Of course every petrolhead will miss big capacity sports cars as ever more stringent emissions regulations kill them off. But from a personal perspective, the demise of the curio sports saloon with a large engine will also be a big loss. It's an odd one, I'll admit.
Might look good with gold wheels. Just saying...
But stuff like the Passat R36, Mondeo ST220 and Insignia VXR won't happen again, at least in their most recent forms. Saloons just don't sell any more and big engines aren't really allowed to be sold. For some reason they've always appealed, and none more so than the Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec B.
The what, you say? This was an oddity even by Subaru's standard. The Spec B moniker is recognisable from Gran Turismo hopefully and the original 2.0-litre turbo 280hp JDM cars. The Legacy 3.0R in the previous UK generation was auto only and could be had as an Outback. Then the Spec B was manual only, a sort of BMW 330i rival. There was even an estate for full fast family bus effect.
The mechanical spec has been described as a 911 Carrera 4 flipped round. A 3.0-litre boxer six, four-wheel drive and a manual. That's where the appeal is with the Legacy; it's totally unique. A fairly nondescript Japanese saloon with a fascinating powertrain layout. As engines become increasingly homogeneous (and smaller) to conform with CO2 targets, to discover something so intriguing and individual is really cool.
Looks dull, could sound anything but
The same factors that prevented the Legacy being a success new will probably hold it back secondhand. It's probably a bit too subtle for Impreza fanboys. Those wanting a premium sports saloon will always look to the Germans. As a car from 2006 and with six cylinders it will cost a lot to run in fuel and tax. It lacks the ultimate edge of something like a later Evo.
Despite all that, I can't help but really like it it. Exhaust tweaks could potentially create an incredible noise from a navy Subaru saloon and it's far from the worst car in the world to drive either. This is probably a tough sell but the Legacy Spec B 3.0 is something I really want. There, said it.
SUBARU LEGACY 3.0R SPEC B
Engine: 3,000cc boxer six
Transmission: 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 245@6,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 219@4,200rpm
MPG: 24.1mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 280g/km
First registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 43,200
Price new: £26,500
Yours for: £6,490
See the original advert here.