The Subaru XT was the Japanese company’s attempt at a lightweight sports car that arguably was a bit ahead of its time, and a car that defied the expectations set upon it by many. Nowadays, these are hard to find in good condition, let alone on the road. Automotive YouTuber Steve Magnate has been able to find one abandoned in a junkyard that is still in reasonable condition, and it comes complete with its fighter jet style cockpit interior intact.
Fighter Style Cockpit Is The XT’s Standout Feature
Subaru really went all-out on the interior, as Magnate points out. The cabin has fighter jet-styling, such as the bucket seats, but the best thing is its telescoping steering wheel and control stalk. Not only can the wheel come closer, but so can the wiper, heater, and other such switches and levers too. This is all intact on this XT Coupe, and Magnate demonstrates it by pulling the wheel towards himself and then back into its default position. That isn’t all this remarkable car has to offer, however.
Aerodynamics Were The Name Of The Game
Aerodynamics were really the name of the game when it came to the XT Coupe, and Magnate points out some evidence of this. For example, the XT only had a single wiper that could cover the whole windshield, it being a 22-inch wiper. It hid under the hood-line. Another great feature are the flush door handles that have a two stage opening mechanism, as you push one part in then pull the second bit up, a neat little feature. Magnate has no issue showing this feature off, as the doors seamlessly open on this abandoned XT.
Subaru’s First True Sports Car
Magnate talks us through a bit about the XT, and that it was effectively the company’s first sports car, available with either a four or six-cylinder engine, and even a turbo. The XT has an amazing drag coefficient of 0.29 which rivals many cars built to this day, and as Magnate shows us this is partly down to that low, sloping nose.
This particular XT that Magnate looks at has the flat-four engine, and as he points out, an inline engine would not have given the XT the aerodynamic performance that it did have. It's certainly a shame to see this one sat and rusting away, so perhaps one day this car could end up rescued thanks to Magnate’s video.
Source: Steve Magnate YouTube Channel