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Adjustment for the wheel isn't broken. You used the 'quick release' lever on the side that springs the wheel to the highest setting for ease of ingress and egress. It then returns to its correct setting to lock in place for driving. The lever to adjust the driving position of the wheel is located underneath the steering column. That will keep it in place from adjusting up and down. I thought the same during my first several weeks of SVX ownership. I even drove it back home 250 miles from the point of purchase with the wheel at maximum height in its 'floppy' setting so I could see the speedometer. And thanks for the review. Here in America the SVX is rare. But in the UK the number left on the roads just might be in the single digits. My utmost appreciation to the owner for keeping this unique ride alive and letting you have at it for the video.
hahaha exactly. i was smiling at the joke Jay was making about the Japanese thought process during the design. too bad it wasn't them who drew this up. love the svx btw
@@jsoelistyo9701...it's better than a Countach window (Gandini in that case). Basically, if you want to fit a window in a door, that dictates the size and shape of both. If you want them to be designed to your ideal, then the window may not fit in the door, so the "subset solution" can come into play, with some minor compromise. As you say, Jay should have done his research....
My cousin bought an SVX back in the '90s. It was a nice car, and great in the winter snow. It had a much nicer interior than most of the cars in its price range back then.
This is a beautiful piece of art. This looks like a space ship crossed with a very average car. The outcome is a thing of beauty with the sound of an E-Type Jaguar!!
If memory serves, Doug DeMuro had a "rabbit in headlights" moment when taking one of these on ... as in, for a few moments, he really didn't know what to make of it. Which for someone who has driven both a BMW Isetta bubble car and a Ferret armoured car on his channel, probably adds to how special the SVX is :) The SVX strikes me as the moment Subaru decided to "do a Citroen" and just build something weird. Which in some ways worked better than you would think from that description. That's probably the best way of approaching this car - think of it as a Japanese attempt to copy Citroen oddity.
Subaru did well in parts of the US due to AWD and low range. I lived in Montana and due to harsh winters people who didn't want a pickup went for manual Subaru wagons in droves.
When I was in Colorado they were everywhere. Snow and much of the range being turbo charged worked well given the altitude and weather. US vs euroland fuel prices probably help, they are thirsty.
@@zknarcVery few US cars were turbocharged, so I doubt any of them were. It was an option on first-gen Legacys and then not again until the 2002 bugeye WRX.
@@butchdeadlift7551 Nah, Subaru jumped into the turbocharging game fairly early on. My '86 GL coupe was a turbo model, and I can confirm it absolutely loved flying up mountain roads!
@@butchdeadlift7551most are turbocharged now, in the usa. Hence there good sales figures now. All wheel drive, turbo power, very popular in the midwest in the usa.
Had a sister SVX (‘92) in NYC. A most interesting auto. It wasn’t a sports car but more of a personal GT with smooth, predictable handling and a comfortable ride on NY’s often rough roads. It was especially good in the winter. The worse the weather and road conditions, the more securely it performed. But life happens. My two young sons got bigger and in ‘95 the Suby got traded in on a Benz wagon. Not nearly as interesting but a lot more practical. Thanks for an enjoyable trip down memory lane.
I'm currently on my third SVX, owned 2 right out of high school before i knew just how rare they were and didn't treat them the greatest.... took me 10 years to get another one that was in decent enough shape (for the price) so i could start my "project" .... 2 years later still haven't started cause nothing major has gone wrong yet (been waiting for the trans to go so i could start the manual swap but my nostalgia wont let me put it out of commission till it has to be) ..... LOVE these cars and the community that surrounds them
I'd never heard of the SVX, but I'm not going to lie, that thing is cool, but that's partly because I love left-field cars (James' Celica GT-Four is one of my favourites in his fleet), but also I'm a sucker for a 2+2 Coupe. I love the floating glass effect that hides the A-Pillar, gives it a beautifully clean look. And this particular odd-ball car with an even more odd-ball story is just awesome. Appreciate the owner letting us see it.
Owned a SVX, large interior space, drove about 900 kilometers week, excellent wear and tear. I liked the vehicle, comfy, minimal coat of operation. Well, like all things, that wasmy experience.
I've always admired the SVX ever since discovering it in the '90s, and have even seen a few on UK roads. I'm glad this modded one got the JayEmm treatment - an engine like that SHOULD be heard in full song! Lovely!
I'm a car journalist in Canada. The road are terrible, way worst then britain and when it snows it snows. Subaru are just dominant here. Their suspension are really well adapt, the AWD is simply the best, there practical. I even own myself the new wrx and nothing can keep up with it when the road become bad, they're just so good. Even my girlfriend prefer my wrx to ver bmw
Very pleasant surprise to see this in my sub box today! I love my SVX - there's something absolutely addicting about that glorious flat 6, and the interior and road manners make it (especially in stock form) absolutely ideal to just eat up miles on the highway. Glad you picked up on that it's not really a track car at its heart; so many people think these cars are out-and-out sports cars, but really, by their nature they're absolutely GT coupes. "Road and Track's Guide to the New Subaru SVX" is an EXCELLENT read if you're interested in the development process of the car - for example, did you know they had a team dedicated to the appearance of the engine bay? In any case, if you're ever in upstate New York and are looking for a standard one I'd be happy to let you take mine out a bit, only thing it's had done is a bit of an exhaust.
