This Subaru Legacy Was Designed By Porsche (and Shares A Name With One Of Santa's Reindeer)

When not processing its ain iconic cars, Porsche has gotten up to immoderate absorbing partnerships complete nan years: There's been a Harley-Davidson built pinch Porsche power, for instance, and nan automaker's Porsche Design subsidiary has put its sanction connected everything from room appliances to babe strollers to Subaru sedans.

Yep, Porsche Design worked its magic connected an early 21st-century Subaru Legacy, helping create nan uncommon and singular Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Blitzen type that sold from 2000 to 2003. And no, it wasn't straight named for nan sure-footed high-flying capacity of Santa's four-legged helpers. The reindeer's sanction was primitively "Blixem" aliases "Blixen," derived from nan Dutch connection "bliksem," meaning lightning. He was besides called "Blitzen" by Clement C. Moore for his iconic poem "A Visit from St. Nick" — which still worked because "blitz" is German for lightning. Blitzen's partner, Donner, takes his sanction from nan Dutch connection for "thunder" — "Dunder."

The Legacy Blitzen delivered its lightning-like capacity — for nan clip — from a typical twin-turbocharged boxer motor built to nonstop 280 hp done either a six-speed manual transmission aliases a shiftable sequential automatic to each 4 wheels. The turbochargers were sequential arsenic well, pinch nan first turbo operating astatine little speeds and nan 2nd coming into play arsenic nan car went faster. The mill helped move nan Blitzen from 0-60 successful astir 5.5 seconds. Later Blitzen models packed a people aspirated 3.0-liter boxer pinch six cylinders and 217 horsepower. Of course, while nan hardware was axenic Subaru, nan creation put an accent connected premium Porsche flair.

Just to beryllium clear, Porsche Design is simply a wholly owned subsidiary of nan automaker and was founded successful 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche — nan grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who founded nan automaker. Ferdinand Alexander did commencement pinch nan car business and, successful fact, designed nan Targa 911, but began exploring much lifestyle-oriented products pinch nan creation house.

Approaching nan Blitzen from nan front, nan first point you'll announcement is simply a bold bumper curen showcasing ample little inlets and wrapping astir nan beforehand wheels. Strong lines thief it travel into nan subtle broadside skirts and past connected to a akin setup for nan rear bumper. The 17-inch aluminum wheels themselves are besides by Porsche Design.

In addition, nan Blitzen was disposable successful 4 colors – black, white, silver, and reddish — and 2 assemblage styles: sedan aliases wagon. Going pinch nan erstwhile rewarded you pinch different Porsche exclusive, too, successful nan style of a stunning rear wing. It looks for illustration a stylized, squashed-down missive "M" — making it a awesome campaigner for our adjacent version of "Cars pinch nan Best Wings Ever."

The compartment upgrades further mixed blase style and an fierce attitude. Leather was utilized passim nan interior for a confident, refined feel, while nan Momo steering instrumentality and shifter showed nan Blitzen's attraction connected performance.

This is wherever we mightiness usually talk nan Subaru Legacy Blitzen conception car of 2015, aliases possibly mention nan Impreza Type Euro, which was different JDM Subaru that sewage nan Porsche Design curen successful nan early 2000s. But little evident — and much nosy — is simply a speedy rundown of different vehicles pinch names from Santa's team. As a reminder, that's Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph — possibly nan astir celebrated reindeer of all.

Vehicle-wise, we've sewage nan Volkswagen Dasher, which was nan sanction of nan first-generation VW Passat sedan that debuted successful 1974 arsenic nan company's first U.S. car pinch a water-cooled motor and front-wheel drive. Then location was nan Tartan Prancer minivan, from nan automaker called nan "Honda of Albania" (in nan 2015 movie reboot of "Vacation" anyway).

Not rather that rare, but surely acold retired of nan mainstream, is nan TVR Vixen. A hand-built British sportscar sold from 1968 to 1972, nan Vixen was comparatively ray connected power, ne'er offering overmuch much than 100 horses, but it was besides conscionable plain light, pinch a weight of nether 2,000 pounds. The Mercury Comet makes nan database arsenic a midsize/compact introduction from nan erstwhile Ford division. During a comparatively agelong run, from 1960 to 1977, nan Comet vanished retired its profession arsenic a clone of nan Ford Maverick (the sedan, not nan one that's nan almost cleanable truck).

Any vehicular candidates for Dancer, Donner, Cupid, and Rudolph? Let america cognize successful nan comments.