Ludacris' Damaged '93 Legend Being Macked-Out by Acura

Because he drives a ’93 Legend.

ludacris 1993 acura legend
Michael Simari

Pore over the song titles on rapper Ludacris’s 2015 album, Ludaversal, and some themes emerge that are seemingly tailored to modern-day Acura. “Grass is Always Greener” could describe Acura’s abandonment of storied nameplates like Legend and Integra for alphanumerics; “Not Long” could refer to its belief that a seat in the full-luxury pantheon is just around the corner; and “Beast Mode” could be a nod to the upcoming NSX supercar. In reality, the album’s sepia-toned cover art, which depicts the rapper’s 1993 Acura Legend sedan parked beside a private jet, is the only actual connection to Acura. Yes, Ludacris owns a Legend—and it was recently in an accident, so Acura fixed up the car and brought it to the SEMA show.

It seems Ludacris is among that rare subset of celebrities who keep old cars around even after they’ve made enough money to buy literally anything else, as well as the even rarer niche of those who have had their old car restored by its original maker. We don’t doubt that Luda owns other cars, but keeping a ’93 Acura Legend? That’s keeping it real. Proving that he—or someone—still drives the thing is the recent and unfortunate incident that left the Legend with a badly damaged rear door and quarter panel. (Check out the aftermath in the photo at the bottom of this post.)

Michael Simari

The car underwent a “complete ground-up restoration” at the Acura Design studio in L.A., and a few modern embellishments were added by Acura’s global creative director, Dave Marek, during the two-month process. As Marek puts it, “We wanted to put our own stamp on the Legend while retaining the essence of the original that Ludacris has worked so hard to maintain over the years.” To that end, the car got a two-inch suspension drop, 18-inch Rays wheels, a set of 215/40 Bridgestone performance tires, and an upgrade to six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes. The car also received a custom Warm Cashmere and Ice Pearl paint job, as well as a Pioneer sound system.

Again, if you’re having trouble wrapping your mind around a wealthy rapper/actor keeping his ancient Acura, don’t just take it from us. Ludacris himself said, “Seeing the car that has been such a big part of my life brought back to beyond its original condition was a real gift. The Legend is back and better than ever.” The guy clearly loves his Legend. And Acura obviously digs the celebrity afterglow; after all, we haven’t seen the RLX on many album covers.

Michael Simari
Michael Simari and the Manufacturer
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