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When in 1985 the new Leone model came and two years later group B was banned, Subaru hoped to hit the scene big style. The car was certainly an improvement over the previous model as at least it had a turbo engine. While this was a 1.8 8v layout and even in group A only had 190BHP, it was easy to underestimate the car. From the ease to develop pulling power, its torque, you would have thought the datasheet must be wrong, it must have more than that. The engine was a true stunner! But two things didn't change in Noriyuki Koseki's team: the effort to get top names into the car for selected events but as well the laughable reliability.
Still, as a flash to show things were on the up, the Leone Sedan in the hands of Mike Kirkland finished 6th overall and won group A on the 1986 Safari and as well Possum Bourne in NZ didn't put shame to his name with the car. The most exciting program was pieced together for 1987, when group A became the top class and the Subaru was one of the very few cars combining 4x4 & turbo - a real chance to shine. For the very snowy Monte 1987 Germany's former Audi star Harald Demuth retired in the very first corner of the event losing all gears, but at least Per Eklund made it into 12th place. For the Safari Subaru changed to the Coupé version and had as drivers Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund and Possum Bourne, but the result was a disappointment. And in GB the same year Possum Bourne showed promising stage times at first but retired soon.
Interesting was that Subaru used the Coupé version for the Safari 1987, on all other events the works team entered with this generation Leone, they used the Leone Sedan RX Turbo. There seemed no particular reason behind this as in size and weight there was absolutely no difference between these cars. More interesting would have been to try the technically and on platform identical, but very differently shaped Alcyone XT Turbo, but that never happened.
In names for the turbo versions an interesting note may be, that the Coupé never had any additional initials, just the Turbo, while the Sedan was called Leone RX Turbo and the extreme design the Alcyone XT Turbo. The Sedan RX Turbo may be where the later WRX name came from, even though it's immediate successor borrowed a different brand's tradition in being called Legacy RS (without a specific turbo badge). Well, please correct me if I'm wrong, as far as I am aware WRX (as RX, XT) is just made up without any meaning.
|
Model & Evo. (Activity) |
BHP@ RPM |
Torque (Nm)@ RPM |
Length Width Height |
Weight (Kg/BPM Ratio) |
Trans. (W'base) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Leone 1800 Coupé Turbo (87-89) |
190/6500 | 230/5200 | 4370.1660.1425 | 1060 (5.6) | 4x4 (2465) |
|
Leone 1800 Sedan RX Turbo (85-89) |
190/6500 | 230/5200 | 4370.1660.1425 | 1060 (5.6) | 4x4 (2465) |
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