In a year full of milestones and anniversaries in the automotive industry, Japanese automaker Subaru is also having a party of its own as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its boxer engine. The horizontally-opposed engine has been at the heart of Subaru models since it was first unveiled in 1966. Now 50 years later, the boxer engine continues to be an integral part of Subaru.
It’s worth noting that Subaru is one of only two automakers to use a boxer engine design. The other one is Porsche, but unlike the German automaker, Subaru actually uses this engine on every single one of its models. So why is Subaru celebrating the 50th anniversary of an engine design? The answer to that is pretty simple. Without the boxer engine, there’s no telling where Subaru would be today. That’s the kind of importance Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent firm, places on the contributions the boxer engine has made in the success of the auto brand. The proof is in the pudding, too, as the boxer engine has powered over 16 million Subarus in the past 50 years.
In effect, Subaru’s boxer engines work because they form a compelling tag-team with the company’s multi-purpose all-wheel drive system. When the two work together, they create a more dynamic driving experience that’s predicated on handling and stability, even at high speeds. It’s no secret why Subaru’s performance cars – the WRX and WRX STI – have each established its own following. Simply put, drivers appreciate the what the boxer engine and the Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system do for each other and for the driver.
It’s easy to dismiss this celebration as something that’s being done to gain some headlines. But thinking along those lines is not only inaccurate, but it also cheapens the effect the boxer engine has had in the success of Subaru. We know what the boxer is like and we know why it’s important to Subaru. That’s why we’re raising our hands to toast the Japanese automaker on a celebration worth celebrating.
Happy 50th, boxer engine!
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