‘Project Midnight’: Subaru’s 500kW ‘beast’ to debut at Goodwood as fastest WRX ever
Subaru has pulled the covers off “Project Midnight”, which is the fastest WRX race car ever created by the brand’s US Motorsport arm.
Set to make its debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed later this week, this new build was inspired by the record-breaking "Airslayer" Gymkhana car.
The WRX STI Airslayer rose to fame in the viral Gymkhana 2020 video, performing gravity-defying stunts, including a 70 metre jump where its active rear wing helped maintain the car’s airborne trajectory. It also broke records at events like the Mt. Washington Hillclimb and Car & Driver Lightning Lap.
However, it left enthusiasts wondering: What if a WRX could be built solely for tarmac speed?
And that’s where Project Midnight comes in.
The new creation will be piloted by Scott Speed, who is a somewhat versatile Subaru Motorsports USA driver with experience in both F1 and rallycross.
The new machine features ultra-wide aerodynamic bodywork and an enlarged wing similar to the WRX ARA24 gravel rally car.
Impressive weight savings
With a carbon fibre body and a lightweight chassis, the Project Midnight WRX boasts a kerb weight of under 1,140kg, making it around 450kg lighter than a standard WRX.
At the heart of this new beast is a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-litre flat-four engine, which produces 500kW and 922Nm of torque, revving up to a screaming 9,500rpm.
This engine is the latest evolution of the Subaru USA Motorsport’s successful rallycross powerplant, which helped Scott Speed secure 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 tyres, 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,” Scott Speed enthused.
Now all that’s left is for it to take the Goodwood Festival of Speed by storm.