2006 Subaru Impreza RB320

The RB320 honoured Richard Burns through a specific UK Impreza programme announced in November 2006. The 320-car edition belongs to the later GDB body, making it distinct from the earlier RB5 and from the year of Burns’s death recorded in the inventory.

November 2006 is the documented announcement reference

Subaru’s Spanish account places the British introduction in November 2006, after Burns’s death in 2005. This profile therefore uses the announcement year while recognising that the supplied photograph identifies a 2007 car. Those dates are compatible. The original workbook’s 2005 entry is preserved as an audit item, but it is not used as the model’s public introduction merely because it is central to the memorial story.

Subaru Spain: RB320 introduction and Burns family history

A memorial road edition has a clear boundary

The RB320 is an official named edition, not every Impreza associated with a charity event or carrying a Burns tribute sticker. Its identity should connect the original chassis and edition documentation with the complete specification. This is particularly important when a car has been imported or acquired a different registration. The historical connection explains why the programme was created; it does not confer Burns’s personal ownership or competition history on every example.

The body generation separates it from RB5

The later car’s front treatment, body proportions and cabin belong to a different Impreza generation from the classic RB5. As interpretation, that difference lets the two tributes tell separate stories within the same driver’s legacy. A catalogue should retain both identities rather than combine them under one general Burns edition. Their production references should likewise remain distinct, with no assumption that an RB320 plaque or accessory can establish membership in the earlier series.

Subaru Spain: RB320 introduction and Burns family history

Original equipment and later changes need separation

The distributor retrospective describes Prodrive involvement and a coordinated performance specification. For an actual car, keep the original edition record alongside any subsequent engine, suspension or brake work. A modified example’s present specification may differ from its public launch description without losing its documented original identity. Good reporting explains that development over time instead of copying a headline output onto every car or assuming that similar aftermarket parts reproduce a factory edition.

Subaru Czech distributor magazine: RB320 retrospective, PDF page 17

The numbered series does not document every survivor

Subaru’s retrospective gives a 320-car reference, while the Spanish account discusses particular numbered examples in the Burns foundation story. Those individual histories should not be assigned to the photographed car without evidence. The supplied image illustrates an identified RB320, not a complete serial register. An individual file should retain its own plaque, VIN, service history and dated photographs, with public historical accounts used only for the claims they actually support.

Specifications and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

The 320-car programme reference is attributed to Subaru’s distributor retrospective. November 2006 is the documented announcement, with 2007 examples entirely consistent with that context. This is not a combined RB5/RB320 total or a new survivor census. Individual numbered cars discussed in Subaru’s historical account are not automatically the car in this photo. Original edition identity and current mechanical configuration remain separate documentary questions.

What the photograph represents

A car catalogued as a 2007 RB320, consistent with the programme announced in November 2006. Its appearance does not establish a specific car discussed in the Burns family history.

Related Subaru profiles

• 1999 Subaru Impreza RB5
• 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI WR1
• 2015 Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition

Frequently asked questions

Why does this profile use 2006 while the photo says 2007?

The factory distributor dates the announcement to November 2006; an individual 2007 model or registration can follow that announcement.

Is the RB320 the same car as the RB5?

No. They are distinct named programmes from different Impreza generations.

What is the production-count boundary for this profile?

The 320-car programme reference is attributed to Subaru’s distributor retrospective. November 2006 is the documented announcement, with 2007 examples entirely consistent with that context. This is not a combined RB5/RB320 total or a new survivor census. Individual numbered cars discussed in Subaru’s historical account are not automatically the car in this photo. Original edition identity and current mechanical configuration remain separate documentary questions.

Sources and further reading

1. Subaru Spain: RB320 introduction and Burns family history
2. Subaru Czech distributor magazine: RB320 retrospective, PDF page 17

Research checked 19 October 2026. Linked manufacturer heritage pages, factory announcements, official distributor publications and labelled contemporary coverage support the specifically identified claims. Photographic descriptions identify the illustrated subject. Design analysis and suggested authentication steps are editorial interpretation.