Sold in Japan from November 1992 to August 2000 in sedan, wagon and (from 1998) widebody coupe form, the GC8 is the original Impreza WRX chassis and still the one with the deepest enthusiast following in Australia. Any GC8 STI you find today has decades of history behind it — the point is finding one with the right kind of history.
Overview
Early WRX trim ran the EJ20G turbo flat-four at 240PS; later cars moved to the twin-scroll EJ20K, with STI grades pushing to Japan's 280PS gentlemen's-agreement cap. The real story of the GC8, though, is its limited-run Type RA and V-Limited variants — genuinely motorsport-oriented specials built in numbers as small as 555 units, introducing the Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) that later became a Subaru signature. A two-door STI Version 6 Type R sold for ¥7,035,000 at Japanese auction, underlining just how far the top of this market has moved.
Sedan / Wagon / Coupe
EJ20-powered, all-wheel-drive, and available across three body styles from 1998 — the accessible entry point into GC8 ownership.
Motorsport Specials
Lightweight, DCCD-equipped, built in numbers as low as 555 units. These are the GC8 variants that move the market and command serious premiums.
Auction Pricing
Standard STI sedans and wagons typically trade from roughly ¥1,200,000 to ¥3,000,000 at Japanese auction. Numbered, limited-run Type RA and V-Limited variants regularly exceed ¥5,000,000, and exceptional, near-new examples have sold for well over ¥7,000,000 — a Grade 4.5 STI Version 6 Type R with under 9,000km sold for the equivalent of roughly AU$136,000, believed to be a record for that specific variant.
What to Check
GC8s are known for rust in the rear subframe and strut mounting points, so a thorough underbody check matters more here than on most cars of this era. On turbo cars, verify boost control and turbo condition, and on any Type RA or V-Limited, confirm chassis and option codes match the claimed specification — these limited editions are worth verifying carefully given how much premium the badge commands.
Import Eligibility
Fully Eligible
The entire GC8 production run (1992–2000) has cleared Australia's 25-year threshold.
Fully Eligible
Every GC8 cleared the federal 25-year exemption by 2025. State registration requirements still vary — see our Import page.
MOT Only
Well past the 10-year IVA threshold — a standard MOT is all that's needed to register.
FAQ
Is a Type RA worth the price gap over a standard STI?
If you specifically want the DCCD and the motorsport-bred chassis tuning, yes — it's a materially different car to drive. If you just want the GC8 experience for less, a well-kept standard STI is a genuinely great starting point.
Sedan, wagon or coupe?
Sedans carry the strongest enthusiast demand and the deepest motorsport pedigree. Wagons are a genuinely usable daily option with the same drivetrain. Coupes (from 1998) are the rarest body style and increasingly sought after in their own right.