I owned a black one about 20yrs ago. Kept it a couple of years, didn't see any others where I lived in uk. Only really liked the look of the rear end - mine had twin rear pipes .Wish I'd never sold it.
A bit more research needed Jay, Plenty of UK & JDM Spec SVX's here, I have 5 currently, only one being a JDM S3 in Laguna Blue, Steering wheel has 3 way adjustment, you are using the 'LIFT' lever to raise the wheel while you exit the vehicle, it returns to the pre selected position! Come down to Bournemouth & drive some nice ones! ;)
You got my PC bugged or something? 😂 I spent a few hours yesterday looking up SVXs and specifically if anyone has brought one to a road course. And here you are with exactly what I was trying to find lmao thats crazy.
@@michaelwilkinson5097 See the thing is I used to own a 1992 SVX in pearl white with the black dual tone roof 😓 the 4EAT trans blew up when I was flat broke and needed to get to my job so I got rid of it. I regret it daily. Should've kept it until I could save up the money to manual swap it.
I used to live in Japan up until 2019 (6 years): They definitely do salt the roads. Been behind a gritter many times in Tottori, behind the wheel of the Legacy GT I still own.
@@senseicorey9979 And understand, I did. My Legacy GT was an auto, so a slight rear bias (Unlike the manual). Couple of hairier moments than I would’ve liked, even on studless winter tyres! But it is superb in cold temps. Also drove a mk1 Subaru Pleo through a Japanese blizzard - Thought I was going to die to be honest.
Your opening statements about subaru sales in the UK, can be aeen on autotrader, a lot of the time there are more second hand ferraris for sale than second hand subarus for sale.
My brother has had his 1997 SVX for about 10 yrs, he's moderately modded it. It's a wonderfully weird car, it sounds great with an exhaust, and to me it's a gorgeous design.
I had the 1992 SVX in the two tone color in white and the top portion in black. Also had the OEM spoiler. Great car but always hated the window being two parts and also had lots of transmission problems! Also loved how the radio had a door to cover it. My version also didn’t have the rear wipers but mainly all JDM cars destined for the states didn’t have rear wipers. Looks better with the rear wipers.
I know why they sell well in the US. Many places in the US get cold winters and harsh snowfall. Many people don't really need full size trucks or SUVs, but most people still need cars to get to work and grab the groceries thanks to our highway-centric transit. Subaru does all that with highly capable AWD, at a bargain price. It's the same reason there's a plague of compact "crossover" SUVs here.
This is apparently quite a stout motor that happily accepts turbocharging. The latter ez30 in the legacy 3.0r has been fiddled with a bunch (videos floating around on yt) and responds very well to forced induction as well but this 3.3 is supposed to be stronger. Either way, these flat 6's sound excellent. I drove a stock auto 3.0r once and was surprised at how quick and buttery smooth it was. Got a soft spot for these motors now.
Ahhhh, proper SVX complete with droopy sun visors!! The control you said was for the steering column and wasn't working is doing just as it should. There is a column adjuster, but that isn't it. That one is specifically for the more corpulent lady or gentleman to exit the vehicle without the steering wheel getting in the way-perhaps another indication that the intended market was the USA? As for UK official numbers it was more like 198 registered between 1991 and 1996-97 for the last ones before the grey imports started to arrive. At £30k the in period competition in the UK would have been XJS, Alpine 610 and maybe 911. And don't forget the SVX was released before McRae and Burns brought Subaru into everyone's mindset. If you can find a standard one to compare this one with give it a go - its a different vibe being more a sporty tourer than a track weapon.
I suspect it's the snow and mountainous areas we have here in the states that help subaru sales here. I've owned 3 of them and love them. There is no better car for snowy commutes in the mountains.
Snow.... now days every one has AWD, but for the longest time there really were not many options for a "boring" every day AWD commuter that was affordable, and VERY reliable.
10/10 subtle Clarke and Dawe reference there, Jay! The reason for the window in the window is supposedly because a full-size glass would not fit in the door.
Subaru sold something like 80 SVX's into the UK before discontinuing them here in about '93. The rear torque bias is more likely to be to do with the limited strength of the front mounted transaxle. Rather then making a stronger one just for the SVX, they just fitted the next size up of rear diff (an r230 vs the r180 or r200 used in the 4 cylinder models at the time), and sent more of the torque to it. The reason they didn't do a manual version was that they did not have a suitably strong manual 'box.
