SUBARU MOTORSPORTS USA today officially unveiled ‘Project Midnight’, the fastest and most powerful WRX ever built, which will debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed from 11-14 July. Inspired by the record-breaking ‘Airslayer’ Gymkhana car, Project Midnight is designed with a singular focus: to achieve absolute speed, pushing the limits of the WRX platform even further.
Building on the legacy of Airslayer, which was based on a 2020 Subaru WRX STI and became famous for its viral stunts at the 2020 Gymkhana, Project Midnight takes performance to new heights. Notable feats of Airslayer include a 230-foot jump with active rear wing control, setting records at events like the Mount Washington Hill Climb and Car & Driver magazine’s Lightning Lap. However, Airslayer was a versatile performer built to take on a variety of challenges. Project Midnight, on the other hand, is reimagined for pure speed on asphalt, piloted by Subaru Motorsports USA veteran Scott Speed, known for his diverse racing experience, from Formula 1 to rallycross.
The car features an ultra-wide aerodynamic body and flared wing taken from the WRX ARA24 gravel rally car. With a carbon fiber body and lightweight chassis, Project Midnight weighs less than 2,500 pounds, making it nearly 300 pounds lighter than the Airslayer and 1,000 pounds lighter than a standard WRX. It features suspension geometry specifically designed for asphalt and uses 18×11-inch OZ Racing Superturismo LMP magnesium wheels with 280/650R18 Yokohama ADVAN slick tires, replacing the Airslayer’s rallycross wheels.
Under the hood, Project Midnight is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged and air-cooled flat-four engine that produces 670 hp and 921 Nm of torque, with revs up to 9,500 rpm and a hood-exit exhaust. This engine is the latest evolution of Subaru Motorsports USA’s successful rallycross engine, which helped Scott Speed win the Nitro Rallycross Teams Championship in 2021.