Is Subaru Developing A Mid-Engine Hybrid Sports Car?

[Sideways&Smiling]

http://jalopnik.com/is-subaru-develo...=1457563839180



A “source close to Subaru” told Car and Driver that the Fuji Heavy Industries subsidiary is developing an all-wheel drive hybrid sports car. Oh “source close to Subaru,” please don’t play with our hearts. Be right this time.

The source claims there’s a sweet mid-engine hybrid prototype running around the Tochigi Proving Grounds in Japan. The secret car, according to the source, features a rear-mounted boxer engine mated to an electric motor. That engine/electric motor setup is said to power the rear wheels, while two front-mounted electron-fed motors feed the wheels at the nose.

The car allegedly sits on Subie’s Global Platform, though that platform is said to be hiding under a modified BRZ.

The insider says he doesn’t know what kind of sports car will come of the prototype, saying:

Whether the end result will be a two-door sports coupe or some kind of sports crossover/CUV is still in the evaluation stage... A coupe seems more likely, though.
The boxer-four will likely be a 1.6-liter pulled from Subaru’s Japanese-market lineup, and Car and Driver even goes so far as to estimate total system output as 330 horsepower.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of speculating on future products, mostly because I used to be on the other side of the fence—the side that laughed when journalists got it wrong.

Back when I worked in an advanced engineering group at FCA, I’d always read car websites (this, along with Craigslist, comprised half my workday) and chuckle at how the writers misconstrued a quote from an executive or at the assumptions they made when they spotted a development mule.

Hopefully there aren’t any Subaru engineers laughing at me right now, because it would be great if this becomes real.

[go_a_way1]

[MisterSheep]

where the dis gun b gud gif? @go_a_way1

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by MisterSheep

where the dis gun b gud gif? @go_a_way1

[WolfpackS2k]

I don't believe this for one minute. All we hear about is that Subaru doesn't have the resources to build a turbocharged BRZ, & Subaru doesn't have the resources to build a WRX sedan AND hatchback.

This story is 100% BS, and even if it is true it'll be too heavy and too expensive.

If you want a midengined sports car with a turbocharged Subaru engine I suggest buying an 818, which I have no doubt is faster and more enjoyable to drive than this vaporware.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[86kahl]

100% true, my personal sources that work closely with this "source close to Subaru" told me about it. It's gonna be called the "STi sti" it will actually have two engines; one being an older EJ while the second being a slightly newer EJ mounted in the rear. My sources also said that 330horsepower was made using only the electron-fed motors, if you put the iDrive into iSPORT it becomes 630horsepower and the growl of a V8 is played through BÓSE speakers and fed into the cabin.

My source also works for motoring.au

[Ashikabi]

I suppose it could be too compete with the NSX but this does seem pretty improbable. When has Subaru ever played with Super cars?

[ScoobsMcGee]

I think this comment from the Jalopnik article put it best:

[theparagon]

Just get the 818.

[nisti]

I think this would make a lot of people happy, or more happy...

Subaru Testing Mid-Engine Sports Coupe

[jawn]

Maybe, maybe not. Even if they build it, the usual keyboard commandos will come out of the woodwork and complain that it's either too expensive, not fast enough, or both.

[Tectoniic]

I like how the article says:

"With that information, our artist came up with this aggressively styled coupe, with flowing lines and bulges, and employing flared front and rear fenders with sizable rear air intakes to cool a mid-mounted engine."

Basically we have no idea what it looks like but here is our clickbait picture. I still really hope it ends up being real.

[go_a_way1]

[nisti]

Originally Posted by jawn

Maybe, maybe not. Even if they build it, the usual keyboard commandos will come out of the woodwork and complain that it's either too expensive, not fast enough, or both.

Agreed, if produced, I could easily see it being in the 40k - 50k range.
But would still be a nice option to have.