KMII
[Montblanc Moderator]
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Decades later - the Honda Legend KB1 🇯🇵
The KB1 generation, launched in 2004 was supposed to be Honda’s long awaited answer to the likes of Lexus and Infiniti. Which meant from the beginning that they would probably bomb in Europe, irrespective of how good they were.
While a V8 RWD was too far off the Honda beaten track, it came with a 295bhp 3,5 liter V6 and the - so Japanese - Super Handling All Wheel Drive. This was a very early proper torque vectoring setup, with up to 100% of the torque going to the appropriate rear wheel, if needed.
In addition to that it offered a decent ACC, an early noise canceling system (the car was very quiet for the era) and a proper Honda reliability.
The 3,5 liter VTEC needed to be wrung out for proper performance and the 5 speed automatic was quite a bit better than what was par for the course back in the day. For someone used to a turbocharged petrol, it lacked the heavy punch but was far from a weak point.
But the handling was truly remarkable for the time. Testing it on the same day as the same generation Audi A6 with comparable power, it felt like a decade ahead handling wise. Instead of understeer and the ESP working by applying selective braking, you just had the car accelerate the outer rear wheel for better turn-in. Too bad the test drive needed to end at some point - caning it on a selection of mountain passes is a memory I relish two decades on.
I take it the car was a financial calamity in Europe but possibly performed better in other parts of the world. There was one more generation in Japan and I suppose the nameplate died for good afterwards 🤷🏻♂️ A shame, really, since it always featured advanced technology (the last one was the first Level 3 self driving car in Japan).
The other day I saw a couple in the classifieds and was wondering if trying one out for a longer term exposure wouldn’t be an interesting idea - as a road trip car for instance.
Anyone else considering retrying cars from their youth? 😊
Picture from: Autocar NZ
Decades later - the Honda Legend KB1 🇯🇵
The KB1 generation, launched in 2004 was supposed to be Honda’s long awaited answer to the likes of Lexus and Infiniti. Which meant from the beginning that they would probably bomb in Europe, irrespective of how good they were. While a V8 RWD was too far ...
I just about remember these Hoda Legends but as you say they were never very successful in Europe.
If I remember correctly the biggest problem had nothing to do with how the car looked or drove it was quite simply the price, people didn't want to say "My cars a Honda" when for the same or similar money they could drive a BMW or Mercedes. On the questio...
At the time the lack of a diesel was probably also a challenge…
But as you said - few people would want to defend their choice in a golf club, ruining the car’s chances before it even saw the market 🤷🏻♂️ I hear what you’re saying - most exciting cars from the era have gone through the roof price wise in the last year...
Someday, when there's enough loose change in my account . . .
. . . and a free spot in the garage there will be a muscle Mopar on my insurance policy. First choice? 'Cuda. The visit to Huntington Beach Chrysler Plymouth in 1970 with Dad seeing dozens of 'Cudas on the lot is burned in my memory. Art ...
Sounds like a much more exciting choice than what I posted 😂👍🏻
Looking really good - hope it joins you soon 🤞🏻
Soon? Not likely . . .
. . . and I'll probably have to settle for an earlier A-body version. But either would float my boat.
Nice machine!
In the USA, this car was called the Acura RL 3.5L SH-AWD. I've never driven one, but I have been a passenger. Seemed like a nice car. My fear is that the car will revert to FWD when it senses you're going to be driving at a constant speed in fifth gear - ...
In my humble experience
Steering feel is also a lot about geometry and tires. I have owned and driven many warm/hot hatches and they all had razor sharp steering, much better than the vast majority of RWD/midship cars. What you cannot get however is purity since the front tires ...
They can be a hoot alright 👌🏻👍🏻🦾
Especially the Japanese and French have known for a long time how to make them so. The adoption of limited slip differentials helped, too. The era is sadly on its last legs, with the Civic Type R being in its last iteration, the Megane and Clio RS both al...
I must not be getting the right kind of rental cars!
Thanks for sharing this information! Maybe I ought to try a VW Golf GTI?
