Weird Wagons: Subaru Impreza Casa Blanca

There's phoned-in spin-offs, and then there's the Subaru Impreza Casa Blanca...

It's no real secret that the Japanese have an odd recurring fascination with retro British designs. In the late '80s it struck first with gems like the Nissan Figaro. Then in the late '90s/early '00s it struck again.

It's as though somebody actually liked the Jaguar X-Type. (incidentally, released at around the same time...)

The 'Casa Blanca' appeared to consist of an entirely revamped front bumper, grille and light fittings, terrible third-party-esque alloys and some chrome highlights - for extra panache.

Inside, not much changed, the car still looks all regular old '90s Subaru, with a two-tone steering wheel and what seems to be unique seat trim.

Mechanically, the car is identical to the Impreza wagon it's based on.

For reasons we can't possibly fathom, Subaru only built 5000 of these things, all for their domestic market. If you were determined enough, I'm sure you could import one...

But wait, there's more! The Casa Blanca was the worst of a range of retro-inspired Subarus from the late '90s. Check out the arguably far better options.

First up, we have the Vivo Bistro.

It's a kei car that's meant to reference London black cabs... or something.

Then there's my favourite: The Subaru Sambar Dias Classic.

It's based on a kei truck, but references the Kombi-inspired 1966 Subaru Sambar van. Groovy.

What retro-inspired Japanese car would you be seen dead in? Tell us in the comments.

This is part of a series on Weird Wagons - see more here:

Weird Wagons: Aston Martin V8 Sportsman Estate
Weird Wagons: Ferrari 456 Venice
Weird Wagons: Saab 900 Safari
Weird Wagons: Mercedes-Benz 300 Messwagen
Weird Wagons: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX Wagon
Weird Wagons: Bentley Continetal Flying Star
Weird Wagons: Toyota Classic
Weird Wagons: Porsche 924 DP Cargo
Weird Wagons: Maserati Bellagio Fastback