2017 Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special

The WRX STI Type RA NBR Special was a purpose-built Prodrive time-attack vehicle, separate from the 500-car customer Type RA edition. Subaru documented its Nürburgring activity in 2017, with a 2.0-litre competition engine, slick tyres and a substantial aerodynamic package.

The physical subject is a dedicated 2017 competition vehicle

Subaru’s July 2017 announcement describes a Prodrive-built car using a 2017 WRX STI unibody with a welded roll cage. This establishes the correct record-attempt context and corrects the inventory’s 2018 reference to the documented 2017 programme. It does not identify an unmodified production STI. The public Type RA road edition appears in the same announcement as a related promotional programme, but retains a separate vehicle identity and allocation.

Subaru of America: July 2017 NBR Special announcement

A competition powertrain separates it from the customer car

The factory account specifies a modified 2.0-litre WRC-related boxer engine producing more than 600 hp at 8,500 rpm, alongside a competition gearbox adapted for paddle operation. These are attributed descriptions of the time-attack configuration. The customer Type RA uses a different 2.5-litre road-engine specification. Transferring the NBR Special’s headline output into a normal Type RA profile would therefore misrepresent both cars, even though the names and basic sedan form are related.

Slick tyres and active aerodynamics define the running configuration

Subaru describes nine-inch-wide slick tyres and a revised aerodynamic package with a driver-controlled drag-reduction rear wing. The technical interest is the coordinated competition setup rather than a claim that the exterior wing alone produced a particular result. The press release includes manufacturer aerodynamic estimates, which should retain their testing context. A photograph can show the physical package, but cannot independently verify downforce, tyre temperature or the precise configuration of every timed run.

Subaru of America: July 2017 NBR Special announcement

The factory lap reports contain a numerical discrepancy

The July announcement reports 6:57.5 for the stated 12.8-mile Nordschleife course, and an August video release repeats that figure. A September release for the full in-car video instead gives 6:58.9. Both are factory publications, so this profile preserves the discrepancy instead of silently choosing one as a uniquely settled figure or inventing an explanation. These are dated historical claims, not a statement that the car holds a current record in every category.

Subaru of America: August video release and 6:57.5 reference

Identify the named car without inventing its lifetime chassis count

The supplied photograph comes from Subaru’s original record announcement and depicts the dedicated NBR Special in action. It is distinct from earlier Type RA NBR road packages and the later US customer Type RA. The archive follows this named record-attempt vehicle and its documented programme. The workbook’s one-primary-car shorthand does not establish the total number of development, replacement or related time-attack chassis, so no exact lifetime completion count is entered.

Specifications and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

This Archive record covers the named Type RA NBR Special time-attack vehicle documented in 2017. It is not one of the 500 ordinary US Type RA customer cars and is not the earlier Type RA NBR road package. Factory lap reports are dated and their numerical discrepancy is retained. The workbook’s one-primary-car shorthand is not promoted to an audited lifetime chassis total; exact completed production remains blank and related competition vehicles are not silently added.

This is an Archive identity. The experimental or individually named car is not added as extra production on top of its underlying family. Repeated exhibition appearances do not establish additional chassis; the specific scope above governs the count.

What the photograph represents

Factory-distributed photograph of the dedicated Prodrive Type RA NBR Special in the original July 2017 record announcement. This is a competition time-attack vehicle, not an unmodified customer Type RA or an earlier road-going NBR package.

Related Subaru profiles

• 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type RA 2005
• 2018 Subaru WRX 50th Anniversary Edition
• 2020 Subaru WRX STI Series.White

Frequently asked questions

Did an unmodified customer Type RA set the quoted lap?

The cited factory account describes a dedicated Prodrive competition vehicle with a separate engine, tyres, gearbox and aero configuration.

Why show two historical lap figures?

The July/August factory releases give 6:57.5, while the September in-car-video release gives 6:58.9; the sources do not establish a resolution here.

What is the production-count boundary for this profile?

This Archive record covers the named Type RA NBR Special time-attack vehicle documented in 2017. It is not one of the 500 ordinary US Type RA customer cars and is not the earlier Type RA NBR road package. Factory lap reports are dated and their numerical discrepancy is retained. The workbook’s one-primary-car shorthand is not promoted to an audited lifetime chassis total; exact completed production remains blank and related competition vehicles are not silently added.

Sources and further reading

1. Subaru of America: July 2017 NBR Special announcement
2. Subaru of America: August video release and 6:57.5 reference
3. Subaru of America: September full in-car release and 6:58.9 reference

Research checked 19 October 2026. Linked manufacturer heritage pages, factory announcements, official distributor publications and labelled contemporary coverage support the specifically identified claims. Photographic descriptions identify the illustrated subject. Design analysis and suggested authentication steps are editorial interpretation.