STILL BOXING CLEVER

Think horizontally opposed motors and the VW Beetle and Porsche 911 immediately spring to mind. Today, however, only one manufacturer relies exclusively on boxer engines to power its entire model line-up: Subaru

- Graham Eagle

With its annual sales of 860 000 units equating to less than 1,5% of the 58,2 million worldwide car market, it would be easy to dismiss Subaru as an insignificant player, but that would be far from the reality. The brand has been built around its trademark drivetrain configuration of a flat-four boxer engine coupled with its symmetrical four-wheeldrive system, which has earned it a loyal and committed following. In the United States - which accounts for nearly 70% of its sales - Subaru was recently named Consumer Reports' number-one brand, an accolade regarded as a representative measure of its reputation for safety, reliability and owner satisfaction.

WHY A BOXER?

Established as the car manufacturing division of Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru's initial focus was on building two-cylinder, rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive Kei cars that conform to Japan's microcar regulations.

In 1965, a slightly larger, compact-class vehicle was added to the range: the Subaru 1000. For packaging reasons, it was to be a front-wheel drive. A longitudinally mounted inline mill with an end-mounted gearbox was evaluated and rejected as it would have been nose-heavy and required a longer bonnet; and if transversely mounted, it would have been too wide for the compact vehicle.

Mounting the gearbox under the engine was also rejected for reasons of refinement and serviceability.