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This Was the Last Great Version of a Signature Subaru Sedan, Prove Us Wrong

The fourth-gen Legacy was peak Legacy.

Rear side view of a dark gray Subaru Spec B sedan with Minnesota license plate and multi-spoke alloy wheels.spleenmachine via Bring a Trailer
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By Chris Chin

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It was a sad moment when Subaru announced the discontinuation of its iconic Legacy flagship sedan earlier this year. That’s because the Legacy is a crucial part of the automaker’s history and one of the main reasons for its popularity today.

When the Japanese automaker launched the model in 1989, it arguably helped put Subaru on the map on a global scale. Its importance to the brand’s history and its popularity as a competitive midsize family sedan were key to its success today.

Which is why today’s Bring aTrailer find has us reminiscing.

The fourth-gen was the last true Legacy

Dark gray Subaru sedan with aftermarket multi-spoke wheels parked on a paved road with grassy background.
Subaru Legacy spec.Bs are getting rarer by the year.
spleenmachine via Bring a Trailer

Prior to the company’s proliferation in the 1990s, Subaru garnered a reputation as a “quirky” Japanese automaker. Many of its vehicles prior had very unique and notable features.

The Legacy represented a major departure from some of those quirks. However, it wasn’t in vain or to turn its back on tradition. The Legacy still retained some of Subaru’s most notable highlights, such as optional all-wheel drive.

Dark green four-door sedan parked in front of a building with arched doorways and warm lighting.
The first-generation Subaru Legacy was a major departure from the brand’s unique past.
Subaru

Rather, the Legacy kept Subaru relevant in the quickly changing times of the late 1980s and 1990s. It also enabled Subaru to remain competitive against its domestic arch-rivals by modernizing the brand.

As the Legacy evolved and Subaru continued embracing its commitment to rally motorsports and heritage in the 1990s, engineers began factoring in sportier attributes. Such includes more powerful powertrains and improved handling.

White 1990s Subaru sedan with alloy wheels driving on a dirt road.
The Legacy helped proliferate Subaru’s success on a global scale.
Subaru

The Legacy was arguably at its peak during the 2000s, when it launched the fourth-generation model in ’03. Bouncing off the previous model’s success, the fourth-gen capitalized on all that its predecessors brought to the table. But in a package that checked so many boxes.

For instance, the fourth-gen “BL/BP” Legacy’s styling, both inside and out, was neither striking nor ugly. Rather, it was sophisticated and handsome, with nearly perfect proportions and thoughtful details all around.

Black Subaru Legacy sedan with tinted windows driving on a blurred white and gray background.
Despite growing up, the Legacy got better with every generation, with many saying the fourth was the best of the breed.
Subaru

Subaru fans often regard the BL/BP Legacy’s chassis as the most sorted and well-engineered for both fun factor and comfort. But most of all, the fourth-gen saw the US introduction of the most enthusiast-focused variant, the spec.B.

The grown-up WRX STI

Silver Subaru Legacy sedan with alloy wheels on a gray background.
JDM buyers were lucky and could get the spec.B with the powerful 3.0-liter flat-six.
Subaru

Introduced in 2006 in the middle of the BL/BP’s production run, Subaru of America brought the sportiest of the Legacies Stateside. The spec.B originally debuted in the Japanese domestic market as a continuation of the automaker’s tradition of making specially fast versions for true driving enthusiasts.

Car interior with black leather steering wheel, blue and black seats, manual gear shift, and center console with navigation screen.
The spec.B strictly came with a six-speed manual and the same turbo flat-four as the Impreza WRX from the same era.
Subaru

Originally a 500-unit limited edition special, Subaru eventually made it a regular fixture of the Legacy’s lineup, up until the fifth-gen’s arrival in 2009.

Not only did the spec.B feature sport-tuned Bilstein suspension from STI, but it also had an STI exhaust, beefier Brembo brakes and 18-inch STI alloys.

Close-up of a metallic car control knob with settings labeled "Sport" and "Intelligent" in a black console.
The spec.B also came with Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with STI-inspired Super Intelligent Drive.
Subaru

It was only available with a six-speed manual and the same high-output 2.5-liter DOHC turbocharged “EJ255” flat-four from the almost equally sporty GT model and the Impreza WRX. At least, in America.

The spec.B also inherited the company’s at-the-time advanced Super Intelligent Drive multi-mode all-wheel-drive system, complete with a Torsen limited-slip differential.

It was the Legacy for those who were graduating from WRX STI ownership to something more mature. Which is why the one in this latest BaT find has us drooling.

Not made like they used to be

Dark gray sedan with tinted windows and multi-spoke alloy wheels parked on asphalt near grass.
The fourth-gen Legacy was also the last generation to use the model’s iconic frameless doors.
spleenmachine via Bring a Trailer

This ’08 Legacy is one of those spec.B models. While the spec.B became a normal production model, they’re growing increasingly rare.

The seller notes it’s been driven, having clocked around 123,000 miles as of the listing. It’s also received a number of “OEM-plus” modifications.

Front view of a gray Subaru car with the hood open, showing the engine and a Minnesota license plate.
Although modified, the upgrades appear subtle.
spleenmachine via Bring a Trailer

While the preference typically favors bone-stock examples, this one looks tastefully upgraded. And despite its six-owner history, the seller claims it’s been meticulously cared for.

After the BL/BP, Subaru seemingly neutered the Legacy, especially as it started strictly adopting soul-sucking CVTs for nearly all of its models. Which is why Subaru enthusiasts emphasize the fourth-gen model as the last of the true Subarus.

Dark gray Subaru sedan with aftermarket multi-spoke wheels parked on a road with grass and cloudy sky in the background.
From here on, it was arguably downhill for the Legacy.
spleenmachine via Bring a Trailer

With the company claiming to revive STI performance cars and wanting to reignite its passion for motorsports and driving fun, we can only hope to see more Subarus like the spec.B in the near future.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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