Subaru has just released photos of its soon-to-be-launched 2011 Impreza WRX STI sedan from the Nurburgring race track. Described by the Japanese automaker as the firm’s “fastest WRX STI ever”, the 2011 STI lapped the Nurburgring race track in an impressive 7 minutes and 55 seconds in the hands of four-time World Rally Champion, Tommi Mäkinen.

For those keeping track, rally legend and Porsche test driver, Walter Röhrl, lapped the ‘Ring with the 368 kW Panamera Turbo in an unofficial time of 7 minutes and 56 seconds, while Cadillac’s 414 kW CTS-V clocked a 7m59s lap in 2008.

But there’s a catch; the 2011 STI that lapped the ‘Ring was in Subaru’s own words, a prototype model. According to the company, the test car combined a series of production performance upgrades from the JDM-only R205 and C-Spec STIs including a larger turbocharger with some additional mods such as under body aero parts and aluminum fenders.

That means you can’t actually compare this Subaru’s lap time with that of other unaltered production models.

You can however compare it with similar, previous generation prototypes of the Impreza that Subaru has tested over the years at the Nurburgring. The first Impreza prototype to be clocked at the Nurburgring was a non-STI WRX model in 1992 that marked a lap time of 8m28s.

After the first introduction of WRX STI version in 1994, a WRX STI version III prototype was raced at the course in 1996, recording a lap time of 8m10s, or 18 seconds faster than the 1992 model.

The second generation WRX STI, introduced in 2000, was tested at the ‘Ring, but according to Subaru, safety measures added weight to the car and the lap time of this model did not meet the company’s expectations. In other words, it was most likely slower than the 1996 model. Not surprisingly, Subaru did not release a lap time for the 2000 STI.

The facelifted 2002 Impreza WRX STI test car recorded a lap time of 8m06s while the updated 2004 model broke the 8-minute barrier at 7m59s. That was the most recent Nurburgring lap time as the company claims that even though it lapped the third generation Impreza STI in 2008, “rainy conditions made the tests incomplete for the lap time comparable to the previous records.”

So there you have it. Enjoy the gallery below.

Adapted from Carscoop

Great news for Scooby fans is that the company has launched an updated Impreza WRX STI – in both sedan and hatchback body styles!

Aside from the obvious addition of a wide-body kit, previewed on the WRX model earlier in the week, with the return of the massive rear wing, the other big news for 2011 comes in the form of a thoroughly reworked suspension. Subaru says the 2011 STI received chassis tuning to accommodate new aluminum front lower L-arms that reduce unsprung weight. Ride height has also been lowered and new pillow-ball bushings were installed up front, with stiffer bushings out back for the double-wishbone suspension-supporting rear subframe.

There are also thicker front and rear stabilizer bars – up 1 mm front and rear – which help to increase spring rates by 15.6 percent in the front, and a substantial 53 percent in the rear. The new 18-inch aluminum wheels weigh an impressive 7.9 kg’s less than the previous standard wheels. There are also optional 18×8.5-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels that reduce unsprung weight even further by losing another 2 kg’s each, while sporting a silver high-luster paint for 2011.

To help stop the 2011 STI while pushing its new found suspension to the limits, is the Brambo Performance Brake System – exclusive to the STI model. The Brembo package calls on ventilated four-wheel Super Sport ABS disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, or EBD. The combination of these systems allows for brakes forces to be controlled individually at each wheel, optimizing braking and reducing understeer.

The potent 221 kW intercooled and turbocharged 2,5-litre Boxer engine remains under the bonnet for 2011, along with a six-speed manual transmission.