Honda Legend

The Honda Legend, currently marketed as the Acura RL in North America, is a full-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was originally developed as part of Project XX, a joint venture with the Austin Rover Group of the United Kingdom; the resultant "twin" was the 1986 Rover 800 series.


Background

The Legend was initially a four-door sedan (saloon), with a two-door coupé being added later. The first Honda Legend used a 2.0 liter V6 C20A. This was Honda's first V6. In subsequent models, a larger version of the same engine was used, the 2.5 C25A, then the 2.7 C27A, and then a turbocharged C20AT was introduced that was the most powerful Honda engine ever made at the time, and also was Honda's first turbocharged engine. This motor used a revolutionary wing turbo system. Only recently has Honda turbocharged another gasoline engine. The C-series engines were very capable/reliable and highly regarded engines. All 2nd Generation Legends used a larger version C32A, of this motor. Also, all NSX's used a more powerful C-series engine C30A and C32B, which were essentially based on the original C20/C25/C27 used in the first Honda Legend. The sedan was the model which launched Honda's premium Acura brand in the North America. The North American market did not get the C20A or the C20AT. The first generation Acura Legend did use the same C25A, and later the C27A, although power output varied slightly from the Honda Legend versions. The newest iteration is the 3.5 liter C35A used in the 3rd generation (1996-2004) Honda/Acura Legend.

The first-generation Honda Legend was manufactured from 1985 until 1989, with a second-generation model (also offered as a sedan and coupé) launching in 1990. The Rover 800 was not renewed, continuing on the old XX platform, although it did receive a major update in 1992. The third-generation Legend was released in 1996.

The first and second-generation Honda Legend was known as the Acura Legend in North American markets and in Hong Kong from 1986-95, and in 1996 the third-generation was renamed the Acura RL, while the Legend name continued on in Japan and other markets onto a third and fourth-generation. Although this naming convention change is now regarded by many as a complete blunder, at the time Acura was trying to compete with the similar Mercedes/Lexus/BMW model names. At the same time, the new Acura RL/Honda Legend was considered a step down in performance and style by many. It is believed by some that Honda/Acura suffered these bad decisions and others due to the death of Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda motors, who was known for his active role in the Honda/Acura Legend. Only recently has Acura recovered in lost sales and brand image. These changes applied to other Acura models as well, including the Vigor to the TL, and a few years later, the Integra to the RSX.


Variants

The second-generation Legend was also manufactured by Daewoo in South Korea from 1993-2000 under the name of Daewoo Arcadia, for the domestic market mostly.

The third-generation model was offered as a sedan only. A mid-term facelift came in 1999.

The swoopier fourth-generation Honda Legend was launched on October 7, 2004 and became Japan's Car of the Year for 2004-05, marking the fourth time in five years that Honda had taken the award. The new car has a 300 PS engine and an intelligent night-vision system to detect pedestrians.

The Legend went on sale in Australia for the 2007 model year, based on the third-generation Acura RL.

In 2008, Honda plans on bringing the Acura brand into the Pacific. The Honda Legend will likely be rebranded into the Acura RL.

Honda Acty

The Honda Acty is a series of pickup trucks and minivans from Honda, made for the Japanese market. They are keicars, with very small overall dimensions, and a very small engine displacement (currently around 660cc). They are designed to be economical, agile work vehicles, and generally lack creature comforts, though air conditioning is available as an option.

The base price of the pickup model is 756,000 yen as of February 2006. The base model is mid-engine, rear drive. Four-wheel drive is available as an option on some models, making the Acty one of a handful of mid-engine, AWD vehicles. (Most other vehicles with that layout are supercars.)

The Acty is powered by a 12-valve straight-3 gasoline engine making 34 kW (45.5 hp) at 5500 rpm and 60 Nm (37 ft·lb) at 5000 rpm.


Trivia

* In the film Battle Royale, Shinji Mimura builds a truck bomb with an Acty pickup truck, but fails when he is killed by Kazuo Kiriyama.

* In the comedy "Mr Jolly Lives Next Door" (produced by the Comic Strip) Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson drive around, usually paralytic, in a white Honda Acty.

* The Acty was sold on the Australian market in 1982. However it was not sold in Sydney, as Honda believed the vehicle would not be powerful enough to cope with Sydney's hilly terrain.

2005 Honda Odyssey Touring

'05 Honda Odyssey Touring

Type:
Front-engine, front-wheel drive, seven-passenger minivan

Price:
Base, $38,810

Engine:
3.5-liter V-6; 255-hp; 250 lb-ft torque

EPA fuel economy:
20 mpg city/28 mpg highway


Likes:
Power tailgate. Power adjustable pedals. Lazy Susan in-floor storage. Stowable toddler seat in second row. Roll-down windows with sunshades in second row. Split third-row seat easy to fold into floor.

New benchmark in minivan segment. Powerful V-6 with frugal cylinder-deactivation feature. Deep cargo well accommodates fold-flat rear seats. Best-in-class standard safety features. Center-mounted shift lever. Michelin PAX run-flat tires. Rides and handles like a luxury station wagon.

Honda Fit

Although the Honda Fit is now one of Honda’s global models, it experienced a very slow progression as it made its way around the world. The car first debuted in the June of 2001 in Japan and immediately became a big hit. It was then introduced to Europe (early 2002), Australia (late 2002), South America (early 2003), South Africa and South-East Asia (mid 2003), China (mid 2004), and Mexico (late 2005). A production model for the United States and Canadian markets debuted on January 8, 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car was released in Canada on April 3, 2006, and in the U.S. on April 20, 2006. Unlike most Honda models, which traditionally have 4 or 5-year model cycles, the current generation Fit will remain for a longer period of time due to its late release in North America.


Type:
Front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger hatchback.

Price: Base, $14,400 (inc. $550 shipping charge)

Engine:
1.5-liter I-4;
109-hp;
105 lb-ft torque.

EPA fuel economy:
33 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Where built:
Japan

Cool blue backlit gauges. Roomy, versatile cabin with clever reconfigurable rear seat. Peppy engine with adequate power for passing and merging. Lots of Scion-like accessories. Quick, responsive steering makes car easy to maneuver and park. Loads of standard features on the base model, including air conditioning, CD player and power accessories. Traditional three-ring instrument cluster.

Honda Element SC

* Original MSRP range: US $22,695
* Available in Nighthawk Black Pearl, Root Beer Metallic, Galaxy Grey Metallic & Alabaster Silver Metallic

A new "urban cruiser" trim level called the SC will be offered with a custom bumper, lower roofline and 18 in alloy wheels. It will also feature upgrades to the original Element such as projector-beam halogen headlights and a custom tribal print seat fabric.