The Nurburgring sedan lap record has fallen! The credit goes to the Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special, which has managed to blitz the infamous German track in a staggering 06:57.5.
Now, before anybody starts dropping Porsche 918 Spyder comparos (the Zuffenhausen halo car needs 06:57 to lap the Ring, remember?), allow us to point out at this isn't exactly a production car. So the all-sedan comparison involving the 7:32 lap time set by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Automatic last year doesn't make too much sense either.
Instead, we're looking at a time attack car built by Prodrive, whose ties with the Subaru World Rally Championship activities go way back.
The Record Attempts Nurburgring Special, to use its full name, packs Prodrive's 600 hp WRC engine, which is mated to a sequential tranny featuring an automatic clutch.
Keep in mind that the WRX STI Type RA that you can actually buy, a limited edition featuring just 500 units, is a 310 hp machine.
Now, let's get back to the Nordschleife adventure
As part of the Green Hell record attempt preparations, the British specialist worked on various areas of the car, with the aero and the suspension receiving the most attention. As such, this thing can generate a monster 650 lbs of downforce at its 179 mph top speed.
Don't worry, though, that hasn't held it back on the Ring's main straight, since, the Scoobie features a DRS (Drag Reduction System), which basically means it packs an active rear wing.
Despite the camera that sits on the nose of the thing (this reminds us of the 2018 Corvette ZR1 prototype), a video of the lap hasn't been released yet.
And while we're waiting for that footage to show up, we've brought along a clip that shows the 600 hp Subaru setting a record at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it also became the third quickest car to have ever tackled the famous hill climb. Oh, and there was also the machine's Isle of Man record, but that's another story for another time.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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