2015 Subaru STI sets lap record at Isle of Man TT course.
 

http://media.subaru.com/newsrelease....sets-new&mid=1

The car Higgins drove is a stock U.S.-spec 2015 WRX STI, with the exception of an FIA-spec roll-cage, racing seat and harness, fire suppression system and modified springs and dampers to handle the sustained high speeds and changing conditions of the course. The Subaru WRX STI also featured Dunlop Derezza tires and a high decibel straight exhaust for crowd safety. The speed limiter was also removed from the car.

I lost time on the second part of the track, overshooting my braking point at Sign Post corner. I actually hand-braked the turn in the end, so I feel we can definitely do better.

We are evaluating whether to make another run on Friday and top this record.

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/749...loser-view.jpg

Here is the 2011 run:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFlSG9_Ue4A"]Subaru Isle of Man TT Record Attempt - YouTube[/ame]

I'm assuming this record is for production cars, and I'm assuming that not many mfgs. actually go through the process of shutting down the island to get in hot laps. Regardless...it's still pretty cool.

One manufacturer: Subaru.

They're about 1-2 minutes behind the bikes, depending on class. There's no other manufacturer running any vehicles besides Subaru.

Ahh marketing, gotta love it.

"We're the best at something no one else has ever tried, buy our cars!"

Indeed. If they broke into the low 18s and started competing with stock class bikes...well, that would be a feet.

More like "We're the only manufacturer with the balls to do production runs on the Isle of Man TT."

Yep. Sounds stock to me. Also reminds me of the year they let people drive BRZs at the Isle of Man TT and they were jumping them and plowing the noses into the road.

Love the 'stock' suspension. Repeat of the same BS from last time.

The TEIN rally spec suspension (5 goddamn figure price, with an acceptance contract to buy them, have automatic damper oil temperature trim valve, which is pretty cool) was for 'safety'.

Fuck Subaru marketing.

Yeah...I can't even find any other lap times for ANY production car on the circuit.

Not quite at cool now.

The problem with the Isle of Man TT is not that there aren't cars that are capable of massively beating the Subi's record. It's theres no drivers insane and or skilled enough on this track to attempt it (you can blame pansy companies as well). It's course mastered by riders not drivers. A rider will no the course like the back of his hand..... you could put Senna on this course and he'd crash due to not knowing the layout. Save for local residents there really isn't any driver that I know off that could technically drive the course at full till the way the top TT riders can ride the course

I'd say if you want to get mid-to upper 18' min your going to need something in the neighborhood of an M4, C63 etc

If you want anything even approaching the 17' minute barrier your looking at things like 458 Speciales, Aventadors, F12's, Mclaren 650s's etc..

If you want to actually competetively tango with the Superbike TT's......We are a talking minimum of Gumper Apollo, Zonda Cinque + levels of performance here. Your going to need something that can get WAY past 200mph to overcome the acceleration advantage the TT bikes have

So unless Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, Pagani or some other hyper car company wants to sacrifice a couple of their masterpieces (Believe when I say there WILL be a crash if those cars are driven to the limit on this course) then we aren't seeing anything touching the low 17's

Well maybe. But for reference the record that Subaru first 'beat' was a British version of a first generation Acura Legend. Also, interestingly enough, the only (first) other car to run it. It averaged 102mph. This new record is 116mph.

Now here's the thing: Higgins, and the guy before him are locals. It's like you said about the driver being the main thing. The Rover 827 record stood for like 20+ years. Was it because Rover 827 are fucking badass? Nope. It's because no one is stupid enough to challenge a local pro driver on it.

This is the marketing equivalent to a riced out Honda Civic bragging about slaughtering a Z06 'from a dig' when the light turned green, because the Vette was stopped to make a left hand turn and wasn't racing.

Mad, mad respect for Higgins' driving (recovery from the first 'record' was epic). But Subaru marketing needs to STFU about the 'stock' STI's records.

This was ALL Higgins.