A 197 MPH Subaru WRX: Meet the "Black Widow"
When it comes to motorsport, few cars are as versatile as the legendary Subaru WRX. The car's capability in rally racing is world famous, and on pavement it's become one of the most popular platforms for Time Attack and open track days. Some have built WRXs for drag racing and others have even converted them to rear wheel drive to go drifting. It's a true jack of all trades.
What you don't hear are a lot about are WRXs built for high speed racing, and that's exactly what makes PRE Racing's "Black Widow" '05 WRX out of Portland, Oregon so interesting. We caught the car at the recent Airstrip Attack California event and had to go in for a closer look.
From the full cage and stripped out interior, to the drag wing and parachute out back, this Subaru is as serious as they come. Under the hood sits a fully built EJ257 that spins past 9,000 rpm, cranks out 58 pounds of boost through its Super 99 turbocharger and can be dialed in to make 1,000 horsepower (although it's more routinely tuned to churn out around the 850 hp number).
Helping to keep the car planted are a set of Nitto NT555Rs at all four corners, mounted over 17" Enkei RPF1 wheels. A set of lightweight Wilwood brakes are there to slow the car down at the end of the runway.
The WRX has previously seen action as a drag car, but has since been converted over to half-mile spec. The goal for the PRE team in Coalinga last month was to hit 190 miles per hour. They ended up going well beyond that, with a best run of 197.4 miles per hour. An incredible figure given the car's humble origins.
Naturally, the goal for next time is to break the 200 mph mark—they certainly aren't far off from that. To think, this all started with a basic little four-door Subaru...
We'll definitely be keeping an eye on PRE's progress as they continue their adventures with one of the world's fastest Subarus. Hats off to them for thinking outside of the box and creating one of the most unique WRXs in the United States.
