Thanks to Techzle reader Arjen Wijnbergen, we have a very special Subaru on the digital shelves of In het Wild today. This time the focus is on a Subaru that is just as angular as it has been forgotten: the XT. Arjen, thank you!
Subaru coupes are a relative rarity. In a recent past, the brand delivered the BRZ in our country, but the renewed Subaru BRZ is not coming to the Netherlands as far as is known. If we look further into the past, we come across coupe versions of the L-series, but also the very special SVX. That SVX had an equally characteristic predecessor: the XT.
The Subaru XT passed the baton to the SVX in 1991
The Subaru XT is a coupé that shared part of its technical basis with the already mentioned L-series, a model series that in Japan, incidentally, went through life as Leone. The XT was a two-door coupé that made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1985 and was released that same year. In 1993, the XT coupe handed over to the higher-positioned SVX. The copy taken by Techzle reader Arjen Wijbergen dates from 1986 and crossed the Dutch border for the first time in 2011. Under the hood of the 1,185 kilo coupé a 136 hp and 196 Nm strong 1.8 four-cylinder, according to good Subaru tradition a machine with opposite cylinders. So a boxer engine.
Subaru XT
The Subaru XT equipped with a small rear seat has an automatic transmission in this case, Subaru also supplied the XT with a manual five-speed gearbox. This variant with automatic transmission has a speed of 100 km / h on the clock in 10.4 seconds and in theory should be able to reach a top speed of 192 km / h. Four-wheel drive was standard in the case of the versions delivered in the Netherlands, although there were also front-wheel drive variants. Subaru even had a 150 hp and 211 Nm strong 2.8 six-cylinder boxer engine on the international delivery list, although that version was not officially delivered in the Netherlands. Subaru even supplied the four-wheel drive XT Turbos with electro-pneumatic suspension, air suspension with adjustable dampers and automatic level control as standard. You could also choose the ride height in the XT Turbo yourself using a button on the dashboard (2 positions).
Subaru XT
According to the XT brochure Platinum Silver-sprayed copy in the photos is relatively fresh, you cannot blame the small spots here and there. Striking details are not only the characteristic wheels, but above all the folding headlights and the particularly angular buttocks with – yes – rear light units linked together by means of a reflective strip. The XTs with automatic transmission were delivered in the Netherlands with a digital dashboard, although this does not seem to be present in this right-hand drive and therefore not originally delivered in the Netherlands. The steering wheel is worth mentioning, as it has two L-shaped spokes. The XT Turbo AWD was by no means a bargain, in 1987 Subaru asked about 54,000 guilders for the model, converted about € 24,500. By way of comparison: the thickest L-series Coupé, the 1.8 Turbo with four-wheel drive, changed owners in that year from € 21,100 onwards. A great look back in time.