That's total bullshit, sir. SVX uses R160 rear diff just like basically any Subaru of that era. What dictates power split is the center diff. All but US SVXes had VTD center diff with initial 35/65 F/R split electronically controlled, with ability to go 50/50 in slip conditions. US had inferior FWD-biased ACT-4 center diff. > The reason they didn't do a manual version was that they did not have a suitably strong manual 'box. That's also bullshit, they had a Legacy GT/GTB in JDM market, 280HP 2.0 twin-turbo, and it had a manual transmission. Subaru didn't want MT transmission in SVX because it doesn't suit character of the car. Yours truly, 6MT-swapped SVX owner.
@@belegus4301 I’m in total agreement with you on this,I owned two of these some years ago,cheap to buy but so expensive to keep. 4 EAT transmission wasn’t that great and the brakes as standard were prone to overheating when driven enthusiastically.
The steering column isn’t broken. The lever you were mentioned does exactly as you described it: Move the wheel down to lock it and up to move freely. The actual lever to adjust it’s height and keep it locked in place isn on the bottom of the steering column
NZ mentioned! As someone somewhat in the import industry who has been to Japan a few times, Japan has snow but not all winter in Honshu (main Island) so I am certain that road salting is uncommon. Hokkaido is infamous for rusty car exports since they do salt the roads up there. Fun fact: NZ and Aus also saw an import boom in the 90s - but AU brought in laws like SEVS to limit them, while NZ just has safety and emissions so is full of cars like the Mark-X, Wish, Ractis, and Raum.
In many vehicles, I have preferred suede or velour seats, largely for their comfort season round. No burning bums in summer or freezing bums in winter. Neither of which is applicable to either vinyl or leather. MY own non air-conditioned Toyota Corolla from 78, had high quality vinyl, which could brand by arse and back in the heat
I've always liked the lines on the SVX. The popularity of Subaru in the USA is, in my opinion, largely due to the community involvement by Subaru of America (SOA) and the individual dealerships. They are all highly involved in charity events and giving back to the community. This creates a VERY strong brand loyalty among American Subaru owners. Add to that, many models are built at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA), making a fun-to-drive, reliable, capable, VERY safe, and economical "Japanese" car not only affordable, but also "made in America" by American auto workers. I had the pleasure of touring the SIA plant twice (while participating in an annual charity event partly sponsored by SOA), and not only is their plant amazingly innovative and thoughtful (zero landfill), but the employees are genuine enthusiasts. The online community of owners is growing stronger every day, from the tuners to the overlanders and everything in-between, the Subaru owners' community in the USA attracts down-to-earth, generous people who are very accepting of newcomers. Most Subaru owners I know cannot imagine themselves without a Subaru in their garage or driveway, if only to maintain a connection with the community. Subaru definitely feels like an American company over here and treats its customers/owners better than any American car company.
In parts of the USA that get a lot of snow and ice, and are more rural areas where the roads won't be cleared quickly: Subaru are very popular choices. But also in urban and suburban areas here they are quite popular, or at least they were. In 2017 you couldn't leave the house without seeing WRX, Legend, and Impreza models. I don't know what happened, but they all kind of disappeared quickly. Same is true with Mitsubishi models. Lancers used to be everywhere, and now I feel like I barely see them.
I had an svx in W/Australia in 2004, didn't have a silly wing or silly mods. It was a std. H6 auto and it was fun to leave in cruise at 50kmh and go for a drive without touching the brakes, got quite amusing but was very competent at it. The windows were so annoying I didn't keep it long. Yes rear passengers were very cramped but boot was big. As different and quirky as anything you'd wish for! The windows. Tiny opening area. Apparently a forerunner of the frameless window. Solid car but you need to be prepared to put up with it's many quirks.
I had one of these and they have great engines, radical design, terrible stock transmission that is made of glass and particle board, but getting the car in "Power" mode was always thrill. Also these cars can consume gas like a V8 with the H6 engine, but they make for great GT cars for covering long distances.
The window thing is exactly for the 'wrap around' look. Can't have one without the other. Mine a a bit of a disaster though. Parts are hard to find and the gearbox cost me 3K and after three rebuilds the garage didn't want anything to do with it anymore.
Hi JayEmm, I love these kind of reviews of cars off the beaten track. There are piles of super dull road tests on Ferrari's, Porsches and Astons, what a load of old drivel on stuff that matters not one iota, is there anyone down the pub who doesn't now have a Porsche, had a Porsche, or wants a Porsche, who gives a f***. Surely we have reached saturation point on that gene pool and can overturn that barge in the middle of the Thames, swim ratties, swim. What I like are the cars not on everyones list, those where you can have a right old laugh with at 50mph, be the only one left on the road on your county and therefore have something to actually talk about. Of course, most were crap in the day, but should I electrictify my Silver Shadow II rather than buy a newer car. Could my XJS be reborn from the ashes if I could afford the fuel ? I think I'd get a much better response, (lovely car mate) from pulling into the McD's car park in my white 1980s RS2000 Customer (Ey Up Lad !!) than my mate does in his 2018 911 (or whatever it's actual model number is this week) i.e. W***er, for example. Keep it up, love your actual world reports and hope for many more. Andy
I live in Alaska, and Subaru's, mainly the Forrester, Outbacks, Crosstreks, and Impreza/WRX/STi's are by far the most popular imports Statewide. I imagine they are beyond 2:1 among all other brands
In NZ & Australia, roads don't have to be salted, so cars like this SVX last a fair bit longer. And the SVX's unique design was done by Giugiaro of Italdesign.
