Subaru teamed up with Prodrive to create a 600-plus-hp, active-aero monster. It worked.
Remember the 550-HP active-aero Subaru WRX STI built by Prodrive to set a record at the Isle of Mann TT? Subaru had it modified, and just took it to the Nurburgring, where it ran a 6:57.5 lap around the Nordschleife. That makes it the four-door record holder at the ‘Ring.
Subaru hasn’t released a video of the run yet, or told us who was behind the wheel, but we’re betting it was an impressive sight. We can’t wait to see it for ourselves.
This car, which Subaru calls the WRX STI Type RA NBR Special, was built to promote the new, track-ready STI Type RA street car. To make it a Nurburgring monster, Subaru bumped the car’s 2.0-liter WRC-spec flat-four to make over 600 hp with an 8500-rpm redline. That’s almost double the output of the WRX STI street car.
The record-setting car’s engine is mated to sequential gearbox Subaru uses in WRC, modified to work with paddle shifters, and power is sent to all four wheels. It’s also got an agressive, Nurburgring-focused aerodynamic package with an active drag-reduction system for the Nordschleife’s long straights. It’s about as bonkers as a WRX STI can get, and we love it.
Needless to say, the road-going WRX STI Type RA won’t be quite as fast as this race car, but it does bring some chassis and powertrain improvements to a car we already like.
Hopefully, Subaru has more fun planned for this Nurburgring Special. We’d love to see it in competition.
