Subaru Working On Mid-Engine Sports Car

2016 Subaru BRZ (Credit: © Subaru)

A rumor that’s being spread by none other than Car and Driver claims that Subaru is working in a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive hybrid sports car. This is supposed to satiate dealers’ desires for a halo model, because the Forester isn’t making people drool on showroom floors.

Supposedly the setup involves a mid-mounted turbocharged gasoline boxer engine powering the rear wheels. Two electric motors located somewhere on the front axle power the front wheels. The new powertrain configuration is crammed into a modified BRZ, which comes with rear-wheel drive and so is a good fit for a prototype.

Everyone is guessing that Subaru will use its 1.6-liter engine available in Japan for the car. While that might not sound impressive, Car and Driver thinks that total system output will be well north of 300 horsepower.

We just covered how Subaru revealed its new Global Platform, which will be used for this upcoming sports car. Don’t expect to see a prototype officially revealed for about two years or so. Then again, in two years or so there could be a big fat nothing, because automotive industry rumors are often just that, rumors. After all, there are zero spy photos or any evidence this car exists, other than an anonymous source.

Take this latest rumor with a grain of salt. Even if test mules start appearing on public roads and spy photos leak, there will be big guesses being passed off as gospel fact. For now it’s fun to think this rumor is spot-on, because a mid-engine hybrid Subie is almost too good to be true, and maybe it is.

The potential new car won’t necessarily be the successor of the current BRZ, if the vehicle even exists at all. While that’s possible, even more likely is that Subaru is expanding its sports car offering to two models. This is a good time to be an enthusiast, at least if you’re warm to the idea of owning a Subie.