The older Generation need to understand that not all Coilovers ride rough.....it depends on the brand and the amount of adjustment ( harshness or softness) they come with... Many brands offer comfortable riding Coilovers, and it depends on the car too.
In all my time living in Japan, including attendance at dozens of impreza/Subaru/JDM car meets, i never came across or even heard tell of such a thing. It seems like it would have been a competitor to the Soarer etc though so can see why... And I can confirm that, certainly in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures at least, roads weren't salted.
Greetings from Tokyo. Yes, they'll salt the roads here in Japan. However, the 'shaken' system that forces drivers to get safeties done on the vehicle every 2-3 years goes with it a system that encourages shops to sell all sorts of bits and pieces. So, that system is the biggest reason why Japanese cars are in such good nick: People have literally no other choice.
This is the very epitome of JDM style. I was very tempted by one that came up on auto trader but it would take someone far braver (and probably wealthier) than me to take on this rare, and delicate beast. BTW How Many Left claims 28 were on the road in uk this summer
I had a jdm import. Loved that car, shame it only came with auto box. A known change was putting the STI gearbox And diff in. Bit complicated but doable. Wish I still had it. I believe that 285 officially came to UK and a total of 25,000 were biilt
I remember when these were new, people thought they were cool at the time. Remember, the really weird looking Vortex came before this! In hindsight, what were they thinking with those really small windows in the doors, imagine going through a drive through or being pulled over by the Police- super awkward. They'd make me feel claustrophobic too.
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@@alancrisp1582 There is little I can do about it apart from report them when I see them - and ask that you do the same!
I liked the Australian accent for the Japanese director.
Adjustment for the wheel isn't broken. You used the 'quick release' lever on the side that springs the wheel to the highest setting for ease of ingress and egress. It then returns to its correct setting to lock in place for driving. The lever to adjust the driving position of the wheel is located underneath the steering column. That will keep it in place from adjusting up and down. I thought the same during my first several weeks of SVX ownership. I even drove it back home 250 miles from the point of purchase with the wheel at maximum height in its 'floppy' setting so I could see the speedometer.
And thanks for the review. Here in America the SVX is rare. But in the UK the number left on the roads just might be in the single digits. My utmost appreciation to the owner for keeping this unique ride alive and letting you have at it for the video.
The controls were everywhere.
I have a 97 version and he got so many things wrong in this video ngl 😂😂
@@mercydez2230 🤣
lol my Acuras most have the same setup, I knew right away what he did wrong lol
@@mercydez2230he usually gets alot wrong in every video he does lol
The SVX was in fact designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro - the concept first appeared at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show.
hahaha exactly. i was smiling at the joke Jay was making about the Japanese thought process during the design. too bad it wasn't them who drew this up. love the svx btw
@@jsoelistyo9701...it's better than a Countach window (Gandini in that case). Basically, if you want to fit a window in a door, that dictates the size and shape of both. If you want them to be designed to your ideal, then the window may not fit in the door, so the "subset solution" can come into play, with some minor compromise. As you say, Jay should have done his research....
Oh, yeah! I'm on my third SVX - bought two SVX's new in the 90's and bought one three years ago because I loved the first two so much.
My cousin bought an SVX back in the '90s. It was a nice car, and great in the winter snow. It had a much nicer interior than most of the cars in its price range back then.
This is what happens when someone who knows what they are doing tunes a car. You get a great result. I think this is great to see. Great video Jay.
This is a beautiful piece of art. This looks like a space ship crossed with a very average car. The outcome is a thing of beauty with the sound of an E-Type Jaguar!!
A coupe, not a people hauler. And what a sound.
If memory serves, Doug DeMuro had a "rabbit in headlights" moment when taking one of these on ... as in, for a few moments, he really didn't know what to make of it. Which for someone who has driven both a BMW Isetta bubble car and a Ferret armoured car on his channel, probably adds to how special the SVX is :)
The SVX strikes me as the moment Subaru decided to "do a Citroen" and just build something weird. Which in some ways worked better than you would think from that description. That's probably the best way of approaching this car - think of it as a Japanese attempt to copy Citroen oddity.
Subaru did well in parts of the US due to AWD and low range. I lived in Montana and due to harsh winters people who didn't want a pickup went for manual Subaru wagons in droves.
When I was in Colorado they were everywhere. Snow and much of the range being turbo charged worked well given the altitude and weather. US vs euroland fuel prices probably help, they are thirsty.
