100 Cars That Changed History

“1990 Acura Legend” by Kentaro Matsui – Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

2. Acura Legend 1986-1990 Japan

The Acura Legend is the car that proved Japanese companies could compete in the American luxury car market. It was the first sedan sold under the Acura name, Honda’s high end division. The success the Honda Acura had in competing against British and American luxury car makers would inspire other Japanese companies to launch luxury car lines under new brands. Toyota would launch Lexus, and Nissan would launch Infinity. The Japanese luxury car is now a force to reckoned with and it all started with the Acura. Powered by a 151 hp (113 kW) 2.5 L C25A V6, the sedan hit Japanese markets in 1986, appearing in North America the following year. The coupes, featuring slightly larger engines, began production the following year. The car could go from 0-60mph in under 8 seconds, with top speeds around 135mph.
* Car and Driver’s Ten Best three years in a row
* Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year for 1987