New car news

05 July 2011 - 14:00

Isle of Man lap record smashed

On the treacherous roads of the Isle of Man TT course, the record car lap has been in place for 21 years, until now. British rally driver Mark Higgins piloted a rollcaged, but otherwise stock, Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan around the road course in just under 20 minutes, smashing the previous record, set in 1990 by rally champion Tony Pond in a Rover 827 Vitesse, by over two full minutes. Higgins' average speed was over 180km/h, a terrifying pace on the twisting and undulating road.

The 60.8km course is no racetrack. There are no safety barriers or gravel pits. If you go off, it's likely you will gain a new chin spoiler in the form of a Neolithic stone wall. Or somebody's front room.

In fact, this record attempt very nearly became a funeral, saved by Higgins' spectacular hummingbird-on-crack reflexes when he catches the wildly fishtailing Subaru from sending him express-post into a stone wall.

The course was closed for the record-breaking drive, however every other day of the week it is a speed-limitless public road.

Watch the frighteningly quick drive right here, and look out for that miraculous save...