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Junkyard Gem: 2003 Subaru Legacy Outback H6-3.0

Living in Denver and spending a great deal of time in local wrecking yards, I see plenty of discarded Subarus. It's an unwritten law that every Denver resident must own a dog and a Subaru, which means you'll find dog water bowls in front of most businesses and Subarus in most parking spaces. When Outbacks wear out, they end up in local junkyards. With 2 million Outbacks sold, I don't photograph most of them, for the same reason I don't photograph Altimas or F-150s. But a rare H6-3.0 Outback is another story; here's a very clean '03 spotted in a Mile High self-service yard. The six-cylinder Outback debuted for the 2001 model year, and it wasn't cheap. For 2003, the list price on an H6-3.0 wagon started at $26,995 (about $37,000 in 2018 dollars), versus $23,770 for the four-cylinder version with five-speed manual tranmsission. You couldn't get a three-pedal version of the H6-3.0, but fewer and fewer Outback shoppers wanted manual transmissions by that time, anyway. With 212 horsepower, these cars were gratifyingly quick compared to the four-cylinder versions. I own a 2004 Outback with the 2.5-liter H4 and 5-speed manual, and it requires a great deal of patience on freeway onramps and steep grades. Subaru was very proud of the H6 engine at this time, so this car is covered with badges boasting of the six pistons lying sideways under the hood. There's one on the grille, one on the hatch, one on the center console, and a couple under the hood. This car was so clean that I considered buying the seats for my own somewhat battered '04. The original paperwork and manuals were still inside, showing that the original purchaser didn't go too crazy with the options. The car was sold just a few miles from its final resting place. The digital odometer made it impossible for me to determine total mileage, but I'm guessing this is a well-cared-for high-mile car that got traded in on a new Outback, then wasn't worth selling as a used car due to some expensive mechanical problem. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Ah, the rugged outdoorsy type. Nice choice."

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety

Subaru revisits 1998 Impreza 22B STI

It was 1998 when Subaru made some crucial changes to its World Rally Championship Impreza, such as increasing the displacement of the turbocharged flat-four-cylinder engine from 2.0 to 2.2 liters and fitting wide fender flares. Subaru won the WRC manufacturer championship with the car that year, and it also was the year of the automaker's 40th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the company came out with this limited-edition, road-going Impreza, the hallowed 22B STI, which looked nearly identical to the rally car.
Only 424 22Bs were built, and most of them stayed in Japan. But Dominick Infante, national manager of product communications at Subaru of America, was able to secure a drive in one of the only two 22Bs in the US. He details the car's history and some of the design and engineering cues that made the Impreza STI so popular both in motorsport and on the street, but we were caught up listening to the exhaust and admiring the timeless blue-and-gold paint. You should too, so head below to watch the video.