1986 Subaru Leone RX/II Turbo Coupe

Long before the Impreza and even the Legacy, the 1979-84 AB series Leone ushered in the new era of 4WD turbo cars in Subaru’s line up… although it was the next model, the AG6 Leone RX/II Turbo, that stole the limelight.

After the full model change to the AA (and later AG) series in 1984, the Leone took on a much more modern appearance which, along with the Nissan Sunny RZ-1, now epitomizes the angular automotive style that was rife in Japan in the Eighties. A sedan, a wagon and a three door lift back were offered from 1984, and from 1986 with the range topping RX/II to go up against other cars such as the BF Mazda Familia Full-Time 4WD GT-X Turbo and ST165 Toyota Celica GT-Four.

The long awaited ‘Full-Time Dual Range 4WD’ gearbox of the RX/II model was the main technical point of interest of the car; it featured selectable high range and low range gearing for on road and off road use respectively. The lockable bevel type center differential also gave the RX/II increased traction on loose surfaces such as gravel and snow, which along with the Dual Range gearbox gave it a more legitimate 4WD image amongst its peers in the marketplace. While the Leone wasn’t endowed with the best engine in its class, it still held its own against the Celica GT-Four amongst buyers despite Toyota’s success in the World Rally Championship at the time.

And the AG6 Subaru Leone was no stranger to motor sport… Subaru made a major commitment to the World Rally Championship for the 1986 and 1987 seasons but despite this, good results were hard to come by with seemingly relentless mechanical failures. Rather oddly, the only rally the Leone RX/II Coupe contested was the Safari Rally in 1987 where it achieved respectable results with drivers Per Eklund (5th), Ari Vatanen (10th), Possum Bourne (11th) and Frank Tundo (13th). All other rallies were contested with the Leone RX sedan, with no logical reasoning behind the change to the Coupe for the Kenyan round. Some even question whether the Alcyone may have made a better choice as Subaru’s WRC model, however having virtually identical underpinnings to the Leone WRC car wouldn’t have helped its cause.

The 1800cc 8-valve flat four EA82T engine now featured single overhead cams over each bank of cylinders which were a step above the old pushrod design used in the outgoing AB series Leone. With a turbocharger added the RX/II made 120ps @ 5,200rpm and 18.2kg/m @ 2,400rpm. Not very powerful at all compared to some current 1.8L NA engines, but at 1100kg the EA82T was able to move the Leone reasonably quickly. The cylinder heads used with the EA82 were somewhat of a disaster in terms of design when compared with other turbo engines of similar specification, single exhaust ports per head and poor air flow being two notable areas for improvement. Despite this, the EA82T had good response and low down torque and was able to take quite a battering with automotive workshops able to tune the unopened 1.8L flat four to 250ps or more.

Outwardly the RX/II received a subtle body kit and rear spoiler along with large decals and badging advertising its full time 4WD feature. There actually wasn’t much to differentiate the lower grade RX Turbo Coupe from the RX/II other than the body kit and different paint colors. On the inside the thing that was probably missed the most in the RX/II had to have been that very Eighties ‘must have’ item – the LCD instrument cluster… the RX/II had to make do with traditional dials, although the LCD cluster was available in other models. Add to this all the usual electrics and decent velour interior and the Leone RX/II made quite a good all round package if ultimate performance wasn’t your top priority.

By February 1989 the Legacy made its debut, thus the Leone Coupe and wagon were discontinued, although the sedan continued to be produced until 1991. The Subaru Leone RX/II Turbo Coupe sold for 1,880,000 yen.

Make: Subaru
Model: Leone RX/II
Chassis: E-AG6
Total Length/Width/Height (mm): 4370/1660/1405
Wheelbase: 2465mm
Weight: 1100kg (MT)
Engine: EA82T
Max power: 120ps @ 5,200rpm
Max torque: 18.2kg/m @ 2,400rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual/4 speed auto Full time Dual range 4WD
Front suspension: MacPherson Strut
Rear suspension: Semi trailing arm
Tires: 185/60R14 82H

Text: Justin Karow

Photos: Subaru, HosukeFilm