Mid Engine Subaru Rumors Still Alive and Well
A couple of years ago, rumors surfaced that Subaru was developing a mid-engine prototype that would tap its four-cylinder boxer engine and an electric front axle.
The rumor seemed very far-fetched, but it now seems there may be something to it, with Japanese automotive magazine Best Car publishing a similar report in its latest print issue.
According to the report, this new mid-engine vehicle will have a turbocharged boxer engine sitting midship, which will be joined by a plug-in hybrid system.
This intel mimics that of the report that surfaced in 2016, which came from Car and Driver. The American publication reported that Subaru had dropped a mid-mounted Boxer in a BRZ-based prototype and installed two electric motors on the front axle to create a radical hybrid all-wheel drive system. It also indicated that Subaru was working on a show car to gauge interest in such a product, which would be presented in “about two years’ time.” That was about two years ago, so if Car and Driver’s report was accurate, we could see a design study for this rumored mid-engine Subaru sometime soon.
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Both Car and Driver and Best Car’s reports say Subaru’s decision on the mid-engine vehicle will hinge on American interest. The Japanese brand has experienced large-scale growth in the United States and also Canada in recent years, so it’s no surprise that the top brass in Japan will only greenlight a product if it’s something those customers want. Car and Driver also says that it was Subaru’s US dealers that initially pushed it to develop a more a “special” product.
We want to believe that Subaru is working on some sort of mid-engine AWD rally weapon, but we have our doubts. The automaker is intently focused on making reliable, safe family cars and who can fault them? It’s certainly working, with the brand recording 81 consecutive months of yearly month-over-month sales growth as of last month. We’re trying remain hopeful, though. The world could always use more mid-engined cars.
[Source: Best Car Magazine via Yahoo.jp]
Photo via Gran Turismo Vision GT
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Call me skeptical. If, and that's a big IF, such a project moves forward, it would likely only be as a partnership deal. Toyota says they aren't done with sports cars, so a Subaru-engineered MR2 is a possibility.