Kept under wraps until today, Subaru used the 2009 SEMA Show to showcase the tuning possibilities for the new 2010 Legacy with a VIP-styled Legacy 2.5GT. In true Japanese VIP fashion, this Legacy 2.5GT gets a deep purple paint job, an air ride suspension and a set of 20-inch wheels wit a 4-inch lip.

To fit the big wheels, the car’s fenders had to be flared wit other modifications including a long list of JDM Legacy parts like a hood, bumper, grille as well as HID headlights and fog lights. The car also gets a roof spoiler as well as a rear decklid spoiler. In order to fit the smooth JDM hood, the Legacy’s top-mount intercooler was replaced with a Mishimoto front mount intercooler.

Factor Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) parts were also included like an oil cap and battery tie-down.

The cabin gets a complete diamond-stitch leather treatment. The rear seat area was changed significantly with two bucket seats, two LCD screens and a huge audio setup.

Be sure to check out the full gallery below:

GALLERY: Subaru Legacy 2.GT VIP

Subaru has just released its EPA fuel-economy numbers for the 2010 Legacy with some impressive figures. The base 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, when paired with Subaru’s CVT transmission, gets 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway for a combined total of 26 mpg. This rating is better, Subaru notes, than base-engine competitors including the Honda Accord, Mazda6i, VW Passat and Hyundai Sonata. What is particularly impressive is how the Legacy manages this feat with all-wheel drive.

In fact, the Legacy 2.5i CVT (priced at $19,995) is now the highest rated midsize AWD sedan in the U.S.

“We are thrilled that the all-new 2010 Legacy not only offers more space and a more rewarding drive than the competition, but it also delivers better fuel economy at a very competitive price,” said Tim Mahoney, senior VP at Subaru of America.

The Legacy 2.5i is also available with a six-speed manual transmission which achieves 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for a combined total of 27 mpg.

Follow the jump for a full list of EPA ratings for the different 2010 Legacy models:

Legacy 2.5i 6MT 19 mpg city / 22 mpg combined / 27 mpg hwy
Legacy 2.5i CVT 23 mpg city / 26 mpg combined / 31 mpg hwy
Legacy 2.5GT 6MT 18 mpg city / 21 mpg combined / 25 mpg hwy
Legacy 3.6R 5AT 18 mpg city / 21 mpg combined / 25 mpg hwy

Is this the face of a race car? Subaru certainly thinks so.

The latest rumors indicate that the automaker intends to enter a version of its new 2010 Legacy model (launched at the New York Auto Show this year) into Japan’s top-level Super GT series. The car will no doubt receive numerous modifications, but engine output won’t be changed all that much. The reason for this is that Subaru will race the car in the 300 (meaning 300hp) class – rather than the highest 500 class.

A Legacy 2.5GT is the likely choice to form the basis of the race car, especially as it sports a new 2.5-liter boxer engine with 265hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque.

The move is surprising as the cash-strapped automaker pulled from the World Rally Championship (WRC) this year, citing economic reasons. Subaru teams had, however, performed poorly the past few years.

No doubt the Super GT entry will be much less expensive to run than a full WRC team and besides, it would be a shame to reassign those Subaru racing engineers to the accounting department.

[Source: Nihon Car]