OTA, Japan — Subaru takes the Legacy to new heights with a new limited-edition STI model that will never be available in the States.

Both sedan and wagon versions will be sold, equipped with the well-known Subaru turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine that lays down 282 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. This family car on steroids includes a variety of upgrades to spice up performance capability.

Bilstein shocks and springs stiffen up the suspension and combine with wider front fenders, huge Brembo brakes, a 13:1 reduced steering ratio and Bridgestone Potenza tires on 18-inch BBS wheels.

Aesthetically speaking, the STI S402 has a subtle body kit that features a carbon-fiber splitter in the front that combines with an already dropped suspension for a sporty stance. Interior modifications include new gauges, an aluminum shift knob and a Momo steering wheel.

It goes on sale June 27, starting at the U.S. equivalent of $51,167 for the sedan and $52,471 for the wagon. Subaru is only producing a total of 402 copies of both models.

From Subaru's Nürburgring Specialist
By Peter Lyon, Contributor, Japan
Date posted: 06-17-2008



There's not too long to go before the introduction of a face-lifted generation of the Subaru Legacy, but the rally specialists at Subaru STi just can't wait. The 2008 Subaru Legacy STi S402 is their vision of what a mature, high-performance Legacy can be, the best-handling version of Subaru's mainstream sedan.

Unfortunately there will be just 402 examples of the 2008 Subaru Legacy STi S402, and you can buy one only if you live in Japan.

We realized that Subaru had something special for us when we learned that Hideharu Tatsumi would accompany the car for our exclusive drive in the shadow of Mt. Fuji. As Subaru's chief development driver for the last 20 years, Tatsumi has driven the Legacy for thousands of miles on the Nürburgring and he understands the car like no one else.

King of the Road
Hideharu Tatsumi has just moved over from Subaru to STi (Subaru Tecnica International), and he's the chief engineer of the 2008 Subaru Legacy STi S402. When we first bumped into him in the public parking area of the Nürburgring Nordschleife back in 2006, he was using a Legacy and an Impreza STi to instruct Subaru's next generation of test pilots on the finer points of the 'Ring.

Today he's arrived with the S402. Boasting a chiseled and stocky physique, Tatsumi is tough and direct. He is quick to admit that certain budget restraints on the design side meant that he could not play around with the Legacy's sheet metal very much for this specialty car. "But even with those restrictions," he tells us, "We have a car that looks like it does business and delivers on the road."

The S402's unique mesh grille is complemented by flared front fenders that have been widened an extra inch to enclose wider BBS rims and 235/40R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires. Tatsumi and his chief stylist wanted to also redesign the front bumper section to give the car an even sportier look, but a price tag of around $600,000 for the special mold that would be required quickly put an end to their dreaming.

"When you divide our limited run number of just 402 units into $600,000, well, that adds an extra $1,500 to each car. And the bean counters would have none of that," he laments.

Fortunately the money STi has saved on cosmetics has been spent on hardware.

Nürburgring Credentials
One look at the specifications sheet suggests that Tatsumi's team had to deal with less budgetary shackles on the engineering side of the equation. In fact, Tatsumi hints that he wouldn't have taken on this job if the STi bosses weren't prepared to let him make the S402 all it could be as far as driving is concerned.

To do this, Tatsumi stresses that he had to take this car to his second home for the last two decades — the Nürburgring Nordschleife. "Otherwise Japanese enthusiasts wouldn't have given the car any street cred," he explains.

Come to think of it, none of us would have given this JDM (Japanese Cosmetic Market) car much credence without its Nürburgring credentials, right? It's got to the stage today where any performance car must put in some time at the 'Ring if it's to be taken seriously by rev-heads around the world. Proof of that is that there are now three Japanese supercars — Honda's V10-powered NSX, the Lexus LF-A and the Nissan GT-R — all testing in Germany and vying for lap time honors.

