One man’s dream built true.
What if you are an RC and rally enthusiast and can’t find the bodyshell of the most iconic car of your childhood? Those were my thoughts some time ago, when being an avid collector of most of the Gr.A rally cars Tamiya made in 1/10th, I just couldn’t find the Subaru Impreza 555. The car that hooked me to the world of rallying back in the mid-90s thanks to Sainz and McRae's intense fights. The Integrale, the Celica, the Escort, the Lancer... they were all on my shelf, but not the blue Impreza with its 555 livery, an unforgettable combo that was stuck in my head since the very first time my dad took me to a rally stage.
I still don’t know why Tamiya never made the body that crowned Subaru as a WRC champion for the first time. While working on this project, I found out that a Japanese company named Crown actually made this model in 1/10th back in 1995, but they were only sold in Japan. Back in 2020, after many years of working on graphic and motion design, I felt like I needed new challenges. And making the Impreza body at 1/10th scale seemed like a good one. Having the design skills and with the hobbyist kid still alive inside, all the necessary elements to jump into the adventure were there. It would require hours of CAD design, multiple 3D printing tests, weeks for learning the basics of vacuum forming, as well as countless hours designing the stickers, the illustrations, the box, this website...
But it finally came to a happy end, thanks to the help of other enthusiasts that guided me through this passionate journey. I hope you appreciate the result as much as I enjoyed the process.
Thanks for your support!
Xavi Rojas, Igualada (Barcelona), 2021