February 5, 2007 - Despite selling more than twice as many cars last year in Canada as Audi did, Subaru still finds itself labelled as a "cult brand" by many car buyers. For those who do commit, Subaru owners are known as a group of people who share a near-religious belief in all that is good in proven engineering, boxer engines and asymmetrical all-wheel drive.

Dig deeper into the cult of Subaru and you end up in the garages of the Subaru Technical International (STi) division. Established in the late 1980s to run Subaru's entries in the World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities, the company's in-house performance nutters are best known for their Impreza WRX STi namesake.

Where the compact Impreza WRX has been the poster child for both Subaru's storied rally championships and on the street with the Fast and the Furious fans, the mid-sized sibling Legacy GT has never enjoyed the same cult-like following. But Subaru is hoping for that to change with its new 2007 Legacy Spec. B four-door sedan.



(For longtime fans of Subaru’s Legacy GT Wagon, you may be disappointed the Japanese-based carmaker isn’t offering a similar Spec. B upgrade for 2007 as in the sedan. You also may be disappointed with Subaru’s decision not offering a manual transmission in this year’s $41,795 GT Wagon).

Along with V-limited, Type RA STi or Spec C Type RA-R, those involved in driving sims or obscure Japanese automotive Web sites might recognize the Legacy Spec. B badge. These aren't strains of the Asian flu but special editions from the hard-working STi engineers. Knowing this, at first glance, it's surprising how little the new Legacy Spec. B has been upgraded over the regular sporty Legacy GT.

A subtle, horizontal slice of chrome sitting above the door sills, 18-inch alloys, exclusive dark silver exterior and a single Spec. Bbadge on the rump are the sole visual identifiers on the otherwise familiar and conservatively styled Legacy sedan body.



On the performance front, the Spec. B shares its 243-horsepower, 2.5-litre, turbocharged four- cylinder boxer engine and brakes with the lesser GT. No measurable gains here. So where does the $4,700 premium that the Spec. B commands over the GT go?

For starters, the GT doesn't get the standard GPS DVD navigation on the Spec. B. In addition to the GT's already well-screwed- together interior, you'll also find a leather-wrapped Momo three-spoke steering wheel and sport seats with contrasting black leather and blue Alcantara inserts. New for all '07 Legacys is Subaru's SI-Drive, a three-mode throttle map controller. Accessed from a dial on the console, Intelligent mode reduces the throttle openings and uses the turbocharger less for increased fuel economy; Sport and Sport Sharp are into the turbo more, providing, um, sportier and sharper throttle responses.



So far, these are all reasonable upgrades but surely not enough to warrant that new, cryptic Spec. B badge.

No, to see the value of the Spec. B, you'll have to get on your knees, not in an act of genuflection to Subaru but to see the spec.B's unique suspension. Because where the Subaru sedan's exterior may whisper "Q-ship," its suspension screams "rally car."

Instead of the cooking Legacy's front-strut suspension, the Spec. B has the Impreza WRX STI's inverted struts, stiffer springs and Bilstein shocks all around. As well, summer performance- oriented P215/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A rubber stands in for the 17-inch all-seasons found on the GT.

On the road, where the regular Legacy GT offers a balanced chassis setup and relatively smooth ride, its suspension could be considered too soft compared with other sports sedans. When pushed hard in corners, there's too much roll and noticeable squat when accelerating.



With the upgraded Spec. B, Subaru seems to have sharpened the Legacy's handling with no expense to the sedan's ride.

The long-travel suspension still soaks up the bumps with aplomb, but all of the Spec. B's body motions feel tighter and more controlled than before. Steering is accurate if a bit light around town. The added gear found in the Spec. B's new six-speed manual (the only transmission available borrowed from the WRX STi) allows the first five gears to be tighter in ratio than the GT's five-speed box.

Put in context with its GT sibling, the Spec. B's sharper suspension is an obvious upgrade for the better. All in all, it's the sharpest Legacy for driving enthusiasts. The trouble for Subaru's most expensive Legacy starts when one looks at what's available in competitors' showrooms.



For Spec. B money, one can have an Audi A4 2.0T quattro or BMW 328xi in the garage. Heck, even a similarly equipped Mazdaspeed6 is $3,600 less.

Nonetheless, the Spec. B is one of those cars that forces you to look beyond the obvious. For those deep into the cult of Subaru, your choice of which Legacy to pop for doesn't get any better than this.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com



Just the facts...
Build quality
Features
Performance
Fun-to-drive
Overall value

Type of vehicle All-wheel-drive, mid-sized sedan
Engine 2.5L DOHC flat-four
Power 243 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 241 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Tires P215/45R18
Brakes Four-wheel disc
Price: base/as tested $44,995/same
Fuel economy L/100 km 12.3 city, 8.2 hwy.


© National Post 2007. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.