Subaru will attempt to set a new Isle of Man lap record with a heavily-modified WRX STI.
The special STI was developed with input from Prodrive, a British engineering firm that has been building ultra-quick Subarus for decades. Visually, it’s instantly recognizable thanks to a body kit that includes a new front bumper with wide air dams, side skirts, an air diffuser out back, and a large trunk-mounted wing. It rides on specific alloy wheels tucked under flared fenders.
Prodrive has put the STI on a diet by sending the door panels, the dash, and the seats back to the parts bin. The sedan now boasts a roll cage, as well as a pair of bucket seats for the front passengers.
Subaru will put experienced British pilot Mark Higgins behind the wheel of the STI. He’s seen as the right man for the job because he set the current lap record of 19 minutes and 15 seconds in 2014 with a bone-stock WRX STI. The Japanese company expects that the modifications made to the STI will help Higgins lap the 37-mile long course in less than 19 minutes.
Subaru will shoot for a new lap record right before the 2016 Isle of Man TT starts on May 28th.
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