@@zknarcVery few US cars were turbocharged, so I doubt any of them were. It was an option on first-gen Legacys and then not again until the 2002 bugeye WRX.
ts the CVT gearbox that has killed Subaru in the UK. No manual option.
@@butchdeadlift7551 Nah, Subaru jumped into the turbocharging game fairly early on. My '86 GL coupe was a turbo model, and I can confirm it absolutely loved flying up mountain roads!
@@butchdeadlift7551most are turbocharged now, in the usa. Hence there good sales figures now. All wheel drive, turbo power, very popular in the midwest in the usa.
Had a sister SVX (‘92) in NYC. A most interesting auto. It wasn’t a sports car but more of a personal GT with smooth, predictable handling and
a comfortable ride on NY’s often rough roads.
It was especially good in the winter. The worse the weather and road conditions, the more securely it performed.
But life happens. My two young sons got bigger and in ‘95 the Suby got traded in on a Benz wagon. Not nearly as interesting but a lot more practical.
Thanks for an enjoyable trip down memory lane.
It's a 911 Carrera 4 in reverse. Love the SVX especially in pearl white. A car for Captain Scarlet!
I'm currently on my third SVX, owned 2 right out of high school before i knew just how rare they were and didn't treat them the greatest.... took me 10 years to get another one that was in decent enough shape (for the price) so i could start my "project" .... 2 years later still haven't started cause nothing major has gone wrong yet (been waiting for the trans to go so i could start the manual swap but my nostalgia wont let me put it out of commission till it has to be) ..... LOVE these cars and the community that surrounds them
I'd never heard of the SVX, but I'm not going to lie, that thing is cool, but that's partly because I love left-field cars (James' Celica GT-Four is one of my favourites in his fleet), but also I'm a sucker for a 2+2 Coupe. I love the floating glass effect that hides the A-Pillar, gives it a beautifully clean look.
And this particular odd-ball car with an even more odd-ball story is just awesome. Appreciate the owner letting us see it.
James, what a quirky car to feature. Loved it.
I had an SVX AWD as my first car back in the mid-90s. Really cool and quirky car.
i love this super cool design! lest we forget that this marvelous styling was penned by the 'Maestro'' Giugiaro-'Italdesign'
Owned a SVX, large interior space, drove about 900 kilometers week, excellent wear and tear. I liked the vehicle, comfy, minimal coat of operation.
Well, like all things, that wasmy experience.
Spelt Mum wrong mate.
It’s the American way to say mum , Americans spelling is weird tho
@tdRockxc568 He's not American.
Spelt mammy wrong love
American audience out numbers the UK.
Does it matter
Here in the US the engines were frequently removed to be used in home built aircraft (experimental class).
I've always admired the SVX ever since discovering it in the '90s, and have even seen a few on UK roads. I'm glad this modded one got the JayEmm treatment - an engine like that SHOULD be heard in full song! Lovely!
In 1991 it looked like a real spaceship, kinda liked it
I had 2 . . A Maroon all wheel steer and a silver one . .both autos . . .
Love them . .
Svx was such a cool car always wanted one when i was a kid
I'm a car journalist in Canada. The road are terrible, way worst then britain and when it snows it snows. Subaru are just dominant here. Their suspension are really well adapt, the AWD is simply the best, there practical. I even own myself the new wrx and nothing can keep up with it when the road become bad, they're just so good. Even my girlfriend prefer my wrx to ver bmw
Keeping those TG references alive. 👌
lovely noise from that flat6 !
Very pleasant surprise to see this in my sub box today! I love my SVX - there's something absolutely addicting about that glorious flat 6, and the interior and road manners make it (especially in stock form) absolutely ideal to just eat up miles on the highway. Glad you picked up on that it's not really a track car at its heart; so many people think these cars are out-and-out sports cars, but really, by their nature they're absolutely GT coupes. "Road and Track's Guide to the New Subaru SVX" is an EXCELLENT read if you're interested in the development process of the car - for example, did you know they had a team dedicated to the appearance of the engine bay? In any case, if you're ever in upstate New York and are looking for a standard one I'd be happy to let you take mine out a bit, only thing it's had done is a bit of an exhaust.
My neighbor had one when I was about 18. He let me "detail" it often for 10 bucks. What a cool vehicle! Also sweet new hairdo Jay-man!
Apart from the Chavy rear spoiler I really like the look of it.
@@mattb4353 Yeah, it needs one of the factory SVX wings. They look way better.
Love an SVX and this is nicely done. I'd bin the wing but it sounds glorious.
I owned a black one about 20yrs ago. Kept it a couple of years, didn't see any others where I lived in uk. Only really liked the look of the rear end - mine had twin rear pipes .Wish I'd never sold it.
