Subaru Motorsports has officially revealed Project Midnight, the quickest and fastest-ever WRX making its debut July 11-14 at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Born from the success of the “Airslayer” Gymkhana car, Project Midnight’s lightweight widebody inherits a legacy of rallycross dominance, now evolved to break records and push the performance envelope of the WRX, according to the company.
Project Midnight features ultra-wide aerodynamic bodywork and a radically enlarged version of the wing found on the team’s WRX ARA24 gravel rally car. The carbon fiber body and a significantly lightened chassis give it a curb weight of well under 2,500 pounds – nearly 300 pounds lighter than the Airslayer and 1,000 pounds lighter than a standard WRX.
Project Midnight uses specially derived tarmac suspension geometry and swaps Airslayer’s 17-inch rallycross wheel and tire package in favor of 18×11-inch OZ Racing Superturismo LMP magnesium wheels and 280/650R18 Yokohama ADVAN slicks.
Under the hood, a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four engine produces 670 hp and 680 lb-ft of torque, revving to 9,500 rpm and spitting flames from its hood-exit exhaust. The same powerplant helped Scott Speed earn Subaru the Nitro Rallycross Teams Championship in 2021.
“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.
Speed will help develop Project Midnight as the duo take on new challenges and set new records.
