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Junkyard Gem: 2003 Subaru Legacy Outback H6-3.0

Living in Denver and spending a great deal of time in local wrecking yards, I see plenty of discarded Subarus. It's an unwritten law that every Denver resident must own a dog and a Subaru, which means you'll find dog water bowls in front of most businesses and Subarus in most parking spaces. When Outbacks wear out, they end up in local junkyards. With 2 million Outbacks sold, I don't photograph most of them, for the same reason I don't photograph Altimas or F-150s. But a rare H6-3.0 Outback is another story; here's a very clean '03 spotted in a Mile High self-service yard. The six-cylinder Outback debuted for the 2001 model year, and it wasn't cheap. For 2003, the list price on an H6-3.0 wagon started at $26,995 (about $37,000 in 2018 dollars), versus $23,770 for the four-cylinder version with five-speed manual tranmsission. You couldn't get a three-pedal version of the H6-3.0, but fewer and fewer Outback shoppers wanted manual transmissions by that time, anyway. With 212 horsepower, these cars were gratifyingly quick compared to the four-cylinder versions. I own a 2004 Outback with the 2.5-liter H4 and 5-speed manual, and it requires a great deal of patience on freeway onramps and steep grades. Subaru was very proud of the H6 engine at this time, so this car is covered with badges boasting of the six pistons lying sideways under the hood. There's one on the grille, one on the hatch, one on the center console, and a couple under the hood. This car was so clean that I considered buying the seats for my own somewhat battered '04. The original paperwork and manuals were still inside, showing that the original purchaser didn't go too crazy with the options. The car was sold just a few miles from its final resting place. The digital odometer made it impossible for me to determine total mileage, but I'm guessing this is a well-cared-for high-mile car that got traded in on a new Outback, then wasn't worth selling as a used car due to some expensive mechanical problem. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Ah, the rugged outdoorsy type. Nice choice."

Choose the right tool | 2017 Subaru BRZ Performance Package Second Drive

There's something to be said for using the right tool for the job. It's not always possible, but you know that when you whip out the Vise Grips, deep down inside, it just feels wrong. There's satisfaction, joy, even dignity in using the proper instrument to execute a task accurately on the first try. Our attempt to wield the updated 2017 Subaru BRZ on Fuji Speedway last year were stymied by summer fog that rolled into the base of Mt. Fuji, reducing visibility to just a couple of car lengths. But it's an extremely fast circuit with a nearly mile-long front straight so even on a clear day, it's not the ideal venue for the BRZ. Which is why we accepted Subaru's invitation to take another go at it, this time at Circuito Guadix, an off-the-beaten-path track near Granada, Spain. (If you go, try the paella.) The Performance Package is the highest spec available on the chassis to date in the US, and that includes its Toyota and Scion brethren. The setup is exclusive to the BRZ line and has no Toyota counterpart. With a price of $1,195 on top of (and only available on) the $28,465 Limited trim level with a manual, it gets you a host of upgrades to its unsprung components, all of which would cost several times more if procured piecemeal in the aftermarket. Sorry, there are no power upgrades, save for the bump of five horsepower and five pound-feet of torque on manual-transmission 2017 models. The most noticeable of the enhancements are sharp, gunmetal-finish 17-by-7.5-inch wheels, inspired by the famed RS-Watanabe design that adorned Japanese touring racers of the 1970s. The extra half-inch of width accommodates larger Brembo brakes — four-piston calipers up front biting down on rotors that have grown by 0.95 inches in diameter and thickness to 12.8 by 1.18, and two-pot calipers pinching 12.4-by-0.79-inch rotors, up from 11.4 by 0.71, out back. These are the same brake dimensions as you'll find on the car Subaru still considers the flagbearer of its enthusiast lineup, the rally-ready WRX STI. Performance Pack BRZs are suspended by Sachs ZF dampers and incur a weight penalty of just 20 pounds over the Limited. The Series.Yellow seen here takes all the goodies of the Performance Package and adds exclusive yellow paint that Subaru is quick to point out is entirely different from the yellow that appeared on the 2015 Scion FR-S Release Series 1.0. We'll concede that it's less boy-racer, but only slightly.

2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA First Drive Review | A taste of Japan

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Last year, Subaru set a record for the fastest sedan lap at the 'Ring in a race-spec STI Type RA, which completed nearly 13 miles in less than seven minutes. The new 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA is inspired by that record-breaker (and those before it), and it will finally come to the United States as a special edition limited to just 500 units. We traveled out to the California desert to test it on mountain roads, as well as a recently built private race track at the Thermal Club. Record Setting Pedigree Subaru built its first "Record Attempt" (that's what the RA stands for) vehicle in 1988, a Subaru Legacy that drove more than 62,000 miles over 18 days at an FIA track in Phoenix. Since then, Subaru has introduced a number of WRX/STI Type RA models, with several attempts to set record laps at the Nurburgring. While Japanese customers got the opportunity to buy consumer versions of the Type RA, fans in the United States never did. Until now. The nameplate finally comes to the rest of us, improving upon an already potent, all-wheel-drive performance sedan for the everyman. The STI already offers 305 horsepower, a forgiving torque vectoring system, and that big, beautiful wing to set it apart. The Type RA takes this even further, providing more refined performance from a familiar package. The cars are currently being built, and will arrive in dealerships soon. Special Equipment Compared to the standard STI, the Type RA is about 68 pounds lighter thanks to a carbon roof and rear wing, BBS 19-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels, the deletion of the rear armrest and swapping of the spare for a tire repair kit. The lighter roof also helps to lower the center of gravity by a fraction of an inch. Other exterior changes include signature STI Cherry Blossom Red highlights on the grille and rear bumper, a front spoiler, black mirrors and Type RA badging. It only comes in three paint colors: WR Blue Pearl, Crystal Black Silica and Crystal White Pearl. Inside, it gets an ultrasuede steering wheel, short-throw shifter, red push-button ignition and a serialized plate to indicate its rarity. Under the hood, the Type RA benefits from strengthened pistons and sodium-filled exhaust valves that better withstand high temperatures, which is important as the number of laps ticks higher on track day. It gets revised ECU tuning, and lower-restriction air intake and exhaust. Finally, it has a 4.5 percent lower third gear ratio.