Subaru WRX STi triumphs on Isle of Man

The Isle of Man TT course is a happy hunting ground for UK rally driver Mark Higgins, who has just set yet another lap record there.

Driving a 600bhp (447kW) Subaru WRX STI, Higgins broke his own record on Saturday, but conducted another run yesterday completing the course in 17min 35.139sec, averaging 128.730MPH (207.170km/h). That was over 14 seconds faster than his run on Saturday, UK mag Autocar reports.

Yesterday's run was the second of three Higgins plans to undertake. His speed around the circuit yesterday peaked at 168.6MPH (271.335km/h).

Higgins has previously broken lap records at the TT course in 2014 and 2011, each earlier occasion in a Subaru. A three-time winner of the British Rally Championship, Higgins has also made a living from stunt driving for James Bond movies.

“I think 125mph was the dream before the start," Higgins told a local radio station.

"I’ve only had one practice run so I’m over the moon to do that on only my second lap and there’s a little bit more to come – definitely from me because I’m learning all the time I go around the track – and there is a little bit more to come from the car as well.

“The conditions were great - the only problem I had was in the last five or six miles when I couldn’t see for flies on the windscreen. That made things a bit difficult in the last sector, but I can’t really complain because the bike riders have them on their visors all the time."

The Subaru chosen for the latest record-breaking attempt was a WRX STI 'Time Attack' built for Subaru America by Prodrive. It's far removed from the near-production specification of the 2014 record breaker, and complies with the FIA's competition safety standards.

The 2.0-litre engine is a development of the engine that powers Subaru's WRC cars, but the rev limit has been lifted from 6500rpm to 8500rpm. A larger turbo and revised engine management ECU mapping has resulted in the 447kW output, and torque of 542Nm. Prodrive has gone on record as claiming a GT3-type power-to-weight ratio for the car, based on its sub-1200kg kerb weight.

The company has fitted higher ratios above third gear, to take advantage of the circuit's natural topography and potential for higher top speeds. Also developed to suit the unique character of the circuit, the car's suspension has been tweaked along the same lines as a racing car rather than a rally car, and the slicks fitted are Dunlop Sport Maxx that are the rubber of choice for British Touring Car Championship competition. Nevertheless, the car's front splitter is mounted higher, as it would in a WRC car, although the picture here indicates it's still not high enough.