The Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special has set a Nürburgring lap time of 6min 57.5sec.
Subaru's attempt, which was quicker than the Lamborghini Aventador SV but 0.5sec slower than the Porsche 918 Spyder, was achieved with heavy modifications to the road-going WRX STI; the Type RA NBR Special cannot be driven on public roads.
The car uses 9in-wide slick tyres, in addition to a full roll cage for added stiffness, and modifications to the car’s engine give more than 592bhp.
The gearbox is a WRC unit with automatic clutch, which shifts, Subaru claims, in 20-25 milliseconds. Paddle shifters are fitted; the clutch had to be modified with hydraulics to allow this.
Top speed and road-holding are improved by a new aero package, which produces 295kg of downforce. The drag reduction wing uses similar technology to that on Formula 1 cars.
Stefan Bellof's 6min 11.13sec lap in his Rothmans Porsche 956 in 1983 remains the the fastest time recorded around the track.
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And the point of the exercise is?
A car you can't buy or drive on the road competing for a lap record with a car you used to be able to buy and drive on the road? And not succeeding. i can't really see what Subaru get out of it?