The new Legend looks the very epitome of a luxury sports saloon. However, it's much more than that.

Get behind the wheel, sample the Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) and highly responsive 3.5i litre all-aluminium engine and you soon realise it has pure bred racing instincts in every atom of its construction. With handling characteristics close to our legendary NSX supercar, the Legend breaks all the rules

The sleek lines of the Legend not only give expression to the power within, they're highly efficient when it comes to aerodynamics. The steeply sloping bonnet and short overhangs are designed to assist airflow over the body, producing high levels of performance and stability.

You may not be surprised to discover that the Legend comes with a beautifully designed soft-touch leather interior and memory select for both driver and passenger seat positions. You may not be surprised to discover it comes with a voice activated Satellite Navigation system. You may not even be surprised to discover it comes with an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) that uses optical sensors to determine the sun's position and automatically adjust the interior climate. What you may be surprised with, however, is that they all come as standard.

Refinement and cutting edge technology are more than enough for some people. At Honda our focus has always been on the thrill of driving. That's why our designers used high performing lightweight materials and introduced the unique Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. It's all designed with one simple purpose - to give you the handling prowess of a sports car.

For the Legend, we have developed a four-wheel drive system that can think for itself. When you demand a quick response from the car or turn sharply into a corner, torque is distributed across all four wheels, ensuring accurate steering and power delivery in all conditions and directions.

At the heart of the Legend is an impressive 3.5i VTEC, 24 valve all aluminium V6 engine, generating 295PS at 6,200rpm, delivered through a dual mode automatic gear box. This alone provides impressive power. However, as part of the overall development of creating exceptional power to weight ratios, we added magnesium cylinder head covers, an aluminium intake manifold and other weight-reducing measures throughout the car. It all means the Legend is capable of performance levels of the highest order.

Without perfect balance, agility and power, all our racing drivers in all our teams cannot do their jobs. Without that same combination in the Legend, it could be argued you couldn't do yours either. At Honda, we see a luxury car as more than a mode of transport. It's somewhere to think. To find answers. To be inspired.