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The long-standing road-car lap record for the Isle of Man TT circuit has been comprehensively smashed by a production-spec Subaru WRX STI sedan.
In his very first run around the forbidding 60km course, former British Rally champion Mark Higgins posted a blistering 19min56.7, which translates to an average speed of 181km/h though the car peaked at 260km/h.
Higgins’ time is more than two minutes faster than the record set by the late Tony Pond 21 years ago at the wheel of an Rover 827 Vitesse. Pond was the first to break the average 160km/h barrier in a road car and his lap record has stood ever since.
ONE GO AT GLORY
TT organisers gave Higgins just one lap to conduct his record attempt and there was no opportunity to carry out high-speed practice runs on even a sighting lap; it was glory or bust.
The WRX STI used was a standard Subaru production car powered by a 221kW, horizontally opposed engine and equipped with unmodified brake callipers and rolling road-legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. Springs and dampers were adjusted to minimise any potential damage when the STI was negotiating the various bumps and jumps at high speed along the course.
In recognition of the speeds involved, and the fact that there are little or no crash barriers around most of the TT road circuit, the WRX STI was fitted with some essential safety enhancements. These included an MSA-specification T45 integrated roll cage, TRS race harnesses and a Lifeline extinguisher system. To help forewarn spectators of the presence of the oncoming car, the Subaru team also fitted the WRX STI with a high-decibel exhaust.
"Setting the record was both the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done," said Higgins, whose career as a driver in the British and World Rally championships hasn’t exactly been short of excitement.
"The rules allow for a flying start, so I crossed the line at 200km/h. I then went down through the Bray Hill junction – normally taken at around 32km/h – at over 240km/h. Once that tricky section was out of the way I settled into the lap and quickly got used to the balance and sheer pace of the car."
CHEERING CROWDS
Higgins heaped praise on his record-breaking mechanical partner. "That we managed to set such an impressive time at our first attempt is a great tribute to the Subaru, especially given that so few modifications have been made. The engine pulled incredibly strongly throughout and the cornering capability proved crucial on such a twisty, unforgiving course."
The TT crowds got fully behind the record attempt, reports Higgins. "The atmosphere out on the circuit was incredible, especially once the spectators heard over the PA system that we were in the process of setting a record. I could hear the cheers in the car and it really added to the experience."
The outright lap record on the TT course was set in 2009 by John McGuinness on a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. McGuinness posted 17min12.3, equivalent to an average speed of 210km/h.
A TT flying lap in Subaru’s STI. Thrilling? Possibly. On a superbike? Simply suicidal.
In his very first run around the forbidding 60km course, former British Rally champion Mark Higgins posted a blistering 19min56.7, which translates to an average speed of 181km/h though the car peaked at 260km/h.
Higgins’ time is more than two minutes faster than the record set by the late Tony Pond 21 years ago at the wheel of an Rover 827 Vitesse. Pond was the first to break the average 160km/h barrier in a road car and his lap record has stood ever since.
ONE GO AT GLORY
TT organisers gave Higgins just one lap to conduct his record attempt and there was no opportunity to carry out high-speed practice runs on even a sighting lap; it was glory or bust.
The WRX STI used was a standard Subaru production car powered by a 221kW, horizontally opposed engine and equipped with unmodified brake callipers and rolling road-legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. Springs and dampers were adjusted to minimise any potential damage when the STI was negotiating the various bumps and jumps at high speed along the course.
In recognition of the speeds involved, and the fact that there are little or no crash barriers around most of the TT road circuit, the WRX STI was fitted with some essential safety enhancements. These included an MSA-specification T45 integrated roll cage, TRS race harnesses and a Lifeline extinguisher system. To help forewarn spectators of the presence of the oncoming car, the Subaru team also fitted the WRX STI with a high-decibel exhaust.
"Setting the record was both the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done," said Higgins, whose career as a driver in the British and World Rally championships hasn’t exactly been short of excitement.
"The rules allow for a flying start, so I crossed the line at 200km/h. I then went down through the Bray Hill junction – normally taken at around 32km/h – at over 240km/h. Once that tricky section was out of the way I settled into the lap and quickly got used to the balance and sheer pace of the car."
CHEERING CROWDS
Higgins heaped praise on his record-breaking mechanical partner. "That we managed to set such an impressive time at our first attempt is a great tribute to the Subaru, especially given that so few modifications have been made. The engine pulled incredibly strongly throughout and the cornering capability proved crucial on such a twisty, unforgiving course."
The TT crowds got fully behind the record attempt, reports Higgins. "The atmosphere out on the circuit was incredible, especially once the spectators heard over the PA system that we were in the process of setting a record. I could hear the cheers in the car and it really added to the experience."
The outright lap record on the TT course was set in 2009 by John McGuinness on a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. McGuinness posted 17min12.3, equivalent to an average speed of 210km/h.
A TT flying lap in Subaru’s STI. Thrilling? Possibly. On a superbike? Simply suicidal.
