SUBARU to Compete in 2023 Nürburgring 24-Hour Race
Tokyo, April 18, 2023 – Subaru Tecnica International *1, Subaru’s motorsport subsidiary, will participate in the 51st Nürburgring 24-Hour Race from 20 to 21 May 2023 at the Nürburgring circuit in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with its WRX based race car. Since its debut in 2008, this participation marks Subaru’s 14th time to participate in the Nürburgring 24h race*2.
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| SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2023 | |
The SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2023 will compete in the “SP4T” class for cars with turbo engines between 2.0L and 2.6L, with the aim of winning this class.
The course is said to be the toughest in the world with a total length of approximately 25km, a 300m difference in elevation and ever-changing weather conditions. In order for the drivers to drive fast and control the car as they wish on such a challenging track, the new race car has been developed based on the Subaru Global Platform at its core, leveraging the basic layout of Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD paired with a horizontally-opposed “Boxer” engine.
【Main Features of SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2023】
-Subaru Global Platform
-2.4L Direct Injection Turbo Engine
-Larger ball joints on the front lower arms and improved durability and reliability
-Larger muffler, revised layout to meet driving noise regulations, and improved aerodynamics (flat floor)
-Lighter and more rigidly balanced flexible draw tower bar bracket
Hideharu Tatsumi will be the Team General Manager and Takuya Sawada will be the Team Manager. The Project Leader Naoki Shibuya will be in charge of development of the new race car. Carlo van Dam (Netherlands), Tim Schrick (Germany), Hideki Yamauchi (Japan), and Takuto Iguchi (Japan) will be driving for the team.
Eight service technicians carefully selected from Subaru dealerships around Japan will again join the team to support the race this year. Subaru has had dealer technicians participate in overseas motorsport races since 1990, a unique initiative aimed at delivering “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” to customers by enhancing the technical skills of its service technicians.
*1: Subaru Tecnica International Inc. (President: Yasuo Hiraoka, Mitaka City, Tokyo, Abbreviation: STI)
*2: Subaru withdrew its entry from the 2020 and 2021 races due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its preparations.
【Team General Manager / Team Manager / Project Leader】
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| Hideharu Tatsumi | Takuya Sawada | Naoki Shibuya |
【Drivers】
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| Carlo van Dam | Tim Schrick | Hideki Yamauchi | Takuto Iguchi |
【Subaru Dealership Service Technicians】
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| Masahiro Kayagaseko Hokkaido Subaru |
Kazuya Takahashi Miyagi Subaru |
Ryosuke Suzuki Yamagata Subaru |
Yoichi Yaginuma Fukushima Subaru |
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| Yasuhisa Ootsuka Fuji Subaru |
Kota Sato Chiba Subaru |
Yuta Mitsui Tokyo Subaru |
Yoshiaki Nakanishi Kyoto Subaru |
【Race Car】
| Model Name | SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2023 |
| Overall length | 5,270mm |
| Overall width | 1,900mm |
| Overall height | 1,390mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,690mm |
| Vehicle weight | 1,290kg |
| Engine type | FA24 BOXER DOHC 16-valve AVCS single scroll turbo |
| Engine displacement | 2,387cc |
| Maximum output | 280kw (380PS) / 5,500rpm |
| Maximum torque | 590Nm (60kgf･m) / 3,500rpm |
| Air restrictor | φ39 |
| Transmission | 6-speed sequential gearbox + paddle shift |
| Clutch | Ogura Clutch 5.5inch multi-plate |
| Suspension | Front: Strut / Rear: Double wishbone |
| Brakes | Front: 6pot / Rear: 4pot |
| Wheels | BBS 18inch x 11J |
| Tires | FALKEN 280/680/R18 |
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