1997 Subaru Impreza Outback Wagon Engine 2.2l on 2040-cars

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Toyota and Subaru file patents for performance FR-S and BRZ

People have longed for a more powerful version of the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, and Toyota GT86 since the triplets arrived on the market. So far, neither partner in the deal has launched a model to fully satiate that hunger. However, the Japanese patent office recently approved documents from Toyota for the design of a vehicle that looks just like the Subaru STI Performance Concept (pictured above). According to AutoGuide, the filing also gives Fuji Heavy Industries credit for the design. The STI Performance Concept debuted at this year's New York Auto Show as an early step in STI's attempt to expand its reach here. The BRZ-derived coupe featured a body with a ground-scraping front bumper, tweaked headlights, wider fenders, a massive rear wing, and diffuser with a center-exit exhaust. All of these elements also show up on the patent renderings. The concept was just as exciting under the hood because STI installed a 2.0-liter, turbocharged boxer four-cylinder from its GT300 racer, and upgrades for the chassis, suspension, and brakes came from the Japanese market's BRZ tS. While the coupe made hearts race, the company was clear it didn't necessarily plan to build the model. Patent filings aren't a guarantee for production, and even if this one does arrive in showrooms, it might not come to the US. That's because Subaru and Toyota have a history of creating Japan-exclusive versions like the tS or Style Cb. That being said, spy shots have revealed a camouflaged GT86 testing in Europe, and rumors indicate more power from the engine. Subie's boss has even confirmed the existence of a partnership to create a next-gen model. Related Video:

Subaru uses a mime and a toy car to explain why it loves the boxer engine

I will freely admit to struggling with why Subaru continues to stubbornly employ a boxer engine design while so few other automakers do the same. After all, with twice the number of cylinder heads and cams as a traditional inline four-cylinder engine, a boxer four is more complex, more expensive to manufacture and more cumbersome to service with few tangible benefits. Until recently, the company's engines struggled to meet the fuel economy numbers of its competitors while offering no real boon in horsepower or torque. Subaru seems to recognize I'm not the only one scratching my head.
In order to help us non-believers understand what's what, the company has employed a pair of mimes, a toy car and a few clay engines to demonstrate the folly of every other automaker on the planet. Subaru says the boxer offers up a lower center of gravity than either an inline four-cylinder engine or a V6, which I will gladly concede. The company also says the design offers up smoother operation.
I'll offer just two counterpoints here. First, an engine with a low center of gravity is excellent, but when vehicles like the Forester, XV Crosstrek and Outback boast more ground clearance than most mainstream SUVs, that argument flies out the window. Second, anyone who's spent any amount of time behind the wheel of a vehicle equipped with an inline four and then proceeded to move into one propelled by a boxer can tell you the latter has all of the idling manners of a small tractor. Check out the video below to see for yourself.

Porsche Taycan is here, Lamborghini Sian is near | Autoblog Podcast #594

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They start the conversation with the cars they've been driving, including the Subaru Forester, Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes-AMG C 43 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Then they talk about the biggest news of the week: the reveal of the all-electric Porsche Taycan. After that, they sweep up other news, like the Lamborghini Sian, new Nissan Juke and the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum. Next, Autoblog's Erik Meier, who both produces this very podcast and also hosts our Twitch livestream, joins the chat with his impressions of the latest racing game, "WRC 8." Finally, our editors try to provide some helpful guidance in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #594 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2019 Subaru Forester 2019 Lincoln Navigator 2019 Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Porsche unveils 2020 Taycan Turbo and Turbo S 2020 Lamborghini Sian Next-generation Nissan Juke Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum Autoblog plays "WRC 8" Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:     Green Podcasts Toys/Games Aston Martin Lamborghini Lincoln Mercedes-Benz Nissan Porsche Subaru Used Car Buying Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Performance