IN the true sense of the word, GT means gran turismo, and is supposedly taken from the early Italian car races like the Mille Miglia that coined the grand touring moniker. Today, many car-makers have leveraged "GT" as an indicator of performance, but for many it is just in name only. With the arrival of the 2007 Liberty models Subaru has relaunched its GT, which actually lives up to the name. Now a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder, the Liberty GT provides excellent all-round performance with the reassurance of all-wheel drive and some of the latest techno-wizardry that allows the driver to select between three different drive modes that substantially change the car’s driving habits. It’s called Subaru Intelligent Drive and it mates well with the spirit of gran turismo.
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Subaru Liberty GT sedan
Released: August 2004
Ended: July 2005
Family Tree: LibertyWhen the 2.0-litre turbo GT auto went on sale Subaru expected to sell only 50 a month. Surprise, surprise once word got out about its nimble chassis, excellent response and reasonable economy the numbers swelled to about 140 and then settled to around 100 a month. Although initially available as an auto-only, demand for a manual saw the five-speed stick-shift arrive soon after. The manual GT developed 190kW/330Nm and provided plenty of low-down response. Because of emission requirements the 2.0 GT quietly faded late in 2005 to await the arrival of the new, cleaner-burning 2.5-litre GT turbo. The last of the 2.0-litre GTs – about 300 in all – were given lowered, STi-inspired suspension, subtle chin and rear spoilers and 18-inch alloys. No doubt they’ll become collectors cars in years to come.
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