Unique collaboration between Porsche and Subaru

When most people hear the name Porsche, they think of the German luxury sports car.

However, did you know that there was a high-performance sedan that was collaborated with the Japanese automaker Subaru? The Legacy B4 Blitzen, sold exclusively in Japan from 2000 to 2003, was a special model with exterior and interior designed by Porsche Design.

Porsche Design is,Design company founded in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, known as the designer of the 911It is.

The company designs a wide range of products, including luxury watches, pens, and kitchenware, and its sophisticated designs are highly acclaimed around the world. The fact that Porsche Design was involved in the design of the Subaru sedan was a very interesting event for automobile enthusiasts.

Legacy B4 Blitzen Features

The Legacy B4 Blitzen is a special edition car developed based on the then Subaru Legacy.The name "Blitzen" means "lightning" in German.It was a high-performance car that lived up to its name. The catchphrase was "God is in that detail.".

The exterior design was significantly modified by Porsche Design. The front bumper has two large openings, and the side skirts and rear bumper have also been specially designed. Particularly eye-catching are the double-bubble shaped wings mounted on the rear. These aero parts give the car a luxurious and powerful styling that sets it apart from the standard Legacy.

The interior has also been extensively redesigned, with high-grade leather and other quality materials used throughout, including a MOMO steering wheel and shift knob, and a boost gauge on the steering column, all of which give the interior design a sporty and luxurious feel.

Twin-turbo engine with 280 hp

At the heart of the Legacy B4 Blitzen was Subaru's renowned horizontally opposed engine, a 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with a sequential twin-turbocharged engine that produced 280 hp, the upper limit of the voluntary regulation for Japanese cars at the time. It boasted 343 Nm of torque and achieved excellent performance, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just over 5 seconds.

The engine features a sequential system in which the first turbocharger is activated in the low to mid RPM range and the second turbocharger is activated in the mid to high RPM range. This allows for smooth acceleration throughout the entire rpm range.

Transmissions are available as either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, and the manual model is also equipped with an exclusive limited-slip differential. In addition, a strut tower bar was added to the front to improve body rigidity.

It was later joined by a 6-cylinder version, the "Blitzen 6," a 3-liter NA with a maximum output of 220 hp at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 29.5/4400 rpm.

The Future of a Phantom High-Performance Sedan

Although the Legacy B4 Blitzen was discontinued after only three years of limited production, it has remained in the memories of many fans since then; a new Blitzen concept car based on the sixth-generation Legacy was displayed at the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon and attracted much attention.

Unfortunately, however, this concept car was never mass-produced. It has been decided that the Legacy nameplate itself will disappear after 2024. The demise of the much-loved Legacy over the years will be a sad event for many fans.

Perhaps if Subaru had once again enlisted the help of Porsche Design to develop a high-performance sedan for the new era, the Legacy's fate might have been different: a new model with the performance of the WRX in a refined package, and many other possibilities.

The Legacy B4 Blitzen was a one-of-a-kind car created by the unusual combination of Porsche and Subaru.
Their presence reminds us of the importance of automakers' boldness in taking on challenges.

Many automobile enthusiasts must be looking forward to another such innovative collaboration in the future.