The Isle of Man, a place where the fearless roam at high speeds and nothing can be left to chance. The brand Subaru is not a stranger to the event as they had sponsored the Isle of Man TT, with one reason being so that Mark Higgins can go all-out on this 60-kilometer Snaefell Mountain Course and snatch the road car record.
Higgins is not a stranger to the event as he holds the last two Isle of Man road car records, one in 2011 in the WRX STI with a timing of 19 minutes and 56.67 seconds averaging 181km/h, and the most recent was in 2014 with a timing of 19 minutes and 15.88 seconds. And this time, he had a higher average speed time of 188km/h.
But the nature of records is that they are meant to be surpassed sooner or later, and it might just be Higgins once again that breaks his own record as Subaru and Prodrive are joining forces to developed a modified STI for this year’s run. Compared to the road-going model, this WRX STI will feature an extensive diet regime by stripping out the interior.
Safety is paramount, so a roll cage now protects Higgins in the cabin just in case if things go south. The bodywork has also received a number of upgrades especially in the aero department where it is almost impossible to miss that massive rear wing. However, there is no word on any power bump or upgrades done on the Boxer power plant.
The 2016 Isle of Man TT is set to take place between May 28 and June 10. Will Higgins be able to surpass his own record, or possibly, break the 18-minute barrier? We will soon find out!