Same Power, More Response
The 2008 Subaru Legacy STi S402 has an Australian-spec, turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder under its hood, and STi has created a special calibration with a twin-scroll turbo, more boost, a tweaked ECU and low-restriction sports mufflers. This engine's output doesn't seem particularly different from the standard turbo engine, as it pumps out 282 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 289 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. In fact, power and torque are both just marginally improved.

But as Tatsumi tells us, "That wasn't our aim. We were striving to enhance the whole driving experience." By carefully tuning the S402's boxer to the six-speed manual transmission from the Impreza WRX STi and revising some of the gear ratios, the STi engineers have created an engine that might have been taken straight out of a rally car. Some 95 percent of peak torque is available at just 1,800 rpm and it also pulls strongly right up to 6,000 rpm. As a result, you can now take 2nd-gear corners in 3rd gear thanks to the beefy bottom-end torque and instant throttle response, so there's more traction and more control.

On the Road
As you're extracting the torque from the engine, punching the deliciously notchy shifter and shooting effortlessly around corners, it can be easy to forget the fact that the S402 comes standard with Subaru's SI-drive, which allows you to choose among three modes of power management. For some strange reason (well, maybe not that strange) we found ourselves flicking the SI-drive to the Sport Plus position and testing the upper reaches of the gutsy power curve.

If you were to describe the way the S402 responds to the driver, you'd say "instant." There's less play from the throttle action and less wind-up in the drivetrain than you find in the conventional Legacy, so the power seems to get to the wide Bridgestones without wasting time or motion. Subaru's own stability control is also fitted as standard equipment, so the car will catch you if you get into trouble, but intervention comes only after you've exhausted the resources of the exquisitely balanced all-wheel-drive system.

The S402 also turns into a corner with instant response thanks to reconfigured steering, and the feedback from the tires is superbly communicative. Tatsumi has tweaked the steering rack with a quick 13.0:1 ratio (replacing the standard 15.0:1 ratio), and then helped the car respond to such inputs with special STi-tuned dampers and springs. But Tatsumi is most proud of the S402's secret weapons for Nürburgring goodness — three semi-flexible reinforcement bars to not only improve chassis rigidity but also tune it. There's one between the top of the front suspension struts, one between the bottom of the front struts, and a third across the rear suspension towers in the trunk.

The Magic of the Bars
The Subaru Legacy STi S402 goes exactly where you want it to go and keeps all four tires firmly planted at the same time. But more than that, the construction of the bars with their semi-flexible midsections help the chassis absorb those brief, unwanted lurches as the car changes direction, so the car feels magically composed. Meanwhile, the chassis reinforcement enhances feedback from the tires just as you'd expect. The combination is pure magic, and the S402 has an overall feel that's as close to perfection as we've ever experienced.

It's just a pity about the swanky seats with their soft leather upholstery, which unfortunately don't quite offer the support you need when pushing through fast bends. But then, as Tatsumi pointed out more than once, the S402 is a grand touring car, and it actually rides much better than the high-performance Subaru Legacy GT spec.B with its 18-inch tires.

We don't have to forgive anything about the brakes, though. They are phenomenally powerful, featuring Brembo-built, six-piston, monoblock front calipers and two-piston rear calipers. The S402 might be the first-ever Japanese sedan with a brake package that actually feels overengineered. One STi engineer later admitted that four-piston Brembos would have been more than adequate for the S402, but STi felt this car needed something special.

The combination of progressive pedal action, no brake fade and good tire grip means you can go deeper into a corner with the Legacy STi S402 than just about any sedan we've tested before. And because the S402 features standard rotors without slots or drilled holes, there's no risk of cracking these rotors with abuse, and there's no squeal during daily driving, either.

Subaru might think the S402 is a simple GT-style sedan, but we beg to differ. It's got a Momo-built steering wheel with an STi logo, a leather-trimmed S402 shift knob, aluminum-covered pedals, an STi speedo calibrated to 260 km/h (150 mph), carbon-fiber-style trim, cupholders with special red illumination and a bright red ignition button. This car is plainly built to be punished with speed.

