BE · 1998–2004
The generation that added a six-cylinder option and broke its own speed record.
The third generation carried the standard EJ251 2.5L in the US while adding an EZ30 3.0L flat-six option from 2001 (badged '3.0R' in JDM/Europe), and continued the twin-turbo JDM performance models from the prior generation. On April 23, 1998, a third-generation Legacy set a speed record — not an endurance record, and distinct from the 1989 Arizona run — hitting 270.532 km/h over one kilometer on Colorado State Highway 10, besting an earlier 1993 second-generation Legacy mark of 249.981 km/h.
Global. Introduced Subaru's first flat-six option on this platform (EZ30, from 2001, meeting the California LEV standard).
CoverageGeneration tracer-bullet · 23 July 2026
Powertrain
Engine options
Per-generation engine specs aren't sourced yet for this profile — see the engine genealogy page for the family-level boxer engine history.
Configuration
Trims and transmissions
Do not confuse this generation's 1998 speed record with the first-generation's 1989 endurance record — they are two separate achievements at two different tracks under two different rule sets.
Identify & buy
Identification and ownership notes
An EZ30-equipped '3.0R' badge indicates the flat-six option introduced partway through this generation (2001+), not a base-spec car.