Subaru will be sending its new WRX STI Type RA up the Goodwood hillclimb later this month, where it will surely join other expensive metal. Piloted by stunt and rally driver Mark Higgins who also set the car record at the Isle of Man, the Type RA is also set to attempt a record run at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
The ‘RA’ in its names stands for Record Attempt, dating back to the Subaru Legacy which broke the FIA speed endurance record back in 1989. A more recent appearance of the nameplate was on the 1993 Impreza WRX STI Type RA, which was a Japanese-market performance special.
Based on the latest WRX STI, the Type RA packs an updated version of the 2.5 litre turbocharged flat-four engine, said to pack 310 hp thanks to a new intake setup, exhaust system and retuned ECU. On the weight loss front the Type RA will feature a carbon-fibre roof and rear wing, plus a set of lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels.
Also expected are Bilstein dampers, upgraded Recaro seats and further weight reduction measures. It remains to be seen just how extreme the Type RA will turn out to be, as past RAs have employed weight-saving measures such as the replacement of air-conditioning with roof-mounted air vents, and electric windows for manually-wound items.
GALLERY: Subaru WRX STI in Malaysia
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Amazing small cc but high bhp. This is what you call research and hard work paying off.
310hp from a 2.5L is not really high. FQ400 Evo does 400bhp from just 2.0L.
Headline power figures don’t mean squat. It delivery that matters in real world driving. You can boost n tune that motor to 1k++ bhp , but it’ll be laggy down low (small displacement + giant turbos have that kind of effect) and useful only in a straight line (drag race).