RAD RIDES: 1992-1996 Subaru SVX
Subaru’s Forgotten GT
STORY | Evan Griffey
Photography | Karl Noakes
The Subaru SVX is not one of those ahead-of-its-time rides that for some unexplainable reason flew under the radar when it first hit the scene. It was simply too expensive to even appear on the radar. The Grand Touring Subaru was offered in America from 1992 to 1996 and cost $36,000 at the end of its run which also happened to coincide with an economic downturn. The sum of its parts were impressive, an all-aluminum, 230-horsepower, 3.3-liter DOHC H6 engine backed by a four-speed automatic provided motivation via an all-wheel-drive powertrain. Like any vehicle that is bold and daring, the SVX generates loyalty, passion, and deep appreciation to those who own them.
Historic Perspective
Gary Cavett, who owns the red 1996 LSi with his wife Jamie, who worked for a Subaru dealership when the SVX came out, says from Day One it felt like no other Subaru ever produced. “I learned about all the cutting-edge engineering that the company developed and put into it,” says Cavett. “Subaru was all in. All the technology they had at that time, much of it freshly developed, was invested in the SVX. Subaru lacked a stand-alone luxury marque like Infiniti, Lexus, or Acura, so this was their halo car! Mazda encountered the same issue with their 929 being just another Mazda. As I understand it, for every SVX Subaru sold, they lost $3,000. I can even recall road testing one on the highway and feeling the speed-sensitive power steering change and stiffen up mid-corner, and in the rain, the speed-sensitive wipers moving from low to high. This was a Subaru! I was blown away.”
Michael Rys, owner of the Burgundy-esque Bordeaux Red Pearl 1994 LSi, chimed in, “I first saw the SVX online in some Subaru news groups back in the mid-1990s and found it fascinating that Subaru was selling such a futuristically styled sports/GT coupe. My fascination only grew when I learned about the history behind the car; designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro as a concept car in 1989, and basically produced as shown two years later, that Subaru was including a lot of interesting features that are now common but were not available on most cars, especially a lower cost car manufacturer like Subaru, in the ‘90s such as speed sensitive wipers, automatic climate control, an awesome drag coefficient of 0.29, and of course the glass canopy and jet fighter cockpit.”
SVXS ON THE ROAD
Michael Jones, whose black ’94 LSi had an MSRP of $34,295, has always appreciated the aesthetics of a well-proportioned Italian GT. “Subaru had never styled anything like this before,” he says. “The side window treatment is the most striking feature. No, it doesn’t interfere with your line of sight. Yes, it actually works very well, letting you open the windows on rainy days without any wind buffeting or rain coming into the car. The SVX does it all, adequate power, smooth handling, and luxurious interior, it’s capable of eating hundreds of miles at high speeds in total comfort.”
Fellow road-tripper Rys concurs. “The SVX motors effortlessly at highway speeds and would have no problem cruising between 65 and 90 mph all day long. Make no mistake, it’s not a canyon carver, having a four-speed automatic and small brakes for the weight (3,600 pounds) makes the Subaru less engaging on twisty mountain roads. Two things that can be fixed with a manual tranny swap and upgraded brakes if one so desires.”
“Subaru hit the mark,” quips Cavett, “the SVX is very much a GT touring car. We’ve installed a Stebro exhaust, so the H6 has a wonderful sound at full throttle. The car generates good road feedback, and everyone that rides along has said it’s a lot more powerful than they thought it would be. You can get in it easily, the car has spacious front seats, and it won’t beat you up on a long highway run. It’s fun enough in the corners, and a blast to power out of them with the all-wheel drive, no matter the weather. We have taken it to the snow on ski trips with no hesitation.” Cavett should know, as he and wife Jamie own 21 cars… 19 of which are Subaru-badged.
When talking about Subarus, the concern about head gaskets tends to rise to the surface. Jones is quick to point out that the H6 is immune. “The engine is frequently used in homebuilt aircraft. It has NO issues. The head gasket problems are limited to the H4s. The weak link in the SVX is the transmission, however, by the later, ‘95 and ‘96s, it had been pretty well addressed… if you change the ATF annually and flush the trans cooler in the radiator, it was good to go. It’s wise to use only the latest and greatest Subaru Synthetic ATF. If you’re really serious, you can always drive around town in third gear and use ‘Drive’ only on the highway… think three-speed with overdrive. Heat in the trans is your enemy, and the SVX has a way-too-high 3.54 differential.”
As is typical of cult car owners, Rys has deep knowledge on his ride. He’s learned that even though Subaru only sold a bit more than 14,000 SVXs in the U.S. and around 24,000 worldwide, they offered two types of all-wheel-drive systems depending on the market, offered four-wheel steering in Japan, and produced three different types of window tints, depending on the car’s body color. “And of course,” says Rys, “if you needed a windshield replacement, you could only get the green tint (mine originally had a bronze tint, and I think there is also a blue tint) from Subaru at the cost of about $2,500 (back in 2011). No wonder Subaru lost more than $75 million selling the SVX.”
Subaru never fulfilled the luxury promise of the SVX… the automaker has no Lexus equivalent. But the SVX did allow Subaru to flex its technological muscles, and that process had a ripple effect that impacts the Subies we drive today.
