Subaru has teamed up with a British tech firm called Prodrive to build a more extreme WRX STI. The one-of-a-kind model will attempt to set a new lap record on the grueling Isle of Man course in a couple of weeks.
The name Prodrive will undoubtedly ring a bell with rally fans. Prodrive helped Subaru build a string of highly successful rally cars from 1989 until the Japanese automaker pulled out of the World Rally Championship in 2008. For the Isle of Man event, the two partners have designed a track-ready WRX STI that receives a full body kit with a specific front bumper, a new hood with vents that keep the temperature in check in the engine bay, flared fenders, and a large wing out back.
The cabin has been stripped of all equipment that’s deemed superfluous — including the rear seats, the carpet, and the door panels, just to name a few — in order to shed as much weight as possible. Prodrive and STI, Subaru’s in-house performance division, have added a full roll cage, and a pair of bucket seats up front.
The WRX STI will be driven by Mark Higgins, an experienced pilot who has been racing Subarus for over a decade. Higgins actually set the current Isle of Man record in 2014 when he lapped the 37-mile course in 19 minutes and 15 seconds with a bone-stock 2015 WRX STI. Sources close to Subaru predict Higgins will easily be able to slip under 19 minutes this time around.
Subaru will attempt to set a new lap record with the Prodrive-tuned WRX STI right before the 2016 Isle of Man TT kicks off on May 28th. Stay tuned to DT Cars to find out whether or not the WRX STI manages to once again leave its mark on one of the world’s most challenging race courses.
