Honda has just unveiled the Prelude. If you have your doubts about it, yes, it is 2023. The Japanese carmaker is bringing back the nameplate that debuted in the 1970s with a concept car that looks production-ready.
The Japanese have the new Prelude concept car on display at the Japan Mobility Show. In an attempt to revive an iconic nameplate, they came up with this concept just when everyone was expecting a preview of a future Acura NSX.
Honda has just thrown a teaser rather than actually presenting the Prelude. Therefore, there are no details about it. Honda has failed to mention if the concept car previews a future production model, but the representatives of the carmaker talk about an electric powertrain and its ability to offer driving pleasure like "never before." If it is the Honda Civic Type-R kind of driving pleasure, we have yet to find out.
Speaking of which, it seems that the front end found inspiration in the Civic. The car comes with a fastback silhouette and minimalist design. The front fascia displays an LED light strip stretching all along it, connecting the headlights. It is mirrored at the opposite end by another light strip that unites the taillights above the ‘Prelude’ handwriting badge.
The profile of the coupe is sleek, displaying flowing lines. There are flush door handles, and there is a prominent spoiler at the rear end. The windows are totally black, keeping the cabin away from the eyes of the curious. Or maybe there is nothing in there to show just yet.
The model wears 20-inch wheels and Brembo brakes with blue brake calipers. The Prelude shows up with conventional side mirrors instead of the so-common cameras used at least on concept cars lately and only sometimes making it to production. Once more, the solution confirms that we have, in front of our eyes, a variant that is almost production-ready.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe says that the concept car willl become "the prelude for our future model, which will inherit the joy of driving into the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda’s unalterable sports mindset." 'Prelude’ is used here as a ‘preview’ instead of the name of an actual model.
Photo: Honda
Launched back in 1978, the Honda Prelude stayed in production for five generations and 23 years. It came as a compact, two-door coupe slightly derived from the Accord and as the first Honda to feature a power moonroof, a feature that remained standard all throughout production and became a Prelude trademark.
The model was fun to drive and affordable, something that would get attention in our times as well. To do just that, Honda has to come up with a sporty powertrain and not such a big battery pack that would indeed bring more range, but would make the model heavier and more expensive.
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