The Surprise of the Honda Prelude

Honda unveils a concept car that no one expected at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. After two decades of absence, the Prelude is back.

From 1978 to 2001, the Honda Prelude coupe brought joy to many drivers through a rich career and five generations. A simple and effective concept with a 4-seater front-wheel-drive coupe with a front engine.

But at the beginning of the 21st century, the automotive market gradually shifted away from these pleasure cars to the famous high-set, spacious SUVs. The reason—at the expense of passion—seems fortunately to be a thing of the past!

Following the return of the Honda NSX and Toyota Supra, it is now Honda’s turn to revive one of its icons, but unlike its competitors, the path taken by the Japanese manufacturer is that of electrification.

According to Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda, the word Prelude means a “introductory or previous performance.” He leaves the interpretation of this very personal, but more wisely hopes that this model becomes the prelude to future models representing the “pleasure of driving” in a fully electrified future.

The most interesting thing about this concept car is that it can easily be imagined hitting the road next week. No designer fantasies in this Prelude; we are looking at a production car. Honda seems determined to give it a future, as it is indicated that development is ongoing to meet customer expectations. We know that this type of pleasure car is not meant for long-distance travel. Imagine a reasonably autonomous battery to contain weight and cost, making the sporty concept viable. We must always dream.

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