Carbon Everything: A Time Attack WRX

It’s no secret that time attack builders are willing to go to great lengths when crafting their cars.

The ingenuity behind the machinery and how swiftly they evolve over the years is just as entertaining as the racing itself, and every year at the World Time Attack Challenge there are a handful of builds that stand out from the pack for their innovation and quality.

One build that instantly caught the attention of fans at the 2017 event was Australian model Jarrod Scott‘s bespoke carbon fiber 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX. If you have even just the slightest interest in the dark magic of carbon, there’s a good chance the Carbon WRX grabbed your attention, too.

While carbon isn’t new for time attack or motorsport in general, I can’t recall ever seeing such an extensive facelift being given to Subaru’s often forgotten 2012 hatchback. While some initial inspiration for the platform was taken from Roger Clark Motorsport’s Gobstopper II in the UK, the entire exterior was designed from sketches by Jarrod himself.

As pleasing as the carbon aero kit is to the eye, form was forgotten during design, although the emphasis was solidly placed on functionality. Once a virtual copy of the final design was created, the kit underwent extensive CFD (computational fluid dynamics) computer modelling and aero testing.

The Darth Vader-esque aesthetics are just a by-product of the fastest, most efficient design.

With the final plans agreed upon, actual fabrication was placed in the talented hands of Australian company Carbon Plus. The communication process was complicated by Jarrod spending the majority of his time in New York, but after a couple of months the guys found a rhythm and a formula to keep the project moving along steadily.

The wide-body kit is finished off with a Top Stage splitter and APR GT1000 triple-element wing on the rear end. The only other off-the-shelf item fitted to the exterior is a pair of APR GT3 carbon mirrors.

In the suspension department, Nitron R3 coilovers work with a full set of Cusco links and arms. You’ll also find Perrin sway bars front and rear, while new Whiteline bushes complete the handling package. For brakes, AP Racing 6-pot calipers and 355mm DBA rotors are bolted to the front, while the rear setup consists of smaller 4-pot AP Racing calipers and 310mm DBA rotors. Project Mu H16 competition pads feature front and rear.

Lightweight Enkei GTC01RR 18×10.5-inch wheels shod in 295/35R18 Yokohama Advan A050 semi-slicks finish things off. The simple, slim spoke design of the Enkeis match in perfectly with the WRX’s raw and purposeful look.

Looking the part is only half the battle, though, and fortunately the force is strong with this WRX.

Under the hood sits a rare, freshly built closed-deck EJ22. The engine was sitting around at Roger Clark Motorsport (RCM) in the UK, waiting for a special shop project, but ultimately found its way into the Carbon WRX.

The RCM EJ22 closed-deck block has been stretched out to 2.35-litres through a 79mm Arrow billet crankshaft, custom RCM/Carrillo rods and RCM pistons, while fully-prepped 2012 STI EJ25 heads by Cosworth sit at the sides. Although still very early in development, the engine package already packs a strong punch thanks to a slew of quality performance parts including a Garrett GTX3582R turbocharger, AVO headers, a Track Art custom titanium side-exit exhaust, and MoTeC engine management.

In the driveline, a 6-speed Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (PPG) sequential transmission runs through to a complete STI drivetrain.

Again, with Jarrod being overseas the majority of work needed to be carried out by other people, but there was only ever going to be one workshop tasked with the mechanical side of the project – Got It Rex, a Melbourne-based Subaru performance specialist. You can check out their incredible project car here.

The interior is completely devoid of anything non-essential to chipping away at lap times, but with a complete rewire and new ECU setup next on the cards, there’s still more weight to be removed from the car.

After a less than ideal first test at SubiNats earlier in the year – less than one lap – WTAC was the first time Jarrod had any real seat time in the new build. Apart from removing some additional canards from the front, the car’s setup remained unchanged and ran smoothly for the whole three days, Jarrod finishing 5th in the hotly-contested Pro-Am class – an impressive result.

With another year of testing and seat time ahead of them, the entire crew behind Jarrod’s Carbon WRX and the man himself are already excited for what might be possible in 12 months from now.

Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
matt@mattheweveringham.com

Jarrod Scott’s Carbon WRX

Engine:
Roger Clark Motorsport/Subaru EJ22 2.35-litre, new 97mm EJ22 closed deck block case, RCM rear thrust conversion to block, RCM 14mm WRC head studs, RCM 79mm billet steel WRC crankshaft, RCM ceramic-coated 97mm pistons, RCM/Carrillo custom conrods, Mahle Motorsport big end bearings, Subaru OEM main bearings, RCM head gaskets, Cosworth ported & polished EJ25 cylinder heads, Cosworth S2 high-lift camshafts, Cosworth titanium retainers, Cosworth valve springs, Cosworth 1mm+ inlet & exhaust valves, Cosworth timing belt, RCM lightened crank pulley, Garrett GTX3582R Gen 1 turbocharger, Turbosmart Hyper-Gate45 wastegate, Turbosmart Race-Port blow-off valve, AVO headers, Track Art custom titanium side-exit exhaust, Injector Dynamics 2,000cc injectors, Cosworth fuel rails, Turbosmart FPR, Process West 2-litre surge tank, DeatschWerks fuel pump, RCM modified oil pump, RCM Stage 3 dry sump, RCM dry sump tank, Mishimoto oil cooler, Process West manifold, Process West v-mount intercooler, MoTeC M800 plug-in engine management system

Driveline:
PPG 6-speed sequential gearbox, Exedy twin-plate clutch, PST carbon fibre driveshaft, Quaife front diff,  Cusco RS180 rear diff, 2012 STI full drivetrain conversion

Suspension/Brakes:
Nitron R3 coilovers, Cusco rear trailing arm, Cusco rear lateral link, Cusco Type 2 front lower arm bar, Cusco front lateral link, Cusco brace floor center, Cusco power brace cross member, Whiteline front control arm bushes, Perrin front sway bar, Perrin rear sway bar, AP Racing Pro 5000R 6-pot callipers, 355mm DBA rotors (front), AP Racing Pro 5000R 4-pot callipers, 310mm DBA rotors (rear), Project Mu H16 pads

Wheels/Tyres:
Enkei GTC01RR 18×10.5-inch +15 wheels, Yokohama Advan A050 295/35R18 tyres

Exterior: 
Self-designed carbon wide-body kit fabricated by Carbon Plus, Top Stage splitter, APR GT1000 triple-element rear wing, Track Art wing mounts, APR GT3 mirrors, self-made rear diffuser

Interior:
Track Art full roll-cage, MOMO Daytona Evo racing seat, Sabelt 6-point harnesses, OMP Super Quadro steering wheel with quick release, MoTeC C127 dash display

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