Subaru’s offer of a free 24 to 48- hour test drive for any potential buyer has backfired for some of its retailers, which have been inundated with requests for outings in the brand’s performance cars.

A source at one East Anglian Subaru dealership says he is considering pulling out of the year-long initiative, which was launched only six weeks ago, because he has been “plagued with boy racers on the phone trying to get their hands on an Impreza”.

Subaru has already acknowledged that the scheme is liable to abuse – within a week of launch it added a requirement for customers to leave a minimum £500 refundable credit card deposit to cover the insurance excess and any valeting costs that might be necessary.

Nevertheless, a spokesman for Subaru UK claims that 95% of its network is supportive of the scheme. He pointed out that potential customers for the extended test, which can last up to 48 hours, have to meet certain qualification criteria.

High performance models such as the Impreza WRX and the Legacy 3.0R Spec B are only open to customers between the ages of 30 and 65 with at least two year’s driving experience.