Mark Higgins, a rally driver with one stage win and two total points in the World Rally Championship, has decimated the Isle of Man TT lap record. Over 37.73 miles, Higgins averaged 126.971 mph (204.34 km/h) in a Subaru WRX STi.
To pun that velocity into context, he clocked 117.510 mph (189.114 km/h) in his 2014 record-breaking run. Regarding lap time, the difference between the 2016 and 2014 records is astounding: 17 minutes and 49.75 seconds compared to 19 minutes and 15 seconds. That’s a huge difference and yes, the three-time British Rally Championship winner is chuffed to bits.
Speaking to Manx Radio right after the record run, Higgins had the following to declare: “I think 125 mph was the dream before the start. I’ve only had one practice run so I’m over the moon to do that on only my second lap and there’s a little bit more to come – definitely from me because I’m learning all the time I go around the track - and there is a little bit more to come from the car as well.”
Even though the conditions for the 37.73-mile full attack blast were great, Higgins got himself into a little bit of trouble in the latter part of the Snaefell Mountain Course. “The only problem I had was in the last five or six miles when I couldn’t see for flies on the windscreen,” he said.
The car that made it possible for Mark Higgins to achieve his dream is a 2016 Subaru WRX STI with minor mods performed by Prodrive, a British motorsport outfit based in Banbury. Take the tires as a case in point: in 2014, the WRX STI was shod in road-legal rubber. In 2016, Prodrive went for Dunlop Sport Maxx slick tires similar to the ones used in the British Touring Car Championship.
Other than the fancy shoes, the four-wheel-drive machine kicks out more than 500 horsepower and boasts race-ready suspension and aerodynamic components. Higgins and his car are slated for further laps in the following days. Here’s looking at Mark and, if he’s bold enough, an even more impressive record lap.
Watch this space for the POV video of the record-breaking run once it's uploaded to YouTube.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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