Could this giant battery electric vehicle concept be the next-generation BRZ? Or it’s a sign of where the legendary WRX style is headed. Let’s take a look at the details, or at least, what Subaru is drip-feeding us.
The Subaru Sports Mobility Concept probably would have had its world premiere at the Japan Mobility Show last month, but the logo has been very careful with the specs.
In the absence of guidance from Subaru on what this concept might be, some commentators have warned that this two-door may simply be the futuristic edition of the BRZ. But given that it’s a 4WD electric powertrain and Subaru goes with its logo identity, I tend to think that this car could simply be a futuristic interpretation of the WRX. In addition, it is the Impreza WRX that has been used as the base vehicle for the Subaru World Rally Championship and the Nürburgring 24 Hours. over the years, suggesting that this coupe is a new WRX.
With its two-door design, it really does look like a Subaru, and more of a futuristic WRX than a BRZ. In fact, what will pique the interest of Subaru enthusiasts around the world is the fact that the design of the concept turns out to be encouraging. through two of the brand’s most visually striking models, the 1991 Alcyone SVX and the 1998 Impreza 22B STi.
Looking almost in a position to compete in rallies, the Sports Mobility Concept isn’t pretty. In fact, given its thick, square wheel arches, blue accents, and carbon fiber wheels, side panels, and bumpers, the fighter jet’s cockpit. . . His style is more brutal than beautiful. The absence of side mirrors, replaced by cameras, is another clue to its driver-centric aerodynamic orientation. What’s not tilted is the front end, which also bolsters our argument that this coupe is a BRZ, still an allusion to the next-generation WRX.
When you talk about Subaru, what’s the most iconic style they’ve had?Yes, WRX. Si you’ve spent decades creating an icon, you should leverage its fame to build brand identity and awareness by maintaining it. alive, right? At the recent Japan Auto Show, each and every other Japanese automaker brought back redefined editions of their iconic styles: Mazda brought back a coupe with rotary hybrid propulsion that hints at a next-generation RX-9, Nissan unveiled a fully equipped vehicle with 1,360 horsepower. An electric beast that hints at a next-generation GT-R, Honda has relaunched its Prelude, while Toyota has shown us a stylish and sleek electric edition of a potentially futuristic MR2. So yes, I think Subaru wants to keep the WRX alive and do it. That wants to go all-electric.
What do we know about this Subaru concept? Subaru executives have shown that this is a battery-electric concept with a 4-wheel-drive powertrain that appears to sit on a skateboard-style chassis in which the battery is hidden under the cockpit. We know that Subaru has spent no less than thirty years developing its 4WD generation through multiple victories in the World Rally Championship and the gruelling Nürburgring 24-hour race in Germany. So we’ll certainly have an updated edition of this generation in this new EV and we can expect it to be industry-leading.
The interior styling resembles that of the Subaru Solterra, the brand’s first electric vehicle, suggesting that it could be underpinned by the Toyota e-TNGA platform, given that Toyota and Subaru jointly developed their first respective electric vehicles. Since the Lexus RZ also uses this platform, the Subaru concept can run through the RZ’s dual-motor electric powertrain with more than 308 horsepower. Inside, the concept looks close to production with a square guidewheel and buttons like adaptive cruise control, voice control, and a next-generation EyeSight driver-assist protection system.
The concept uses square wheels and a Solterra-inspired dashboard design.
Subaru enthusiasts hope that this two-door concept will also be powered by the radical STI E-RA Concept race vehicle unveiled at the 2022 Tokyo Motor Show. Designed as a Le Mans race car, the 1,073-hp E-RA (short for Electric—Record Attempt) was created with one purpose in mind: to get around the Nürburgring in less than 400 seconds. If Subaru’s designers manage to devote even a small percentage of their focus and determination to creating a road edition of the Sports Mobility Concept, then what hits showrooms after 2026 will be pretty special.
The radical STI E-RA concept develops 1,073 hp, although, as we know, it has not yet defied time on the Nürburgring lap.