Shooting for a fast lap at the Nürburgring.
Subaru just unveiled a new all-electric race car concept at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Developed in conjunction with Subaru's motorsport division, Subaru Tecnica International Inc. (STI), the otherworldly EV is dubbed the Subaru STI E-RA, or "Electric Record Attempt," and looks to provide a platform for developing the Six Star brand's next-gen go-fast tech.
The near-term goal of this thing is simple - lap the infamous Nürburgring race track in just 400 seconds, or 6 minutes, 40 seconds. Although very quick indeed, that time is still a ways off the current EV Nürburgring lap record of 6 minutes, 5 seconds, as set by the Volkswagen I.D. R in 2019. Still, posting a 6:40 would be mighty impressive, assuming Subaru can achieve it.
To that end, the Subaru STI E-RA boasts all-wheel drive grip and four-motor torque vectoring. Through a bevy of onboard sensors, including wheel speed, steering angle, G-force, yaw rate, and brake pressure, the computer doles out exactly the right amount of twist to each corner, maximizing performance and the "pleasure of driving."
Specs include an integrated inverter and "hyper EV gear," as supplied by Yamaha, plus a 60kWh battery pack. Peak output is rated at 800kW, or 1,073 horsepower. Which is a lot.
Subaru hopes to hit the 'Ring some time next year. In the meantime, it'll work to develop the STI E-RA at various racetracks around Japan. What's more, the Subaru EV's all-wheel drive system falls under FIA E-GT motorsport regulations, which means we may see it competing in all-electric sports car racing in the future.
The Subaru STI E-RA is on display now at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Stay tuned for more Tokyo Auto Salon good stuff headed down the pipe very soon.
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