Subaru Announces New WRX STI Type RA NBR Special Edition; Is it Coming to the US? [Video]

Subaru is going to be busy on June 8. They are announcing two new performance STIs. There’s a new BRZ STI coming, and they are also announcing a new 2018 WRX STI Type RA NBR Special Edition production model. More info on the performance cars are coming June 8, 2017, and they are both coming to the US. They will pre-launch the new WRX STI Type RA by trying to set a new lap record for a four-door sedan at the Nurburgring track later this summer. No date for the attempt has been announced.

This latest WRX STI Time Attack car they will attempt to lap the Ring in record time with, has also been developed with Prodrive. Even though it looks street-legal, the Type RA NBR Special will be a unique race machine, with the interior gutted, a full roll cage, special Dunlop racing tires, race suspension, engine mods, body kit, adjustable rear wing and a carbon fiber roof. They’ve pre-tested the car at Silverstone in the UK, and one attempt at the Ring got rained out. The video below shows their first two attempts on a track.

On May 19, 2017, Subaru and Prodrive took the new WRX STI Type RA NBR machine to the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but the weather was not cooperating and the track was wet and soggy. But it wasn’t too wet for Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. Subaru had already reserved the track, so why not push the car hard. Most rear drive performance cars would have a big problem, but the STI had some fast laps on the rain-soaked track. We can’t wait to see it on a dry track. There’s more announcements coming from Subaru.

This isn’t the first WRX STI Type RA

Subaru is known for their special edition models. Subaru introduced an exclusive 2013 WRX STI tS TYPE RA. Only 500 examples were built and those were limited to the Japanese market. They also offered a limited 200 models of the ultra-exclusive TYPE RA NBR Challenge Package. Will Subaru do something similar in the US?

Subaru will likely use this Time Attack Prodrive Type RA NBR Special race car to introduce a new 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special Edition production model. Our guess is, the new STI will be a 50th Anniversary special edition model coming in 2018. Subaru of America is planning a big celebration to mark the special occasion, and the new BRZ STI and WRX STI Type RA NBR Special Edition production model could be two new models to celebrate 50 years of Subaru in the US. Stay tuned.

Watch Subaru Type RA NBR Special video

Photo credit: Subaru