The Nürburgring circuit has long been an automotive proving ground, with lap times of the German track giving motorsport enthusiasts an objective understanding of a vehicle’s on-track capabilities. In a bid to show what its race R&D department is capable of, the team over at Subaru Tecnica International — better known as “STI” — has whipped up a high-performance, all-electric concept car that aims to clock a lap at the world-famous circuit in under 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Known as the Subaru STI E-RA EV Concept – short for the STI “Electric-Record-Attempt” — the McLaren-esque GT racer is powered by a quad, high-torque, high-revolution electric motor setup that was developed by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and is good for 800kW (or 1,073hp) of oomph. To help get power to the ground, the STI E-RA utilizes a state-of-the-art all-wheel control technology with a special torque vectoring system. Helped along by an integrated onboard inverted, the proprietary in-wheel motors draw energy from a 60kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. And while the design is undoubtedly a major departure from Subaru’s typical design language, the concept car would look right at home on the grid of an E-GT Class race, with a slammed stance and sleek flowing aero-equipped bodywork that culminates in a pronounced rear wing.
After extensive testing on a number of tracks in Japan throughout 2022, Subaru’s STI E-RA EV Concept is slated to take on the Nürburgring in 2023, where it aims to break the 400-second barrier. We also expect technologies from the concept car to eventually appear on road-going models from the Japanese firm.