Not necessarily class leading for feel…
But certainly a reasonably competent FWD hot hatch 👌🏻👍🏻
Good to know! I'm trying to think what other ones I recognize at the rental car agency.
I am not a "hatchback" renter usually. I normally ask for a BMW 3er or a Mercedes C-Klasse.
I'll take a closer look next time!
Ultimately, I like BMWs and MBZs since I'm familiar with them. But trying a hot hatch - and experiencing something new, might not be a bad idea. I had a VW Jetta FWD for a month as a rental car. I really disliked it at first, but I eventually got used to ...
I guess you need to experience a good one first…
A Civic Type R or the Acura equivalent might be one of the few current choices in the US 👍🏻
Interesting! I'll keep an eye out for that.
A friend owns the Acura Integra with stick shift. And he's a watch person. Unfortunately, he lives 600 kilometers away from me!
That’s an easy 6 hours, right? 😁
Certainly worth considering it, given the reward on the other end 😉👍🏻
More if I take the electric car!
The electric car has to stop for charging! I can take my petrol car. But the petrol car would require about 14L/100KM for highway driving like that. Thus, over 84 Liters of petrol! Here in California we pay around $1.38 US dollars per liter ($5.2 for a US...
That it is 😁
I am probably not the standard European either, as I regularly travel these kinds of distances by car 😊 Average over 30k miles a year.
It all depends on the car…
And to be honest, nowadays hardly any performance oriented machinery from Germany comes without AWD. My experience was primarily on mountain roads, so cannot say if the car reverted to a different baseline on the motorway 🤷🏻♂️
Indeed. The world is going to AWD.
Every premium brand is pushing towards AWD. Fortunately, longitudinal engines generally won't revert to a FWD set up, as there's no efficiency gain. But transverse engines might, depending on the manufacturers' programming. Good to know that you thoroughl...
Funnily enough…
Electric propulsion gave RWD a new lease of life - quite some manufacturers use RWD for the lower range, single engine setups. As there are fewer packaging issues with electric motors it’s a fun development.
I like RWD electric cars!
My Tesla has terrible brakes and probably as much road noise as a 997-generation 911 Porsche. And a crazy computer controlling the windshield wipers. But outside of those gripes and a few more, I do like the Tesla a lot. It's the first time I have tires w...
Yes! Electric AWD cars are very very fast.
I just need to make sure I find one that doesn't revert to FWD while cruising on the highway. Some model years of Tesla Model S will go to FWD if it senses you're just cruising on the highway to be more efficient. And you can actually feel the steering ge...
They are fast indeed 😊👍🏻
Would love to try out the Lucid Air Sapphire but finding one here is as difficult as getting a necklace worth of hens teeth 😉🤷🏻♂️ The electric cars that allow for the high speed really demonstrate the difference to ICE in acceleration at speeds over 155m...
The Model S Plaid is insanity...
Have you tried the Tesla Model S Plaid? The car is wicked fast. Even the standard Tesla Model S from 2021 forward is wicked fast. Enough to make your passengers feel unhappy if you're not careful with the pedal. I haven't driven the Lucid Sapphire. But I ...
Will definitely give the Lucid a try once it is more easily available here 👍🏻
Not yet tried the electric G - unfortunately some of the downsides of the shape carry over (extreme wind noise at over 85mph) but then that’s a problem primarily in Germany 😉🤷🏻♂️
I'm a Lucid stockholder, so I hope you like it.
But every time I try the Lucid Air Sedan, the steering wheel creaks. In four years, they can't make that creak go away. What in the world??? I tried the Lucid Gravity SUV last month, I have a feeling this UI/UX Infotainment is much better than the Air. Bu...
Cannot conclusively comment on the Tesla…
As I never lived with it long enough. At my previous employer Teslas were removed from the fleet within 6 months as they had a breakdown rate that was horrendous and no reasonable aftersales service. And once I had a Model X as a taxi and the infotainment...
Hmm. Hard to say.
If you don't need an emergency appointment, they schedule you out two weeks sometimes! Good thing, the car requires very little servicing.
Here it was a minimum of two weeks…
For emergency issues. As the cars only ran a maximum of 6 months or 10k km there was little regular service.