Motorsport brings out some surreal machines on the outer edges of insanity, and this sinister-looking Subaru WRX isn’t the usual rally hero we are used to. Instead, it’s the spiritual successor to the equally bonkers 862bhp WRX STI built for Travis Pastrana’s Gymkhana.
Dubbed ‘Project Midnight,’ it has been built with a singular focus on tarmac speed and combines various facets of rally cars that are infused with much more speed.
Underneath that hood lies a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter flat-four engine developing 670 hp and 680 lb-ft of torque. Despite being a turbocharged boxer engine, it will shame any naturally aspirated V12 as it revs to a stratospheric 9500 rpm and spits flames from its hood-exit exhaust. This potent powertrain is an evolution of Subaru Motorsports USA’s rallycross engine that clinched the Nitro Rallycross Teams Championship in 2021.
RELATED: Prodrive’s $600,000 Restomod WRX is the Ultimate Sleeper.
Peer closer, and you will notice 18×11-inch OZ Racing Superturismo LMP magnesium wheels and 280/650R18 Yokohama ADVAN slicks designed to stick to the ground as much as possible. Yes, this is not some high-flying rally hero, as this car is all about a leech-like grip. The wide racecar-spec stance and the cartoonish wide wheel arches are also reminders of the serious firepower hiding underneath. Even the rear wing is an enlarged version of the WRX ARA24 gravel rally car and looks fantastic.
This car is not just about crazy power and aerodynamics, though. The whole car is doused in carbon fibre along with a lightened chassis, which cuts the curb weight to under 2500 pounds. Yes, this Impreza is lean and mean, being nearly 300 pounds lighter than the Airslayer and 1000 pounds lighter than a standard WRX.
Former F1 driver and rallycross champion Scott Speed drove the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This car was designed to conquer hill climbs, hence the weight-saving measures and the track car-like ethos.
If you’d hope that this means a road-going iteration of this mad-looking WRX will find its way into the showrooms, sadly, that will not happen, but it has been a tantalising sequel to the Airslayer. Could some of these fancy bits trickle into the rumoured-to-be next Subaru STI model?
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