Manual Trans SVXi Imported to US?

[newsvx]

While at Summit Point yesterday, I met one of the folks running the 24 Hr LeMons Race. I have no reason to NOT believe him - his name is Roland Han - and he told me that he "test drove" Subaru's for Subaru of America in the 90's, and as he was looking over my RED '97, he mentioned that Subaru actually "produced" some 700 SVXi with "MANUAL" transmissions. Apparently they were NOT to be titled, but were loaned to a number of dealers to "try out". As suspected, there was trouble with the manual transmissions since Subaru did not have one that would stand up to the power of the SVX's 3.3 L engine. Hence the automatic. He seemed VERY famililiar too with the auto trans problem too ...

Anyone else heard of this? This fellow had no idea what happened to all these cars .....

Harry

[Conn SVX]

Not true. My dealer got the first ones... I drove the first one in Conn. I asked about them making a stick . He said no. If there were 700 , that is 1/2 as many SVX as they made. I am sure one would have surfaced. I heard about mechanics doing donuts in the garage, I heard about the kid that totaled his dads SVX after he had it a week and came in and bought a new one . And I heard the one of the sales man that took out 100 guard posts with one. Stick shift . This is the 1st I heard of a stick.

[newsvx]

Don't know - just what the man said ....... What dealer "supposedly " got them, I have no idea and he did not either ...

[Hocrest]

Yeah this seems a little tough to swallow. 1 or 4 that got sent to Cherry Hill and then vanished??? Plausible.

700? Sounds like a distorted 21 year old memory.

[newsvx]

Can not say I disagree, Dave ... Just reporting what he told me ...

[lhopp77]

Originally Posted by Conn SVX

Not true. My dealer got the first ones... I drove the first one in Conn. I asked about them making a stick . He said no. If there were 700 , that is 1/2 as many SVX as they made. I am sure one would have surfaced. I heard about mechanics doing donuts in the garage, I heard about the kid that totaled his dads SVX after he had it a week and came in and bought a new one . And I heard the one of the sales man that took out 100 guard posts with one. Stick shift . This is the 1st I heard of a stick.

Think you left off a digit. 7000 would be about 1/2 of those imported to USA.

[Conn SVX]

I stand corrected. Sorry I guess what I ment to say was 1/2 as many as they made the first year. There are almost that many now........ Still 700 are lot to get thrown under the rug...

[SURTEESS]

If there was a stick shift available, then you would think they would mention it in the Road & Track magazine that they did specifically on the SVX in 91/92

[newsvx]

Originally Posted by SURTEESS

If there was a stick shift available, then you would think they would mention it in the Road & Track magazine that they did specifically on the SVX in 91/92

Agree, but apparently these were not to be sold by any dealer - stickly for testing, and the manual trans didn't hold up - as expected ..

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by newsvx

Agree, but apparently these were not to be sold by any dealer - stickly for testing, and the manual trans didn't hold up - as expected ..

If it was strictly for testing, wouldn't they have done any testing in Japan?
Also, I still call BS on a trans not holding up. They built transmissions for rally and the WRX came out a year later with similar power numbers in Japan. You can't tell me an extra 10hp and 15 lb/ft of torque is going to make or break a transmission...

[wdb]

700 top-of-their-line cars built for "test purposes", by a car company that was selling those cars at a loss to begin with? I'm sorry, it doesn't wash. SEVEN cars, maybe.

As for the early WRXi with manuals: they weren't exactly renowned for the reliability of the gearbox. It wasn't quite up to the task.

[jetboy]

I'm sure Subaru had some sort of manual transmission that could take the forces.

I'm equally sure it was not a economically viable option for production cars.

At any rate, with a huge and risky investment with US as primaty market, why burn more cash pursuing stick? It's a GT now and was a GT then, there was no real point in a manual.

[Conn SVX]

My point is they went after the wrong market...sport lux. Should have gone sport performance . In 1992 Subaru was struggling to stay afloat. They have the money now , to do what they did then. They did not spend enough on adds.

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by Conn SVX

\ In 1992 Subaru was struggling to stay afloat. They have the money now , to do what they did then. They did not spend enough on adds.

I can't possibly see why you would think this. If they couldn't stay afloat, they wouldn't have invested 3+years in development of the SVX and the EG33. They were far from struggling.

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by wdb

As for the early WRXi with manuals: they weren't exactly renowned for the reliability of the gearbox. It wasn't quite up to the task.

Didn't know that actually. However, point being, if they were willing to try it behind them, why wouldn't they have also put it behind the SVX if they had that intention.
Keep in mind that the turbo legacy came out in 91 in the US with a stronger than the run of the mill 5 spd, which was also hydro. Granted, low hp and torque compared to the other worldly versions, but it just further proves that if they wanted the SVX to have a manual transmission, they would have made it happen.