2006 Honda Legend (UK)

Press Release

Page 1: Overview
Page 2: Performance
Page 3: Sophistication
Page 4: Safety
Page 5: Specifications

Performance

Vigorous torque and a unique all-wheel drive system that cements car to road

Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD)

Press packs from car manufacturers are often filled with hackneyed phrases and claims you've heard a thousand times. Too often the car doesn't deliver the promise. But with the new Legend there's one cliche we're confident the car lives up to: This car corners like it's on rails.

SH-AWD is Honda’s incredible new active torque distribution system that gives the Legend the cornering prowess of a sports car, while maintaining enviable levels of ride comfort. As well as varying torque distribution between front and rear wheels for optimum grip,

SH-AWD also shares the torque between the left and right rear wheels to accelerate the outer wheel and thus provide virtually neutral handling through bends.

The innovative transmission technology is the brainchild of Honda’s Senior Chief Engineer Yasuji Shibahata, who was also responsible for the Active Torque Transfer System on the Prelude in the 1990s.

While some AWD systems can distribute torque between front and rear using a centre differential, or between left and right rear wheels using a rear differential, Shibahata’s SH-AWD simultaneously controls torque from front to back and regulates lateral torque to the rear wheels – a world’s first.

During straight line cruising and mild cornering, the system delivers up to 70 per cent of the available torque to the front wheels, and 30 to the back. But during heavy throttle use or more energetic driving, up to 70 per cent of torque is directed to the rear wheels for increased acceleration and enhanced cornering ability.

At the heart of the system is a clever Rear Drive Unit, which uses twin, direct electromagnetic clutches to distribute torque across the rear wheels. Firstly, the Legend’s ECU calculates where the torque should go for optimum performance, based on input from engine speed, wheel speed, steering angle and lateral G sensors.

The feed of torque is then controlled by the Rear Drive Unit, which varies the magnetic forces to either clutch, pushing the available torque to one side or the other. Remember, up to 70 per cent of the available torque from the V6 engine can be fed to the outer rear wheel, significantly improving stability and reducing the effects of understeer. Conversely, if the Legend is decelerating during cornering, which might normally upset the balance of the car, the torque distribution is adjusted accordingly to help keep the car stable.

Because the outer rear wheel follows a path that’s wider than the average path of the front wheels, the Rear Drive Unit also includes an acceleration device, that ‘overdrives’ the rear wheel by up to five per cent. This means the extra torque given to that wheel can be transmitted efficiently to the road.

The result of all this intelligent technology is dramatically-enhanced steering feel, amazing stability and exceptional cornering performance in advance of anything else in the E-sector.

Powerplant

Providing more power than any other Legend engine to date, a mighty 24-valve, 3.5-litre VTEC lives under the bonnet, pushing out a peak of 295PS at the flywheel – more than any other V6-powered car in its class.The all-important torque figures are just as impressive: at 5,000rpm there’s a useful 351Nm of torque on hand.

The engine itself is fairly compact, and has been designed to be as lightweight as possible in an attempt to significantly improve the overall power-to-weight ratio of the car. As such, the all-aluminium block sports a slimline magnesium cylinder head cover, and a two-piece aluminium die-cast intake manifold. Honda engineers also concentrated on making the engine as frugal as possible, using low-friction materials where possible, and employing drive-by-wire throttle control. These features help the Legend record a combined mpg figure of 23.7. Carbon emissions are also impressive for a V6 engine (282g/km), helped by a dual, close-coupled, under-floor CAT exhaust system.

The Legend’s VTEC V6 is mated to a similarly lightweight 5-speed automatic gearbox, which was designed for high-speed driving, and built with high quality and a clean, short shift feel.

It features Honda’s Sequential SportShift, which means the driver can switch from traditional fully automatic mode, to ‘manually’ selecting gears using the shift lever in the centre console. Alternatively, the sports paddles behind the steering wheel can be used to change cogs.

Chassis

Honda’s chassis engineers have developed a new suspension system for the Legend that is specifically designed to work alongside the SH-AWD transmission technology. And the very presence of SH-AWD and the handling benefits it brings, have allowed the chassis experts to design a particularly compliant and comfortable ride.

The entire system is constructed from lightweight materials such as aluminium and comprises a double wishbone set-up at the front, with a multi-link design at the rear.

Huge, ventilated disc brakes with 4-piston callipers provide optimum stopping power for the large saloon at both front and rear, and these are assisted by the expected electronic aids in the form of ABS, EBD and Brake Assist.

Like the majority of new Honda cars, the Legend is fitted with Vehicle Stability Assist, which combines control of the brakes, engine speed and traction control to help keep the car balanced and stable during cornering and in critical conditions.