▁year , ▁then ▁I ▁won ' t ▁( return ) ▁because ▁you ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁out ▁of ▁something ▁at ▁that ▁level ▁for ▁so ▁long ." ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁talking ▁to ▁Aut os port ▁pod cast , ▁David ▁Rich ards ▁confirmed ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁Mc R ae ▁had ▁talked ▁about ▁Mc R ae ' s ▁com eb ack ▁to ▁Sub aru ▁for ▁season ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Robert ▁Re id ▁was ▁contact ed ▁by ▁Mc R ae ▁who ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁co - driver ▁and ▁the ▁pair ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁test ▁together , ▁but ▁unfortunately ▁the ▁test ▁never ▁happened ▁because ▁of ▁Mc R ae ' s ▁fatal ▁hel ic opter ▁accident . ▁ ▁Death ▁Mc R ae ▁died ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁when ▁his ▁hel ic opter , ▁a ▁Euro cop ter ▁AS 3 5 0 , ▁crash ed ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁Lan ark , ▁Scotland , ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Mc R ae ▁family ▁home . ▁Mc R ae ' s ▁five - year - old ▁son ▁Johnny , ▁and ▁two ▁family ▁friends , ▁Gra eme ▁Dun can ▁and ▁Johnny ' s ▁six - year - old ▁friend ▁Ben ▁Por cel li , ▁also ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁crash . ▁Mc R ae ' s ▁previously ▁active ▁website , ▁Col in Mc R ae . com , ▁was ▁later ▁replaced ▁with ▁a ▁mem orial ▁screen ▁stating ▁a ▁few ▁details ▁about ▁the ▁crash , ▁and ▁then ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁statement ▁released ▁on