Subaru Motorsports USA introduced its latest one-off creation, Project Midnight, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last week. Building on its rallying and rallycross success, this car aims to be the fastest ever produced by Subaru’s motorsport partner, Vermont SportsCar.
Project Midnight follows in the footsteps of Subaru’s previous special projects, Airslayer and Family Huckster, both created for Hoonigan’s Gymkhana series. The new project is the first special car based on the current generation of the WRX, which the team competes with in the American Rally Association series.
The all-carbon-fiber vehicle weighs in at under 1,135kg, making it around 136kg lighter than the Airslayer and 450kg lighter than the standard WRX.
The project combines elements of Subaru’s rallycross cars, which ran until 2021, with features from the WRX ARA24 rally car, including an updated appearance that aligns with the current WRX road car. It features a significantly larger rear wing, inspired by the American Rally Association car, to keep the vehicle glued to the track. The car rides on 18×11in OZ Racing wheels with Yokohama slick tires for superior mechanical grip.
Power comes from the latest motorsport iteration of Subaru’s turbocharged 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. This engine, capable of producing 670hp and 680 lb-ft of torque, revs to a 9,500rpm redline. Its lineage can be traced back to Subaru’s rallycross program, which saw success in the 2019 Americas Rallycross championship and the inaugural Nitrocross championship in 2021.
Subaru factory driver and former Formula 1 racer Scott Speed said, “Subaru Motorsports USA and the team at Vermont SportsCar have delivered an absolute beast. The car has rallycross roots but the wider tires, track and geometry provide a unique feel and incredible grip. It’s the ultimate driving machine: half RX, half sportscar – a true joy to drive.”
Project Midnight was driven by Speed at its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. He was joined by teammate Travis Pastrana, who returned for his fourth consecutive year at the event, driving the Family Huckster. Pastrana finished second in the timed shootout last year in the Huckster, following a close contest with Marvin Kirchhofer in the McLaren Solus GT.
Subaru has confirmed that Project Midnight will have a series of outings beyond Goodwood. The Subaru Motorsports USA team, along with Speed, will continue to develop the car.
