The Legend That Broke the Rules: Remembering the Mugen Legend Max
For decades, Honda enthusiasts have shared a common dream: a factory-built, V8-powered Honda sports car or sedan. Despite crafting engineering masterpieces ranging from high-revving Civic Type Rs to the game-changing NSX, Honda has traditionally stuck to efficient configurations up to their trusty V6s, politely declining the need for a V8.
But back in 2005, the legendary tuning house Mugen decided to bend the rules entirely.
Beneath the Firecracker Red Exterior
Starting life as a fourth-generation KB1 Honda Legend (known as the Acura RL in North America), Mugen took Honda’s flagship executive sedan and injected pure motorsport DNA into it:
Aggressive Styling & Stance: Coated in a striking “Firecracker Red” paint, the bodywork was subtly flared, widening the stance from the stock 1,847mm to a muscular 1,905mm. It rolled on custom 18x9.5JJ alloy wheels wrapped in sticky 275/35ZR18 Dunlop Direzza rubber.
The Le Mans Beast Within: Under the hood lived a detuned variant of the Mugen MF408S—a 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated, 32-valve, DOHC Le Mans racing V8. Throttled down slightly from its over-600hp race spec to a monstrous 500 horsepower, and screaming all the way to a 10,000 rpm redline, this powerplant was paired with a custom-developed 6-speed manual gearbox.
Cabin & Control: Inside, the sedan featured a driver-focused black and blue interior complete with aggressive front bucket seats, backed up by 5-slit competition brake rotors, micro-mesh lines, and competition pads.
