article

No AWD For Subaru 216A Sports Car!

Cost overruns have made Subaru think again about developing an AWD version of its FT-86 based sports car. It’s ...

No AWD For Subaru 216A Sports Car!

Posted on 16 March 2010 by Scott

Cost overruns have made Subaru think again about developing an AWD version of its FT-86 based sports car.

It’s been a while since we reported that Subaru were working on an AWD system for its 216A variant of the FT-86 compact sports car and since then some changes have come about concerning the driveline and how that could impact sales. Apparently development costs have spiralled to the point where Subaru can no longer justify the inclusion of the AWD system and as a result has brought some doubt upon the 216A’s ultimate sales potential as a ‘clone’. This has essentially rendered the rumored STi variant a carbon copy of the FT-86 Sports Concept under its skin, so Subaru have now turned to exterior styling to make up for the lack of mechanical differentiation from the FT-86.

To bring added individuality to the 216A, the focus in now on redesigning the area from the A-pillar forward and giving it a more distinctive front end design rather than merely swapping badges and putting on a different grille. If Toyota do indeed go ahead and release the G Sports version of the FT-86, Subaru will counter that with its own STi version, which will then provide the basis for an R205-like special edition.