A bit more research needed Jay, Plenty of UK & JDM Spec SVX's here, I have 5 currently, only one being a JDM S3 in Laguna Blue, Steering wheel has 3 way adjustment, you are using the 'LIFT' lever to raise the wheel while you exit the vehicle, it returns to the pre selected position! Come down to Bournemouth & drive some nice ones! ;)
You got my PC bugged or something? 😂 I spent a few hours yesterday looking up SVXs and specifically if anyone has brought one to a road course. And here you are with exactly what I was trying to find lmao thats crazy.
Yeah.. You only need to think of your dream car and it comes up. I'm currently watching Jayemm reviewing an Austin Metro..
@@michaelwilkinson5097 See the thing is I used to own a 1992 SVX in pearl white with the black dual tone roof 😓 the 4EAT trans blew up when I was flat broke and needed to get to my job so I got rid of it. I regret it daily. Should've kept it until I could save up the money to manual swap it.
I used to live in Japan up until 2019 (6 years): They definitely do salt the roads. Been behind a gritter many times in Tottori, behind the wheel of the Legacy GT I still own.
You have to drive a subaru in the snow to totally understand them.
@@senseicorey9979 And understand, I did. My Legacy GT was an auto, so a slight rear bias (Unlike the manual). Couple of hairier moments than I would’ve liked, even on studless winter tyres! But it is superb in cold temps. Also drove a mk1 Subaru Pleo through a Japanese blizzard - Thought I was going to die to be honest.
If it came with manaul stock and was a liftback like Mk3 Supra or 3000GT it would be even better.
Your opening statements about subaru sales in the UK, can be aeen on autotrader, a lot of the time there are more second hand ferraris for sale than second hand subarus for sale.
My brother has had his 1997 SVX for about 10 yrs, he's moderately modded it. It's a wonderfully weird car, it sounds great with an exhaust, and to me it's a gorgeous design.
I had the 1992 SVX in the two tone color in white and the top portion in black. Also had the OEM spoiler. Great car but always hated the window being two parts and also had lots of transmission problems! Also loved how the radio had a door to cover it. My version also didn’t have the rear wipers but mainly all JDM cars destined for the states didn’t have rear wipers. Looks better with the rear wipers.
The SVX is what got me into Subarus.
I know why they sell well in the US. Many places in the US get cold winters and harsh snowfall. Many people don't really need full size trucks or SUVs, but most people still need cars to get to work and grab the groceries thanks to our highway-centric transit. Subaru does all that with highly capable AWD, at a bargain price. It's the same reason there's a plague of compact "crossover" SUVs here.
This is apparently quite a stout motor that happily accepts turbocharging. The latter ez30 in the legacy 3.0r has been fiddled with a bunch (videos floating around on yt) and responds very well to forced induction as well but this 3.3 is supposed to be stronger. Either way, these flat 6's sound excellent. I drove a stock auto 3.0r once and was surprised at how quick and buttery smooth it was. Got a soft spot for these motors now.
Ahhhh, proper SVX complete with droopy sun visors!! The control you said was for the steering column and wasn't working is doing just as it should. There is a column adjuster, but that isn't it. That one is specifically for the more corpulent lady or gentleman to exit the vehicle without the steering wheel getting in the way-perhaps another indication that the intended market was the USA? As for UK official numbers it was more like 198 registered between 1991 and 1996-97 for the last ones before the grey imports started to arrive. At £30k the in period competition in the UK would have been XJS, Alpine 610 and maybe 911. And don't forget the SVX was released before McRae and Burns brought Subaru into everyone's mindset. If you can find a standard one to compare this one with give it a go - its a different vibe being more a sporty tourer than a track weapon.
I suspect it's the snow and mountainous areas we have here in the states that help subaru sales here. I've owned 3 of them and love them. There is no better car for snowy commutes in the mountains.
Nothing like a review with d, head in a merc just behind you
9:59 beautiful flat 6 sound
If I'm correct SVX sold here in the states only came with a automatic transmission. No manual transmission.
yup
I was just gonna make a comment on that...thanks. That's the reason why I did not purchase one because of the automatic
All SVX were auto "GT" cars, like the Mazda Cosmo (with the triple rotor).
That was the same in all markets. There were no factory manual SVXs.
Love these. Very nice to look at and decent to drive.
Neighbor had one when I was on my teens.
Lovely classic car. It makes a very nice change to see a classic car being featured on Car Wow!!
You might want to tweak your commenting bot algorithm a little..... or your reading comprehension!
The window-in-window was Subaru's way of having flush mounted side glass, iirc.
Every third car here in Seattle, Washington is a Subaru. And it’s been that way for years. I think the only other more common car here are Teslas.
I’ve always like these apart from the auto box. With a manual conversion I want one. With a turbo of course, with a turbo. 😉
The EG33 is pretty fun without a turbo, a manual (easy swap) really wakes it up.
Snow.... now days every one has AWD, but for the longest time there really were not many options for a "boring" every day AWD commuter that was affordable, and VERY reliable.
It's like a jdm calibra!
Love a curve ball track car
FYI it's spelt 'mum'.
So its muther
10/10 subtle Clarke and Dawe reference there, Jay!
The reason for the window in the window is supposedly because a full-size glass would not fit in the door.
Subaru sold something like 80 SVX's into the UK before discontinuing them here in about '93. The rear torque bias is more likely to be to do with the limited strength of the front mounted transaxle. Rather then making a stronger one just for the SVX, they just fitted the next size up of rear diff (an r230 vs the r180 or r200 used in the 4 cylinder models at the time), and sent more of the torque to it. The reason they didn't do a manual version was that they did not have a suitably strong manual 'box.
That's total bullshit, sir. SVX uses R160 rear diff just like basically any Subaru of that era. What dictates power split is the center diff. All but US SVXes had VTD center diff with initial 35/65 F/R split electronically controlled, with ability to go 50/50 in slip conditions.
US had inferior FWD-biased ACT-4 center diff.
> The reason they didn't do a manual version was that they did not have a suitably strong manual 'box.
That's also bullshit, they had a Legacy GT/GTB in JDM market, 280HP 2.0 twin-turbo, and it had a manual transmission. Subaru didn't want MT transmission in SVX because it doesn't suit character of the car.
Yours truly, 6MT-swapped SVX owner.
@@belegus4301 I’m in total agreement with you on this,I owned two of these some years ago,cheap to buy but so expensive to keep.
4 EAT transmission wasn’t that great and the brakes as standard were prone to overheating when driven enthusiastically.
The steering column isn’t broken. The lever you were mentioned does exactly as you described it: Move the wheel down to lock it and up to move freely.
The actual lever to adjust it’s height and keep it locked in place isn on the bottom of the steering column
Haha...nice shout! "cardboard's out...." "no cardboard derivatives"
NZ mentioned! As someone somewhat in the import industry who has been to Japan a few times, Japan has snow but not all winter in Honshu (main Island) so I am certain that road salting is uncommon. Hokkaido is infamous for rusty car exports since they do salt the roads up there. Fun fact: NZ and Aus also saw an import boom in the 90s - but AU brought in laws like SEVS to limit them, while NZ just has safety and emissions so is full of cars like the Mark-X, Wish, Ractis, and Raum.
In many vehicles, I have preferred suede or velour seats, largely for their comfort season round. No burning bums in summer or freezing bums in winter. Neither of which is applicable to either vinyl or leather. MY own non air-conditioned Toyota Corolla from 78, had high quality vinyl, which could brand by arse and back in the heat
Not my favourite sound ever but definitely my favourite for quite a while. Cool car.
I've always liked the lines on the SVX. The popularity of Subaru in the USA is, in my opinion, largely due to the community involvement by Subaru of America (SOA) and the individual dealerships. They are all highly involved in charity events and giving back to the community. This creates a VERY strong brand loyalty among American Subaru owners. Add to that, many models are built at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA), making a fun-to-drive, reliable, capable, VERY safe, and economical "Japanese" car not only affordable, but also "made in America" by American auto workers. I had the pleasure of touring the SIA plant twice (while participating in an annual charity event partly sponsored by SOA), and not only is their plant amazingly innovative and thoughtful (zero landfill), but the employees are genuine enthusiasts. The online community of owners is growing stronger every day, from the tuners to the overlanders and everything in-between, the Subaru owners' community in the USA attracts down-to-earth, generous people who are very accepting of newcomers. Most Subaru owners I know cannot imagine themselves without a Subaru in their garage or driveway, if only to maintain a connection with the community. Subaru definitely feels like an American company over here and treats its customers/owners better than any American car company.
Adorable machine
The exhaust sounds magnificent
👀 I hope that 3 rotor Cosmo reference is foreshadowing of an upcoming review of one
I can honestly say that I hadn't heard of the Subaru SVX, until now.
Appreciate your honesty.
In parts of the USA that get a lot of snow and ice, and are more rural areas where the roads won't be cleared quickly: Subaru are very popular choices. But also in urban and suburban areas here they are quite popular, or at least they were.
In 2017 you couldn't leave the house without seeing WRX, Legend, and Impreza models.
I don't know what happened, but they all kind of disappeared quickly. Same is true with Mitsubishi models. Lancers used to be everywhere, and now I feel like I barely see them.
Had forgotten about these. Super cool.
I love the xt and svx they're so interesting. Terrific
I had an svx in W/Australia in 2004, didn't have a silly wing or silly mods. It was a std. H6 auto and it was fun to leave in cruise at 50kmh and go for a drive without touching the brakes, got quite amusing but was very competent at it. The windows were so annoying I didn't keep it long. Yes rear passengers were very cramped but boot was big. As different and quirky as anything you'd wish for! The windows. Tiny opening area. Apparently a forerunner of the frameless window. Solid car but you need to be prepared to put up with it's many quirks.
8:09 this reference is peak comedy 🤌🤣
Always loved the SVX. Something Rover might have made in a parallel universe.
I always loved the look of these.
