Subaru took 25,000 orders for the R-2 in the single month after its February 1969 unveiling — before a single one had even gone on sale.
Lead trim: R-2 Van (26 PS) · up to 31 hp
Subaru R-2K12 · 1969–1972
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Subaru R-2 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactSubaru took 25,000 orders for the R-2 in the single month after its February 1969 unveiling — before a single one had even gone on sale.
The Subaru R-2 is a kei car manufactured by Subaru from 1969 to 1972, a full model change of the popular Subaru 360 with an updated appearance and increased interior space, but still using the 360's powertrain: an EK33 air-cooled two-cylinder engine installed in the back, the inspiration for the name (the page calls it a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive city car). It was introduced on February 8, 1969 with 25,000 orders in a month (sales began in August), about a year before the Honda Life, Daihatsu Fellow Max and Suzuki Fronte. A hatchback body sold as a Van joined it from 16 February 1970 (the sedan is model code K12, the Van K41), lower tuned at 26 PS against the sedan's 31 PS; the R-2 SS with dual exhaust and a higher compression ratio came on April 18, 1970 and the higher-trim R-2 GL on 5 October. On October 7, 1971 the engine was upgraded to a two-stroke water-cooled EK34 (a faux grille was added at the same time), a retrofit the page calls hasty. Handling was found less stable than the front-engine, front-wheel-drive alternatives, another contributor to its early cancellation; the Subaru Rex replaced it in 1972 and the 2003 Subaru R2 was its spiritual successor. Wheelbase 76 in, length 117.9 in, width 51.0 in, height 53.0 in, curb weight 950 lb. It appears in the anime You're Under Arrest and Ghibli's Only Yesterday.
Collectors Spotted in the Subaru R-2 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Subaru R-2 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-2 Van (26 PS) | 1970–1972 | — | 26 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| R-2 sedan 356 cc air-cooled twin (31 PS) | 1969–1971 | 0.4 L Inline-2 | 31 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| R-2 water-cooled 358 cc twin (EK34) | 1971–1972 | 0.4 L Inline-2 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Rivals
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