A speculative rendering of the STi
Hot from Japan comes this speculative rendering of an STi version of Subaru's half of the Toyobaru project.
The, er, 'Subarota' penned for your delight by Japanese magazine Holiday Auto bears a passing resemblance to the apparently officially leaked Subaru artwork we ran last week, and we're not sure whether the accompanying story is based on speculation, informed guesswork, or insider tips.
According to HA, the standard Subarota will use Subaru's EJ20 boxer engine with direct injection, six-speed Aisin gearbox and a rear axle nicked from the Lexus IS250 parts bin. Power will be in the region of 200hp, they claim, which is more than has been previously rumoured for the entry-level Toyobaru version.
The Toyota FT-86 arrives first
tells us that a hot STi version of the Subarota will get Subaru's EJ25 2.5 litre engine pushing out closer to 250hp, along with a wider track and a raft of suspension upgrades to improve the driving performance. A turbocharged version of the car is under consideration too, the report says.
The wide-track STis will naturally require wider wheelarches to cover the rubber, and various motorsport-inspired aero-parts will be stuck on to give the STi a more aggressive look, says HA, which also confirms earlier reports that the Subarota will appear in the metal at the Tokyo motor show in 2011.
At which point they appear to have run out of facts, and handed the crayons to their resident artist - with the results above.