Before the Impreza WRX hit super-stardom through Colin McRae’s superhuman efforts in the World Rally Championship, there was the Legacy.
The Legacy RS Turbo was a little-known stealth car that was popular among farmers in the UK in station-wagon guise in the early to mid-1990s. This was because of the surefootedness of its all-wheel-drive technology and a storming turbocharged 2-litre boxer engine (the EJ20 that later found its way into the first WRXs).
Like the Lotus Carlton, this was a car that epitomised the phrase “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, with the sheep in this case wearing a dowdy, drab saloon suit that wouldn’t turn a single head as it passed by. The interior was simple and functional, with no concession to aesthetics, but that was rarely an issue with fans.
The Legacy RS Turbo’s low-profile character was the beauty of it all, with the only giveaways being a discreet louvre on the bonnet, larger exhaust pipe, small boot-lid spoiler, an understated bodykit and gunmetal alloy wheels.
Power delivery from the engine was old-school turbo-style, with lots of lag before the turbo kicked well and truly in, which would then result in the car banzai-ing towards the horizon. The 5-speed gearchanges were a little woolly, but there was no missing the off-beat burble of the vehicle during a drive-by blitz, a trait that is sorely missed from the current crop of Subaru cars. 
Read our review of the 2007 Subaru Legacy GT.
