The WRX Project Midnight packs 670hp.
This could well be the most sinister looking car to ever come out of a Japanese carmaker. It’s like KIT from the Knight Rider morphed into Mad Max’s Interceptor but downsized for the 21st century. It’s called the Subaru WRX Project Midnight, it’s very black and it packs a Nissan GT-R beating 670 horsepower.
Scott Speed to drive WRX at Goodwood
Employing a 2.0-liter flat-four turbo derived from the firm’s rallycross team the Project Midnight pumps out a bonkers 670-hp and 680 lb-ft of torque, revving to 9,500 rpm and spitting flames from its hood-exit exhaust. By doubling the horsepower from the stock WRX, Subaru claims this is the fastest and quickest WRX to come from Subaru Motorsports USA. And this weekend, it will be hurtling up the 1.16-mile long hillclimb at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed, with ex-F1 and rallycross driver Scott Speed behind the wheel.
The Project Midnight is lightest WRX ever
This turbocharged and intercooled unit spins all the way to 9,500 rpm, turning all four wheels as you’d expect of a WRX. It sits in a chassis that’s been lightened for racing duty, and as a result, the car weighs 2,469 pounds. That’s approximately 1,000 pounds lighter than a production WRX thanks to a full carbon fiber body.
This WRX is 1000 lbs lighter than stock models thanks to its carbon fiber body.
Project Midnight was actually inspired by ‘Airslayer,’ a 2020 WRX STI that starred in the viral video Gymkhana 2020, performing wild stunts, including a 230-foot jump where its active rear wing controlled the car’s airborne attitude. While Airslayer did break records at timed events like the iconic Mt. Washington Hillclimb, its real mission as a Gymkhana star meant it was built to be the jack of all trades. So the question arose: What if a bespoke WRX was reimagined in the form of the current WRX with a singular focus on pure tarmac speed? And what if it were piloted by Scott Speed – a Subaru Motorsports USA driver with a star background in everything from F1 to rallycross? And so the Project Midnight was born.
The car incorporates a host of aero modifications on its bespoke carbon fiber body. For a widebody look, the fascia blends into dramatically flared wheel arches with winglets and a large front spoiler. The rear wing is a heavily revised version of the one seen on Subaru USA’s rally car. It sits on a custom-built suspension package tuned for tarmac surfaces and uses 18-inch wheels with slick rubber for maximum grip.
“Subaru Motorsports USA and the team at Vermont SportsCar have delivered an absolute beast. When driving the car it clearly has rallycross roots, but the wider tires, track, and geometry give it a very unique feel and incredible grip. The ultimate driving machine; half RX, half sports car – a true joy to drive,” said Speed.
We can almost feel the increased adrenalin pumping through the veins of Subarists out there wondering if head office back in Japan can produce a down-tuned, cheaper version of this car before hybridization takes over. Subaru, are you listening?