Subaru reveals WRX STI Time Attack

Subaru has unveiled a new road-legal version of its WRX STI that it hopes will set a new lap record this May at the Isle of Man TT.

Backed by Subaru USA, the new road-legal race car called the WRX STI Time Attack sees the Japanese car maker rekindle its famous partnership with British-based Prodrive, the company that once prepared Subaru’s WRC cars (and shared ownership in FPV with Ford Australia).

It’s not clear what exactly Prodrive has done to transform a standard WRX STI into the Time Attack racer but the wide-body, wider track, differing ride height and completely redesigned aero all hint at significant changes over the standard small performance sedan

Already spotted running shakedown tests last week, it’s also been announced that the WRX STI Time Attack will be driven by the current record-holder and British rally driver, Mark Higgins.

Back in 2014 Higgins managed to average an incredible 187km/h over almost 60km of the TT road circuit to set a best time, in another WRX STI, of 19 minutes 26 seconds.

Flat out for more than 80 per cent of the lap, with little run off, the road circuit is claimed to be one of the world’s most challenging, and dangerous places to set a fast lap.

With narrow roads, big jumps and all manner of trees, rocks and walls to negotiate, with lamp posts and even sheep to avoid, Higgins still managed to top 258km/h in his 221kW 2.5-litre STI.

Subaru claimed the only modifications made to the 2014 car were a full roll-cage, internal fire extinguisher, new springs and dampers and a set of grippier Dunlop Derezza tyres.

The new car, from the looks of it, has given up on the near-stock approach to record-breaking.

Still claimed to be road legal, the highly-tuned WRX STI is expected to be significantly more powerful than the street version.

That said, even with 300-350kW, the WRX Time Attack remains unlikely to come close to the outright motorcycle lap record of 17 minutes 3.7 seconds set by John McGuinness in 2015, when he lapped the circuit at an average speed of 214km/h.

Higgins and Subaru are thought to be planning to break the lap record ahead of the annual Isle of Man TT that, this year, begins May 30.