1:24 Subaru New Impreza WRX 1994

The Subaru Impreza WRX of 1994 in a 1:24 kit

In 1:24 scale Hasegawa offers one of the icons of the Japanese car scene of the 1990s. The Impreza WRX was the hot version of an otherwise ordinary compact and became the basis from which Subaru derived its competition cars. The year in the name gives the phase in the life of the first generation that the box relates to.

The real subject

The first Impreza came to market late in 1992 and the brand put into it what it did best: an EJ20 flat-four with a turbocharger mounted low above the front axle, and permanent all-wheel drive. The combination of a low center of gravity, a short wheelbase and a flexible engine gave the car a reputation as a machine that is fast even on surfaces where others lose ground. That is exactly why the Impreza became a competition tool that fundamentally marked the World Rally Championship in the seasons that followed. The road-going WRX was still a practical four-door car all the same, only with a firmer suspension, more pronounced bumpers and an air intake on the hood.

Building and painting tips

The engine bay of the flat-four is interesting in shape on the Impreza and deserves more than a single-color coat: it helps to distinguish the aluminum, plastic and rubber parts and to pick them out lightly with a dark wash. The body of the sedan is simple, so the result rests on the quality of the paint and on crisp edges. The decals and window frames will stand out if you put a gloss layer under them and knock it back after it has dried as needed. Wheels with tires prove best painted separately and fitted at the end.

Who the model is for

• admirers of Japanese sports sedans of the 1990s
• modelers who collect the forerunners of competition cars
• builders looking for a rewarding body without complicated shapes
• collectors adding to a line of all-wheel-drive cars

The kit comes unassembled and without paints; glue and finishes are obtained separately, unless stated otherwise.