The Subaru Impreza WRX is a Japanese-manufactured high-performance vehicle first introduced in 1992. The Impreza WRX has the soul of a sports car, but the body of a sedan (or wagon). Soon thereafter, the WRX made its way onto the showrooms of Europe and Australia. It wasn't until 2002 that North America got a taste of the WRX's style and speed. Though it took ten years to make it to the U.S., the 2006-2007 Golden Icon Award was presented to the Subaru Impreza WRX for "best sedan" on the market, a mighty feat for any vehicle.

When the Impreza WRX showed up on American soil, buyers were hesitant. Not many sedans are marketed as a factory-made performance sedan. Most of the street machines seen on the road have a significant number of after-market upgrades, like body kits, ambient lighting, dual exhaust, and tubochargers. However, the WRX already had much of that straight from the factory. A low-profile body kit was part of the package on the sales lot. A Mitsubishi turbocharged engine was already under the hood. Dual chrome outlet exhaust was standard. The Impreza has an engine feature specific to Subaru; the flat internal-combustion engine is mounted under the hood lengthwise for easier accessibility to the transmission and gearbox.

While it took awhile for America to catch on, professional racers have been driving the Impreza WRX since its origination in Japan. The Subaru Rally Team drove the WRX for several years. Most recently, Subaru has updated the racing WRX and created the latest version, the WRC. Another rendering, the WRX STI is driven in a variety of Group N rallies and is also available for purchase to the general public. The Subaru Impreza WRX is also utilized in open-track racing and has won several races. Racer Gary Sheehan has driven the car all the way to 2nd place in over ten races, proving that the WRX is a force to be reckoned with.

Impreza, which is a derivative of an Italian word meaning "achievement," certainly has attained worldwide superstar status both on the racetrack and on the mean streets. While only minor cosmetic changes have occurred over the years, huge steps have been taken to make the WRX both faster and more powerful. As some say, "the proof is in the pudding." Well, take a look at all the winning trophies on Subaru's shelves. There is your pudding. Anyone can feel like a racecar driver behind the wheel of the Subaru Impreza WRX.