Spec.B bonus
Replacing the 5-speed manual is the STi's reinforced 6-speed gearbox. Its tighter first five ratios allow better exploitation of the engine's power and the sixth gear is essentially a proper overdrive. Maintaining the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires on the ground is a rally-inspired inverted Bilstein strut suspension very much like the one found on the STi. Said tires are 18" in size mounted on unique wheels reserved for the Spec.B. This concludes the mechanicals.
Indoors, the Spec.B differs very little from the regular Legacy. The visual improvements included black and blue suede sports seats, trim inserts and a 3-spoke Momo Sport steering wheel. What also differentiates this car from the run-of-the-mill 2.5GT is a standard navigation system which is an option on the other cars. New for 2007 is Subaru's SI-Drive. It controls the throttle's sensitivity through three separate modes.
The Intelligent (I) mode really only exists to "control" fuel consumption; it basically has a "normal" function. When the rotary knob is turned to Sport (S) mode, throttle response sharpens mildly however the difference is barely noticeable. The last position is Sport-Sharp and here I did become aware of the increased reaction under any type of acceleration. What the Sport mode certainly does is nearly eliminate the annoying hesitation that exists when the throttle is applied in "I". By the way, you can get the Spec.B any colour you like as long as it is Diamond Grey.
Taking it to the snow-covered streets
"Will you behave?" These are the words that I heard over and over again during my week behind the wheel of the SpecB. You see, I was blessed with a significant snowfall early on in the week of my test and I made sure that I got the most out of it. Blessed with Blizzaks, the Spec.B made fun of the difficult driving conditions. The AWD system's grip and performance put a smile on my face and once again made me swear off 2WD vehicles.
Taking off, literally thanks to the car's massive torque, was a game in distancing my self from all other cars when the light turned green. Oh yeah, and I love to hear that flat-4 grumble. Of course, driving in this manner means consuming more fuel, 14.5L per 100 km to be precise. My guess is that normal circumstances will return an average of about 11 to 12L per 100 km travelled.
Perhaps the only criticism that I can come up with against the Subaru is how tail-happy it can be. Yes, the Spec.B is equipped with a stability program and yes, I had to switch it off to get oversteer. I know for a fact that if your Subaru does not have stability control, the car will happily fishtail the moment the throttle is applied and the steering wheel is turned. I guess this is only a word of caution... I, for one, love driving straight while looking through the side window...
Replacing the 5-speed manual is the STi's reinforced 6-speed gearbox. Its tighter first five ratios allow better exploitation of the engine's power and the sixth gear is essentially a proper overdrive. Maintaining the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires on the ground is a rally-inspired inverted Bilstein strut suspension very much like the one found on the STi. Said tires are 18" in size mounted on unique wheels reserved for the Spec.B. This concludes the mechanicals.
 |
| The spec.B is the sportiest Legacy. |
Indoors, the Spec.B differs very little from the regular Legacy. The visual improvements included black and blue suede sports seats, trim inserts and a 3-spoke Momo Sport steering wheel. What also differentiates this car from the run-of-the-mill 2.5GT is a standard navigation system which is an option on the other cars. New for 2007 is Subaru's SI-Drive. It controls the throttle's sensitivity through three separate modes.
The Intelligent (I) mode really only exists to "control" fuel consumption; it basically has a "normal" function. When the rotary knob is turned to Sport (S) mode, throttle response sharpens mildly however the difference is barely noticeable. The last position is Sport-Sharp and here I did become aware of the increased reaction under any type of acceleration. What the Sport mode certainly does is nearly eliminate the annoying hesitation that exists when the throttle is applied in "I". By the way, you can get the Spec.B any colour you like as long as it is Diamond Grey.
Taking it to the snow-covered streets
"Will you behave?" These are the words that I heard over and over again during my week behind the wheel of the SpecB. You see, I was blessed with a significant snowfall early on in the week of my test and I made sure that I got the most out of it. Blessed with Blizzaks, the Spec.B made fun of the difficult driving conditions. The AWD system's grip and performance put a smile on my face and once again made me swear off 2WD vehicles.
Taking off, literally thanks to the car's massive torque, was a game in distancing my self from all other cars when the light turned green. Oh yeah, and I love to hear that flat-4 grumble. Of course, driving in this manner means consuming more fuel, 14.5L per 100 km to be precise. My guess is that normal circumstances will return an average of about 11 to 12L per 100 km travelled.
Perhaps the only criticism that I can come up with against the Subaru is how tail-happy it can be. Yes, the Spec.B is equipped with a stability program and yes, I had to switch it off to get oversteer. I know for a fact that if your Subaru does not have stability control, the car will happily fishtail the moment the throttle is applied and the steering wheel is turned. I guess this is only a word of caution... I, for one, love driving straight while looking through the side window...
 |
| The SI-Drive control button. |