For a long time, we've been working with two earfuls of the Toyota FT-86 and hardly a peep about the Subaru version of the shared sports platform. The FT-86 has been around for more than a year and a half--three different versions, in fact--while all we've seen from Subaru is a very conceptual skeleton of a car with engine and accompanying hardware.
But, according to Inside Line, that's all about to change. Subaru will look to launch a full car at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show in December, the same venue where Toyota plans to launch the production version of the FT-86. As the report goes, Subaru will aim to crank production up by spring and have cars on their way to the States shortly thereafter. So, the Tokyo version should look close--if not identical--to the final production version. In other words, Subie's playing some serious catch-up.
Subaru hasn't offered much information about its coupe, outside of the obvious basics: 2.0-liter boxer four and rear-wheel drive configuration. Past reports have indicated that the Subaru will be the more powerful and expensive of the two jointly developed sports coupes, so it may best the FT-86's alleged 200 horsepower.
While there aren't any new details on what we can expect from the Subaru version of the car--not even a codename that could cut down the entirely too cumbersome "Boxer Sports Car Architecture Concept"--sources have provided a few things not to expect. Apparently, Subaru doesn't plan to offer either a turbo 2.0-liter boxer or all-wheel drive version of the sports coupe.
With these details coinciding with an explosion of FT-86 spy shots this week, one has to wonder if one of those black-and-white camo-ed prototypes is actually the Subaru. The most recent model with the huge wing definitely looks like it's the one.
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