. The 22B represents the maximum road expression of that programme: widened, stiffened, and tuned beyond the regular STi. Its rival context — the ongoing contest with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution — defined the terms of debate for turbocharged AWD performance throughout the late 1990s, in both rallying and on the road.
As a collector's car the 22B commands a significant premium over standard GC8-generation cars, with well-preserved low-mileage examples valued well above the original selling price.
The Subaru Impreza 22B STi has attracted sustained interest from the sim racing modding community. Beginning in 2016, a team led by J-Lius — with physics by Felipe Vaiano and the Abbo90 engineer and 3D modelling by J-Lius and Nikkk78 — developed a detailed mod for Assetto Corsa under the RallyLegends team label. Sound recordings of the actual GC8 engine were contributed by the Assetto Corsa sound designer elMariachi90. The project aimed at accurate physics and high production values, and generated substantial anticipation among Assetto Corsa players who had long lacked a quality Subaru Impreza in the sim.