Over the years, Subaru has created some of the world’s finest cars. Practical, fun, and often stylish, Subarus don’t often disappoint. This, however, is only the case if you are looking at Subarus in a vacuum. The average automotive consumer only ever sees the final product; they see that Subaru has done a terrific job creating practical daily drivers that are also fun and attractive. But car enthusiasts – who attend shows and read magazines – see the concept cars. These are the cars that Subaru introduces as . . . well . . . concepts, before creating the car that ultimately lands on the road. Through the years, Subaru has had some incredible concept cars, which have paved the path for . . . far less stellar vehicles. Here are a few Subaru concept cars, and what they ultimately turned into:
2015 Legacy
The most recent iteration of the Subaru concept was one of the more disappointing moments in recent Subaru history. The 2015 Legacy Concept was introduced in 2013, and while it wasn’t an incredible looking car, it was at least a big step forward for Subaru, which had grown a little aesthetically monotonous in recent years. The Legacy Concept wasn’t the prettiest person at the dance, but it was aggressive, fun, and featured unique details, such as ultra-creative rims and interior design. When the actual Legacy was unveiled in 2014, it featured virtually none of the unique facets that made the Concept intriguing. There are hints towards the Concept’s inspiration, but nothing really followed through, and the Legacy that ultimately hit the streets was, in a word, pedestrian.
2015 WRX STI
It’s hard to get too upset about Subaru for this one, because the 2015 WRX STI – like all previous WRX STIs – is a stunning piece of automotive beauty. It’s a simply glorious and gorgeous car. That said, the original Concept – unveiled in 2013, like the Legacy – was so much better. The car that Subaru ultimately is sending to the streets looks very similar to the older versions of the model. The Concept, however, looked like an STI from the future, not an STI from the past. Most enjoyable in the Concept was an aggressive new approach to the profile of the vehicle, which is nonexistent in the actual model.
2014 Impreza
What to say about the Impreza? The Concept, unveiled in 2010, could be mistaken for a Lexus. The actual model, on the other hand, could be mistaken for a Chevrolet. In a span of three-plus years, Subaru seemed to decide that the Impreza Concept looked too good, and they should eliminate the nice styling. Had the actual Impreza looked even remotely like the 2010 Concept, it would easily go down as Subaru’s most attractive car to date.
2011 Advanced Tourer and 2011 BRZ STI Concepts
These two vehicles get incomplete marks, because their street-ready iterations have yet to be introduced. These Concepts are stunning – the Advanced Tourer (an SUV) is every bit as attractive as the Porsche Macan. The BRZ STI (a sports car) is sexy, suave, and simply gorgeous. It will be interesting to see how these models actually turn out, if they are ever made. Hopefully they can do better than the Legacy, WRX STI, and Impreza that preceded them. It’s clear that Subaru has an impressive design team . . . unfortunately, their concepts aren’t translating to the street.
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