So the ol '04 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon (fantastic sleeper wagon) kind of got an engine swap… not content with chauffering our elderly counterparts with the stock EZ30 straight six (which is a fine engine in itself), I kind of transplanted a 4.0L DOHC square block AJ28 from a Jaguar S-Type and then swapped out a few slightly updated parts… now it makes 500hp with great response to a bit of a poke (71) while still being smooth as warm butter (71) and quiet as feathers in the breeze (33). Not satisfied with the Macpherson front Multilink rear setup, I swapped out the suspension for a double wishbone system front and rear to give improved ride stability. Then I gave it the Brembo treatment, but went very gentle on the pad material. The roof racks were replaced by subtle wings cleverly disguised as roof racks, grandma will never know 
They can’t bitch about the lips though, those came stock! Even with the grandma-approved comfort measures that added a good 300kg to the car’s kerb weight, this Grand Touring version of the Outback still gets the same 22mpg as when it rolled out of the dealer, all while hitting 100km/h in a rather brisk 4.5s, doing the quarter mile in under 13s, onto a top speed of 254km/h.
On premium quality medium profile long life tyres, this Legacy GT seems like the self-same unassuming Outback it started life as, but in fact is a secret track assassin that will lap around the Top Gear test track a good 11 seconds faster, keeping up with the likes of the M5 E60. Oh wait, we weren’t supposed to be racing these things?
