UNUSUAL CARS MARQUE GUIDE
Subaru’s reputation rests on much more than blue rally cars. Horizontally opposed engines, four-wheel drive, compact pickups, practical performance estates and unusual grand tourers give the marque one of the most varied enthusiast histories.
Start here: compare nine different expressions of Subaru engineering—from the wide-bodied Impreza 22B STI and Prodrive P1 to the twin-turbo Legacy, practical Forester STI, glass-canopy SVX, pioneering BRAT and Baja pickups, wedge-shaped XT/XT6 and tiny supercharged Vivio—then open each complete guide for specifications, history and ownership checks.
Detailed Subaru guides
Subaru Impreza 22B STI
The 2.2-litre wide-body icon: anniversary origins, specifications, identity checks and buying advice.
Subaru Impreza P1
The Prodrive-developed UK special: Type R origins, 280PS specification, identification and buying checks.
Subaru Legacy B4 RSK and GT-B
Understated sequential twin-turbo saloon and estate models, with ownership and import checks.
Subaru Forester STI
The Japanese-market performance SUV with a 2.5-litre turbo engine, six-speed manual gearbox and Brembo brakes.
Subaru SVX
Giugiaro styling, glass-canopy design, EG33 flat-six engineering and the essential ownership checks.
Subaru BRAT, Brumby and MV
The Leone-derived 4WD pickup: market names, boxer engines, selectable four-wheel drive and rust checks.
Subaru Baja
The Legacy-based four-door crossover pickup, including Turbo models, practical checks and corrosion advice.
Subaru XT, XT6 and Alcyone
The aerodynamic 1980s wedge with turbo flat-four and ER27 flat-six engines, Cybrid steering and rare trim.
Subaru Vivio RX-R and T-Top
The tiny supercharged RX-R and rally RX-RA, plus the two-seat removable-roof T-Top.
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What makes an unusual Subaru?
The common thread is technical independence. Subaru adopted the horizontally opposed engine and developed four-wheel drive as everyday road-car technologies long before crossovers dominated the market. STI and Prodrive used that foundation for specialist road cars, while models such as the SVX and BRAT applied it in entirely different directions.
Explore more rare and forgotten cars
Return to the Rare & Forgotten Cars directory or browse the complete Subaru archive.
