A 7-Second Quartermile WRX That Turns Corners...Fast

A WRX that runs 7.7-second quartermiles and competes competitively in time attack racing with a simple change of the tyres and sway bars? It doesn't really seem realistic, does it? But that's exactly what Andy Forrest's savage WRX is capable of. Andy, who hails from Scotland, shipped his Subaru down to Sydney for the 2015 World Time Attack Challenge, and was good enough to spend a little time showing us around his 1200hp genre-bending monster.

The WRX has won the prestigious 'UK Ten of the Best' competition three times in a row, and is powered by a flat-six cylinder EJ33, originally found between the struts of the Subaru's awkward attempt at a grand tourer, the SVX. The EJ33 has been stroked to 3.6-litres, and makes its full 1200hp through a pair of GT35s pushing 2.5 bar of boost, while reaching that boost at a fairly low 4000rpm. Andy uses a UK-based Syvecs S8 ECU, which controls the engine, Modena six-speed air-shifted sequential gearbox and custom centre differential.

As Andy explains in the video below, the Syvecs S8 does some very clever stuff using a closed-loop system to control the gearbox, allowing for lightning-quick up shifts and stackable auto blip downshifts. This means Andy can chop down through multiple gears - fifth to second at the end of a straight for example - and the ECU will stack those shifts up until the driveline is in a safe RPM range to perform them. Andy also takes the time to explain his 4WD traction control system that shifts power front-to-rear or vice versa where it is needed via the locking centre-diff. If that isn't enough, the ECU compares GPS speed with wheel speed to recognise slip, and then pulls out power via the electronic throttle, giving Andy more control of the car when compared to ignition retard or ignition/fuel cutting alone.  

Unfortunately, Andy suffered mechanical issues early into the 2015 WTAC event, but has vowed to return next year, better than ever.