Subaru-Yamaha to build EV Hypercar to beat Porsche’s record

Subaru made a bold announcement at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon after unveiling their Yamaha-powered EV hypercar, the STI E-RA. The company intends to beat the record time set by Porsche’s 911 GT2 RS on Germany's (deadly) Nürburgring racetrack.

While not giving a direct challenge to Porsche, Subaru set an ambitious goal of finishing the famed track under 400 seconds, or exactly six minutes and 40 seconds. This particular record lap time was set by Manthey-Racing’s 911 GT2 RS at the 20.6-kilometre long circuit, on the 25th of October 2018.

If you don’t know by now, these Japanese companies like to make it subtle but direct to the point, as much as they make it respectful.

According to the report, the motors supplied by Yamaha will draw electricity from a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, enabling the STI E-RA running on its four in-wheel electric motors to deliver output at about 1,072 horsepower.

Despite the race-oriented effort, developing the Nürburgring-ready electric STI E-RA hyper EV was meant to help the research and development of electric vehicles, to improve the technology, and to help hasten the shift to a carbon-neutral society.

“Subaru Tecnica International (STI) has launched the STI E-RA CHALLENGE PROJECT, an STI near-future motorsport study project, with the aim of gaining experience and training of new technologies in the world of motorsports in this carbon-neutral era focused on combating global warming,” Subaru said in a statement.