Subaru’s cars have typically been all-wheel-drive, but the Japanese company is debating whether to make an exception with its upcoming sports coupe and adopt rear-wheel-drive.
“We’re an all-wheel-drive brand,” Michael McHale, Subaru of America spokesman, told Ward’s Auto. “If it doesn’t affect the core of the brand, maybe we’d bring it as an interesting option.”
Subaru is wondering whether bringing the car here as a rear-wheel drive sports car will alienate the Subaru faithful, who consider all-wheel-drive a brand hallmark. Toyota’s version of the car, shown as the FT-86 concept at the 2009 Tokyo auto show, will be rear-wheel drive. Subaru and Toyota, which owns 16.5 percent of Subaru’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, worked on development of the sports coupe together and aren’t worried about sales cannibalization as there will be enough differentiation between the two cars.
source: automobilemag
