FAST

FACTS

The XT Turbo could be had in front-wheel drive (shown here) or part-time 4WD
When introduced in 1985, the Subaru XT was praised for having the lowest drag coefficient of any production car in the world, with the AWD model measuring in at .31. Front-wheel drive models (shown here) had an even lower drag coefficient of .29
The shape was only possible due to Subaru’s low-mounted flat 4 engine
To give you an idea of how wild this design was (even for 1986), one can simply look at the other Subaru models available at the same time (Justy, DL, GL, etc). The shape (and interior design) of the XT shares no similarity with any other Subaru model
Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru at the time, had an aircraft division that heavily influenced the design of the XT’s interior, such as a shift knob that represents a joystick as well as buttons on either side of the steering wheel to help keep your hands on the wheel. Ironically, the XT’s interior design had more in common with jets than any Saab ever did
The XT is equipped with a hill-start feature that allows the driver to release the brake and clutch without the car rolling backwards. This feature is found on many modern stick-shift cars, which use the ABS solenoids to engage the brakes. However, since the XT does not have ABS, Subaru engineers had to devise a complex mechanical/hydraulic system to actuate the brakes and hold the car on a hill

Key Model Year Changes:

Production of the XT ran from 1985 through 1991
1986 models now have a “walk-in” mechanism that slides the seat forward to allow easier entry into the back seat area. This is also the first year to sport a paint stripe along the bottom sides
1986 and the first half of 1987 represent the final batch of Turbo models. Halfway through 1987 (1987.5) the Turbo model was dropped, eventually replaced with the 6 cylinder model (XT6) in 1988
The 1987.5 update included updated front and rear bumpers, with new reverse lights located within the center tail light cluster (vs on the bumper)
The 6 cylinder XT6 model didn’t arrive until 1988

Specs: