Subaru will end production of the EJ20 horizontally-opposed engine which has been one of its main powerplants since 1989. At this time, the company has designated the end of March 2020 to stop production but it will stop taking orders for the current WRX STI model equipped with the engine and sold only in Japan by the end of calendar year 2019.
The EJ20, which replaced the EA engine, started off in the first generation of the Legacy in 1989. Over time, it was offered with other Subaru models and also powered racing cars competing in events like the World Rally Championship and Nurburgring 24 Hours.
One of the 10 Best Engines of the Year
The long-stroke engine started off with a SOHC head and an output of 113 ps. Over time, the engine went from 2 litres to 2.5 litres with turbocharging added, taking outputs as high as 324 ps and over 400 Nm of torque. It was the first Subaru engine to be picked (in 2004) as one of the 10 Best Engines of the Year by Wards Auto, an authoritative industry publication in America.
The carmaker will mark the end of the EJ20 era with a special edition of the WRX STI that will be displayed at the coming 2019 Tokyo Motorshow. The ‘EJ20 Final Edition’ will feature special items such as a balanced engine and gold-painted BBS 19-inch alloy wheels to commemorate the last model that uses the engine.
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