I've never seen one, but the front end reminds me of my (Long time ago) Citroen Xantia Activa, and there's nothing wrong with that!
I love a Subaru, had 3 currently in a 2008 3.0 H6 Outback.
The glass footprint was the initial design. The doors could not house them as big so they sectioned them vs redesign
The clarke and dawe reference is golden.
I remember when this first came to my country I must be getting really old. I was amazed as a child who likes sports cars it was like a Ferrari to me.
I had one of these and they have great engines, radical design, terrible stock transmission that is made of glass and particle board, but getting the car in "Power" mode was always thrill. Also these cars can consume gas like a V8 with the H6 engine, but they make for great GT cars for covering long distances.
American fan here. In 96 almost got one as my first car. Almost.
The window thing is exactly for the 'wrap around' look. Can't have one without the other. Mine a a bit of a disaster though. Parts are hard to find and the gearbox cost me 3K and after three rebuilds the garage didn't want anything to do with it anymore.
I always liked these, I still do, minus the updated rear spoiler and other modifications as seen on this car.
Hi JayEmm, I love these kind of reviews of cars off the beaten track. There are piles of super dull road tests on Ferrari's, Porsches and Astons, what a load of old drivel on stuff that matters not one iota, is there anyone down the pub who doesn't now have a Porsche, had a Porsche, or wants a Porsche, who gives a f***. Surely we have reached saturation point on that gene pool and can overturn that barge in the middle of the Thames, swim ratties, swim. What I like are the cars not on everyones list, those where you can have a right old laugh with at 50mph, be the only one left on the road on your county and therefore have something to actually talk about. Of course, most were crap in the day, but should I electrictify my Silver Shadow II rather than buy a newer car. Could my XJS be reborn from the ashes if I could afford the fuel ? I think I'd get a much better response, (lovely car mate) from pulling into the McD's car park in my white 1980s RS2000 Customer (Ey Up Lad !!) than my mate does in his 2018 911 (or whatever it's actual model number is this week) i.e. W***er, for example. Keep it up, love your actual world reports and hope for many more. Andy
I live in Alaska, and Subaru's, mainly the Forrester, Outbacks, Crosstreks, and Impreza/WRX/STi's are by far the most popular imports Statewide. I imagine they are beyond 2:1 among all other brands
I seem to remember either autocar or parkers listing one of the rivals as an xjs.. 12 year old me couldn't comprehend given the difference in looks
siiiiick i own one and its been sitting outside for 20 years with 250k miles on it you could say its mousetopia
In NZ & Australia, roads don't have to be salted, so cars like this SVX last a fair bit longer. And the SVX's unique design was done by Giugiaro of Italdesign.
Great looking car, very different something that is lacking in today's world.
The older Generation need to understand that not all Coilovers ride rough.....it depends on the brand and the amount of adjustment ( harshness or softness) they come with... Many brands offer comfortable riding Coilovers, and it depends on the car too.
In all my time living in Japan, including attendance at dozens of impreza/Subaru/JDM car meets, i never came across or even heard tell of such a thing. It seems like it would have been a competitor to the Soarer etc though so can see why...
And I can confirm that, certainly in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures at least, roads weren't salted.
Greetings from Tokyo. Yes, they'll salt the roads here in Japan. However, the 'shaken' system that forces drivers to get safeties done on the vehicle every 2-3 years goes with it a system that encourages shops to sell all sorts of bits and pieces. So, that system is the biggest reason why Japanese cars are in such good nick: People have literally no other choice.
i saw a standard one in a car show 2 years ago here in finland, was very surprised to see one here.
This is the very epitome of JDM style. I was very tempted by one that came up on auto trader but it would take someone far braver (and probably wealthier) than me to take on this rare, and delicate beast.
BTW How Many Left claims 28 were on the road in uk this summer
In period this was very much a 300zx competitor.
Super rare though. I don't recall ever seeing one in the wild.
I had a jdm import. Loved that car, shame it only came with auto box.
A known change was putting the STI gearbox
And diff in. Bit complicated but doable.
Wish I still had it.
I believe that 285 officially came to UK and a total of 25,000 were biilt
Strange an SVX was for sale 2 weeks ago on eBay. A model I haven't seen for at least 10 years.
I remember when these were new, people thought they were cool at the time. Remember, the really weird looking Vortex came before this!
In hindsight, what were they thinking with those really small windows in the doors, imagine going through a drive through or being pulled over by the Police- super awkward. They'd make me feel claustrophobic too.
The window probably didn't fit inside the door when rolled down, common design problem for sports cars.
I've never seen another car with this solution though. I've only ever seen one of these once in any case, back around the early 90s.
@@lundsweden McLaren F1
@@MrBrukmann Ha ha, lol, not bad company to be in.
The McLaren is more like a thin carbon fibre shell surrounding an engine, is it not?
God in Heaven, that engine sound!!!!
Love those big SVX's and those big flat sixes.💯👌🏻
It sounds nice. I’m not sure about the windows tho