One of the biggest mysteries puzzling Subaru
fans is the issue of why the Japanese automaker, after building its
performance reputation on symmetrical all-wheel drive technology, would
switch to rear-wheel drive for its upcoming BRZ sports car.
Of course, a lot of it has to do with the fact that the BRZ is being jointly developed with Toyota, which will sell the car as the Scion FR-S here in the U.S. though it may revive the Celica name elsewhere.
From the start of the project, Toyota was adamant it wanted a rear-wheel drive sports car.
But why not offer an all-wheel drive option on the BRZ to please
loyalists? Or at least help differentiate it further from Toyota's
version?
Subaru's product planning chief and head developer of the BRZ, Toshio
Masuda, has revealed to MotorAuthority that the joint-developed sports
car was originally conceived by Subaru and that there were several
reasons why his design team didn't want it to be all-wheel drive.
Toyota's intentions notwithstanding, Masuda explained that Subaru wanted
to showcase its road-holding and traction expertise in a rear-wheel
drive application.
Subaru already sells front-wheel drive cars in markets outside the U.S.,
so launching a new rear-wheel drive model was the final frontier, so to
speak, where the automaker could implement its latest engineering
knowhow.
Masuda also pointed out that some of Subaru's all-wheel drive models
have been tested during development with up to 90 percent of their
torque being sent to the rear wheels, virtually mimicking the dynamics
of a rear-wheel drive car.
And the results of this knowhow speaks for themself. Prototypes of the
BRZ have been tested at speeds above 50 mph in heavy snow--something
normally unthinkable in a lightweight rear-wheel drive sports car.
Key to its prowess will be its very low center of the gravity of around
17.8 inches, one of the lowest of any car currently on the market.
Look out for the respective debuts of both the Subaru BRZ and its Scion FR-S sibling at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this December. First sales are scheduled to start in the first half of next year.
As seen on motorauthority.com
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