Honda Prelude is back! Tokyo concept previews likely production model
We don’t know much about it but we do know this much: the new Honda Prelude Concept is likely to spawn a production model.
Revealed at the Tokyo Mobility Show by Honda President Toshihiro Mibe, the two-door concept car aims to take the “joy of driving” into the electrified age.
But is Honda really planning to relaunch the Prelude? Mibe’s speech at the show certainly seemed to imply so. Here are some extracts:
“I have introduced some of the mobility products that embody Honda's dreams, which represent the Honda of today and the future. But we know our customers are expecting one more thing from Honda, and that is sports models.
“Everyone, this is the Prelude Concept.
“Honda has always been committed to creating sporty vehicles. And the word ‘prelude’ means an ‘introductory or preceding performance.’ This model will become the prelude for our future models which will inherit the ‘joy of driving’ into the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda's unalterable sports mindset.
“In order to offer the ‘joy of driving’ only Honda can realise, we are diligently progressing with development, so please keep your expectations high for this model.”
To that end, the Honda President also promised that the sports model would offer an “exhilarating experience that makes you want to keep going forever” but he stopped short of mentioning any specifications.
Update: While the initial assumption was that the new Prelude would be a fully electric model, the latest rumours point to it being a hybrid. We’ll just have to wait and see..
The Honda Prelude nameplate has a long history, having been sold between 1978 and 2001 through five generations.
Based on the Honda Accord it was never much of a firecracker, however, with the most potent Type S version producing 164kW from a 2.2-litre VTEC engine.
The future version, however, could be a different story altogether..