Last Monday saw the 19 minute 26 second lap record of the 37 mile long Isle of Man smashed as a record of 17 minute 35 seconds.
This impressive feat was achieved by rally and stunt driver Mark Higgins - who held the previous record - with the help of a Subaru WRX STI that was built specifically for the event. To To achieve this Higgins held an average speed of 128.73mph, almost 10mph more than his previous record.
Higgins had a very capable tool for the job though in the shape of his WRX STI which produced 600bhp thanks to 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine. The car weighs 1,175kg and has a top speed of 180mph. This specially made car is thanks to a joint effort by Subaru of America, Prodrive and Subaru Tecnica International (STI).
“It was an amazing run today considering we were running in very hot conditions and the tarmac was quite soft,” explained Higgins. “With lower temperatures we would be making more horsepower, so I still believe we have more left in terms of speed, but it is great to have another record in the bank. The chassis on this new car is fantastic to drive. It makes a difference driving a car custom-designed for this course. It really allowed me to pick up time in each sector in the more technical parts of the course.”