Video: Project Midnight Subaru WRX goes head-to-head against Ford’s SuperVan

Project Midnight is a different animal entirely to the WRC cars we better know. This WRX is a tarmac specialist, designed for a no-holds-barred assault on the Hill.

Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine spins to 9,500rpm, the aero package looks like it was lifted from a time-attack Championship and the whole car sits noticeably lower than any rally-bred Subaru you have seen before. The team has reworked the steering and suspension geometry specifically for Goodwood, turning the WRX into a hill-climbing monster. 

Festival of Speed

Tickets now available

Buy now

The hardware suggests an easy run to the top, although anyone who watched last year’s Shoot-Out knows nothing is straightforward when Ford’s 2,000PS (1,471kW) electric SuperVan is in the mix. That van’s blend of instant torque and outrageous downforce humbled Subaru last time, so this year’s rematch carries the weight of a grudge match.

Scott Speed is convinced Project Midnight has what it takes. After a stint in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso during the 2006 season, he switched to NASCAR, then claimed gold at the 2013 X Games which is how he found himself behind the wheel of Project Midnight. 

We follow Speed as he works through his runs, sharpening his approach and chipping away at the clock, all with the final Shoot-Out in mind. One obstacle still looms, though. Roman Dumas is back in the Ford SuperVan, and on paper the Subaru has nearly four times less power.

Can Speed and Project Midnight overturn the raw numbers and dethrone the SuperVan? There is only one way to find out…