'Ring Ready?
So we had to ask. Tatsumi-san, what settings on the 2008 Subaru Legacy STi S402 did you change after your laps around the Nürburgring?

"Ah, none. The car was fine."

Tatsumi has fine-tuned dozens of Imprezas and Legacys to perform at the German mega-track over the past two decades, so we expected nothing less.

Just hope the next all-new generation of the Subaru Legacy — due out around 2012 — will be compatible with high-performance modifications in both right- and left-hand drive. As Hideharu Tatsumi admits, STi certainly seeks global recognition for its very best work, even at a price tag of $53,000. It's the kind of Subaru that should come to America.

Looks like Volvo's not the only automaker teasing the next-gen version of its midsize sedan in Detroit next month. The Subaru Legacy Concept celebrates the model's 20th anniversary and forecasts the styling we should probably expect to see when the current model heads to the retirement home. Hence, those stacked headlights and the new, chunkier-looking grille design are things we should all probably start getting used to. As for those muscular fender flares and the aggressive lower fascia, well, we'll cross our fingers. Consider our interest piqued. Plenty more to come when we get to Detroit. Now, if only they'd bring back that Legacy Wagon, too....

The new LEGACY CONCEPT is a hint at the future of Legacy design. The design showcases the sport sedan heritage of the Subaru Legacy, but in more modern and purposeful package.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Subaru Legacy, the LEGACY CONCEPT has been developed to showcase the Legacy's sporting capabilities and features Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system mated to a Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine. The design concept is based on a larger 108.3 in. wheelbase designed to maximize interior space and provide comfortable accommodations for four adults.

The theme of concept design is "Presence", represented by the aggressive front facia and solid yet expressive body. Four powerful and defined wheel arches emphasize the dynamism of Symmetrical AWD. Sharp design lines carve out a substantial mass as they flow from the hood, across the roof to the trunk, while the sharp body lines project a sense of strength. Wedge-shaped Side Rear Vision Cameras are featured and provide a sense of flow from the momentum of the A-pillar lines. A character line runs from just before the A-pillar and sweeps up to the tail just above the taillamps.

This grille design incorporates a central wing motif that defines the Legacy's Subaru brand identity. The Subaru logo separates a deep central grille shape that is accented by sharp headlamps with a dual vertical-row layout of multiple LED lamps. In addition, the slim, vertical fog lamps set in a large front valance with angular air intakes add a jewel-like touch to the front design. The LEGACY CONCEPT is finished in a special high-luster "Ultimate Silver" paint to accentuate the design's angular shapes.

The interior design features a striking four-seat layout that showcases the "High Definition" design theme. Comfort and style are achieved with a mix of touch-screens, cameras and modern surface coverings. The high-tech look blends with comfort through four separate seating areas, a high roofline and generous legroom for all passengers. The center console features a large touch-panel display that concentrates various functions for simplified use, while the flowing shape extends vertically to emphasize the feeling of strength and solidity in union with the exterior. A steering wheel and shift lever have been adapted to accentuate the sporty nature elemental in the Legacy's DNA.

In-car entertainment is featured through monitors with multiple functions that are located in the center console, as well as in the rear of the front seat headrests to provide comfortable functionality as well a calm design that creates a relaxed ambiance for passengers. The monitor for the Side Rear Vision Camera has been situated toward the front of the roof to maximize rear visibility. The design is capped off with seats covered in pearl white leather that give off a blue sheen, while black metallic leather has been used for the door trim to create contrast with the instrument panel.

The Legacy was introduced globally in 1989, produced in Japan and Lafayette, Indiana. Since that date until November 2008, the total global production has exceeded 3.6 million vehicles making it Subaru's core model. During that period, Subaru's core technologies of a Horizontally-Opposed engine and Symmetrical AWD have served to further the basic elements of automotive performance while continuously evolving for unparalleled handling, stability, and safety. This LEGACY CONCEPT incorporates the Legacy heritage while also serving as a concept model that provides an image of the new driving comfort and reliability that will continue to serve as a touchstone for Subaru.