If you were waiting to see a concept of the Subaru flavored version of the rear-wheel drive Toyota FT-86 at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, tough luck because the Japanese automaker simply displayed the car's chassis in a clear plastic body. Subaru didn't comment on exterior wrap, though there's a good chance that the shape may hint at the styling of the production coupe.
As for the "Boxer Sports Car Architecture" as Subaru has named the rear-wheel drive platform, there's not much to say other than that compared to the firm's production AWD models, the boxer engine in the coupe is positioned lower and further back.
"The RWD Sports Car’s platform technology adds a completely new package to complement Subaru’s existing AWD platform," the company said in a statement. "This package will open Subaru’s renowned on-road performance to a broader range of customers. At the heart of this drivability lies Subaru’s engineering philosophy that constantly provides enjoyment and peace of mind.".
We'll remind you that Subaru and Toyota have combined forces to develop the boxer-powered and rear-wheel drive sports car architecture, with each company set to introduce its own version within the next year or so.
Subaru has released the first-ever teaser picture of its eagerly anticipated rear-wheel drive sports car concept ahead of its debut at the 2011 Geneva motor show on March 1. Even though Subaru's original ghost sketch of the car shows only a darkened outline of the front end, we managed to significantly brighten up the photo through some photoshop trickery and reveal the coupe's shape in full detail. At least from this picture, the Subaru study appears to differ in styling from its Toyota FT-86 sibling sporting a more curvy and less angular design.
The Subaru variant will keep the same front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout as the FT-86, which will also be revealed in a more production ready form at the Geneva Salon. Power of course will be provided by Subaru's horizontally opposed boxer engine, but we'll have to wait until the Geneva Salon for more specific details.
On a side note, a couple of weeks ago the car was initially referred to as “Subaru Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept”, but now, the Japanese automaker says it has changed the name to "BOXER Sports Car Architecture”.
The coupe concept will be joined in Geneva by the Impreza study that was first shown in LA last November and the Trezio, which is a re-badged version of the Toyota Verso-S mini MPV and will be offered in Europe with a 1.3-liter gasoline and 1.4-liter turbo diesel engine.
First unveiled in the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October, the Subaru Forester S-Edition has now gone on sale in Australia, alongside the revised lineup of the Japanese compact SUV. Boasting a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine delivering 259HP (193kW) and 347 Nm (256 lb-ft) of torque, the new range-topping model is the most powerful Forester ever to be sold down-under.
“We have had increasing customer interest in a more powerful Forester and are delighted to be the first export market for S-Edition, which made its worldwide debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October”, said Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia. “It combines the best of two winning Subaru formulas – WRX and Forester, the latter of which is firmly entrenched as Australia’s favorite compact SUV.”
The flat-four is coupled to a 5-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, which sends power to all wheels through Subaru’s Variable Torque Distribution all-wheel drive system. To improve handling, engineers fitted the S-Edition with sport suspension and 17-inch Subaru Tecnica International (STi) alloys, wrapped around in 225/55 R17 Yokohama rubber.
With plenty of torque available from down low – and constant between 2,800-4,800 rpm –, the Forester S-Edition sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 228 km/h (142 mph).
Wringing this car's neck will surely result in some scary consumption figures, but, according to the official fuel economy estimates, a laidback driving style can result in the burning of just 10.5 lt/100 km (22.4 US mpg) in a combined cycle, which is downright acceptable.
Compared to its more mundane siblings, the S-Edition also comes with a black grille, various chrome accents, silver roof rails and, for a limited period, World Rally Blue color option.
Inside, sport seats clad in a combination of alcantara and leather, S-Edition seat embroidery complemented by blue stitching, sporty instrument display and special gear shifter set this model apart.
The Forester S-Edition’s base price is AUD $50,990 (about US $51,301 at today’s exchange rates).
As previously reported, the revised Forester lineup benefits from the new naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine, capable of 170HP (127kW) and 235 Nm (174 lb-ft) of torque.
All new models feature a redesigned front grille, while inside the dashboard has a darker finish with matching metallic accents. The standard equipment list now includes seats clad in a more water resistant cloth trim, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, while XS models and above receive reversing cameras as standard.
First unveiled in the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October, the Subaru Forester S-Edition has now gone on sale in Australia, alongside the revised lineup of the Japanese compact SUV. Boasting a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine delivering 259HP (193kW) and 347 Nm (256 lb-ft) of torque, the new range-topping model is the most powerful Forester ever to be sold down-under.
“We have had increasing customer interest in a more powerful Forester and are delighted to be the first export market for S-Edition, which made its worldwide debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October”, said Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia. “It combines the best of two winning Subaru formulas – WRX and Forester, the latter of which is firmly entrenched as Australia’s favorite compact SUV.”
The flat-four is coupled to a 5-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, which sends power to all wheels through Subaru’s Variable Torque Distribution all-wheel drive system. To improve handling, engineers fitted the S-Edition with sport suspension and 17-inch Subaru Tecnica International (STi) alloys, wrapped around in 225/55 R17 Yokohama rubber.
With plenty of torque available from down low – and constant between 2,800-4,800 rpm –, the Forester S-Edition sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 228 km/h (142 mph).
Wringing this car's neck will surely result in some scary consumption figures, but, according to the official fuel economy estimates, a laidback driving style can result in the burning of just 10.5 lt/100 km (22.4 US mpg) in a combined cycle, which is downright acceptable.
Compared to its more mundane siblings, the S-Edition also comes with a black grille, various chrome accents, silver roof rails and, for a limited period, World Rally Blue color option.
Inside, sport seats clad in a combination of alcantara and leather, S-Edition seat embroidery complemented by blue stitching, sporty instrument display and special gear shifter set this model apart.
The Forester S-Edition’s base price is AUD $50,990 (about US $51,301 at today’s exchange rates).
As previously reported, the revised Forester lineup benefits from the new naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine, capable of 170HP (127kW) and 235 Nm (174 lb-ft) of torque.
All new models feature a redesigned front grille, while inside the dashboard has a darker finish with matching metallic accents. The standard equipment list now includes seats clad in a more water resistant cloth trim, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, while XS models and above receive reversing cameras as standard.
*Note: The Subaru Forester S-Edition study is featured in the photos below
Don't let the Nissan 350Z snout and the Infiniti G35 Coupe (JDM Nissan Skyline V35) rear end design fool you; the glitzy painted roadster model you're gawking at is in fact a JDM Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider - possibly a third generation model. But before you try to digest all that info let us quickly add that Paint Star's Tokyo Auto Salon project car also hides a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine under its 350Z-shaped hood. See the rest of the photos in our image gallery after the break.
