Reunion with the Legend Coupe

One day, he discovered the beloved Legend Coupe owner on Instagram. After chatting, he found out the owner lived nearby and owned a nearly original-condition Legend Coupe Alpha Touring.

When they met at the Royu Driveway, it turned out the owner was a student whose father’s beloved car had been passed down to him. He was also a passionate driver.

It was like seeing his past self, and they happily lost track of time chatting about cars.

The Legend Coupe shown was the same Alpha Touring grade he had driven.

The Alpha Touring was the top-grade model, featuring 16-inch aluminum wheels, firmer suspension, a unique vertical grille, red-stitched leather seats, red meter needles, and a C32A Type II engine with about 20 more horsepower.

This C32A engine is a sibling to the C30A engine used in the NSX at the time. It shares the same bore but has a slightly longer stroke, making it 3200cc. It’s SOHC and doesn’t have VTEC, but it’s a very good engine that revs lightly and produces that unmistakably pleasant Honda engine sound at high revs.

This Legend Coupe is a one-owner car. The proof is in the two-digit license plate. While many Legends have lowered suspension or aftermarket wheels, this one still wears the original Alpha Touring wheels and has been carefully maintained to this day.

According to the owner, there is some leather wear on the seats and a sliding issue with the passenger seat due to aging, but it runs perfectly fine.

Personally, I love the design. Especially the rear view, the low, solid stance from the front three-quarter angle, and the sharp front mask—it’s still my favorite design.

Driving the Legend Coupe After 16 Years

The 4-coat, 4-bake painted body still shines brilliantly. Opening the door reveals just how heavy it is. It’s heavier than I remembered. Even the AMG S63 Coupe has hefty doors, but the Legend’s feel more solid and dense.

When you close the door, the auto-closer quietly pulls it shut. The seats are coupe-exclusive sports seats with firm side bolsters, quite firm compared to other Japanese cars of the era.

The car I drove back then had stiffer leather, but this one’s leather feels softer. These seats are incredibly comfortable and fatigue-free.

The interior is luxuriously appointed for its time, with a Tendo Mokko genuine woodgrain center console, a rare gas-rate sensor-based inertial navigation & GPS factory navigation system, and a LUXMAN pure sound system. It was basically fully loaded for the era.

Starting the engine wakes it instantly, and the engine noise is noticeable. This is one difference from the Celsior and other luxury sedans of the time, which were quieter but sometimes felt less engaging.

The Alpha Touring seats are fully power-adjustable with memory functions. Sitting in the driver’s seat again after so long, I realized the seating position offers excellent visibility and is very easy to drive.

Though the car sits low, the front, rear, and side visibility is good, and the low dashboard gives a feeling of controlling the car from above. The steering wheel is electrically adjustable for fine tuning, allowing a truly relaxed and perfect driving position.

Looking back, this comfortable driving position might explain why long drives never felt tiring.

Pressing the accelerator, the 4-speed automatic shifts from 1st to 2nd with a noticeable shift shock, a nostalgic feel. Many automatics back then were like this.

However, this particular car’s shifts are smoother and less noticeable than the one I drove, suggesting it’s in very good condition.

Taking the Shakago corner, I felt the familiar understeer. More precisely, it doesn’t really turn much at all. It tends to push wide more than expected.

At first, I was thrown off, but memories came flooding back and I got used to it.

I love the rear view of this Legend Coupe. It still looks cool today.

The heavy front-wheel-drive feel of pulling the car forward is nostalgic. Tight corners are a challenge, but gentle curves feel wonderful. Applying a little throttle while cornering keeps the front flat and the car glides through smoothly. I always loved that feeling in the Legend Coupe.

The ride quality, compared to modern cars, has some drivetrain roughness but is overall smooth and flat. Body roll is noticeable but manageable depending on how you apply weight. My vague past memory was that the body felt more flexible and the ride a bit rougher, but compared to that, this car feels much more solid and comfortable.

Driving it brought back vivid memories: commuting to school and part-time jobs, solo long tours, drives with friends, university life, club activities, relationships, and the music he listened to back then.

Cars can act like a kind of time machine, bringing back memories you’d forgotten.

Braking before corners feels soft and the brakes engage deep into the pedal travel, unlike modern cars. At first, I wondered if they were weak, but the effective braking point is far down. Once you get used to it, it’s not unsettling.

Revving the engine a bit triggers a quick kickdown, and the engine responds eagerly. This is classic Honda. The engine sound is refined yet sporty. It’s unmistakably the sound of a Honda V6. I savored the nostalgia as I focused on the engine.

The power output is 235 ps with 29.5 kgf·m torque. The Type II C32A in the Alpha Touring produces 235 ps at 6300 rpm, making it a high-revving engine that’s a joy to spin. It’s not blisteringly fast, but the performance never feels frustrating.

Though he didn’t get to test it on the highway this time, driving the straight stretch of the Royu Tunnel clearly showed the Legend’s excellent straight-line stability. He’s always thought the Legend’s high-speed stability ranks among the best of Japanese cars. The predecessor KA3, the KA8, and the later KA9 all excelled in stability and confidence at high speeds.

Having experienced many imported and domestic cars since, he still believes the Legend’s high-speed stability is something to be proud of.

The Legend Is the Legend

By the end of the test drive, he felt like he’d returned to the present from a time machine, unsure of his own age.

The Legend Coupe he drove again was exactly the same as the one in his memories. It’s a car that makes you want to drive forever, not too slow, not too fast, just flowing at a slightly brisk pace.

He’s driven many large coupes like the S63 Coupe and SL500 seeking that same feel, but none compare. The Legend Coupe’s ride is truly one of a kind.

The Legend is, after all, the Legend.

He’s deeply grateful to the owner who kindly showed him such a rare car. The owner said, “You just want to keep driving the Legend and going on drives forever.” That feeling is exactly the same as his own. There’s definitely something special about this car.

Parts are now hard to find and repairs can be difficult, but he hopes the owner will cherish it and keep driving it. And secretly, he looks forward to the day they can go on a tour together in their Porsches.