Project Midnight’s progenitor—Airslayer—was based on a 2020 Subaru WRX STI and starred in the viral video Gymkhana 2020, performing wild stunts, including a 230-foot (70 meter) jump where its active rear wing controlled the car’s airborne attitude. While Airslayer did break records at timed events like the iconic Mt. Washington Hillclimb and Car & Driver Magazine’s Lightning Lap, its real mission as a Gymkhana star meant it was built to be the jack of many trades. So, the question arose: What if it was reimagined in the form of the current WRX with a singular focus on pure tarmac speed? And what if it were piloted by Scott Speed – a Subaru Motorsports USA driver with a star background in everything from F1 to rallycross?

Project Midnight features ultra-wide aerodynamic bodywork and a radically enlarged version of the wing found on the WRX ARA24 gravel rally car. The carbon fiber body and a significantly lightened chassis give it a curb weight of well under 2,500 pounds (1,134 kilograms) – nearly 300 pounds (136 kilograms) lighter than the Airslayer and 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms) lighter than a standard WRX. Project Midnight uses specially derived tarmac suspension geometry and swaps Airslayer’s 17-inch rallycross wheel and tire package in favor of 18x11-inch OZ Racing Superturismo LMP magnesium wheels and 280/650R18 Yokohama ADVAN slicks.

Under the hood, a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter flat-four engine produces 670 horsepower and 922 Nm of torque, revving to 9,500 rpm and spitting flames from its hood-exit exhaust. The powerplant is the most recent and top-performing evolution of Subaru Motorsports USA’s highly successful rallycross engine that helped Scott Speed earn Subaru the Nitro Rallycross Teams Championship in 2021.

The Subaru WRX Project Midnight will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed running from July 11 to 14, 2024.