Honda Prelude
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| Honda Prelude | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Honda |
| Production: | 1978–2001 |
| Class: | Sportscar |
| Body Styles: | 2-door coupe |
| Predecessor: | none |
| Successors: | Acura RSX, Honda S2000 |
| Shares components with: | Honda Accord |
| Similar models: | Toyota Celica Acura Integra Mitsubishi Eclipse |
| This article is part of the automobile series. | |
The Honda Prelude is a front wheel drive four-cylinder coupe that was manufactured by Honda between 1978 and 2001. It spanned five generations of cars but was discontinued upon the release of the fourth-generation Honda Integra in Japan in late 2001.
The Prelude's perennial competitor has been the Toyota Celica, another four-cylinder coupe introduced several years prior to the Prelude. Throughout the 1980s, which was known as the decade of inexpensive sports cars, it was challenged by the Nissan Silvia (180/240SX), Isuzu Impulse, Mitsubishi Cordia (later Eclipse), Mazda MX-6, and its cousin, the Honda-built Acura Integra.
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1978
The first generation Prelude was released in 1978 and had a CVCC engine. It was the third main model in Honda's modern lineup, joining the Civic and the Accord.
1982
The second generation Prelude was released in 1982 and was initially available with a 12-valve dual carburetor engine, and fuel injection was introduced in 1985. In Japan and Asia, it was available with a DOHC 16 valve PGM-FI engine.
1987
The third generation Prelude was built upon the success of the second generation, however it gained 4 wheel steering (on some models), as well as a 2.0 L SOHC carburetor engine or a DOHC EFI engine, which was increased to a 2.1 L engine with the second series in 1990 and 1991. The Prelude was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1987.
1991
PB165355_ben_prelude_lg.jpg
In 1991, there was a major overhaul of the Prelude, released outside of Japan in 1992. The four-wheel steering system was changed to an electronic version and the engine was increased in size from 2.1 L to 2.2 L for the base "S" model and "VTEC" model, with 2.3 L for the "Si".
1997
The fifth and final generation of Prelude saw enhancements from the fourth generation, and in 2001, the Prelude was discontinued.
The fifth-generation Prelude marked a return to the body style of the late 1980s Preludes (specifically the third generation) in an attempt to curb slumping sales of the fourth-generation body style. The fifth-generation had an SH ("Super-Handling") version which featured the Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS). This system allowed Honda to overcome the front wheel drive limitation somewhat, and in 1997 Car and Driver named the Prelude SH the "best-handling car under $30,000."
Another version of the fifth-generation Prelude, the Type-S, was only available in Japan. It was equipped with the H22A, a VTEC engine producing 220 hp (164 kW) at 7,200 rpm and 163 ft·lbf (220 N·m) at 6,500 rpm.
Awards
The Prelude was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list ten times, from 1984 through 1986, and 1992 through 1998.
External link
- Prelude timeline at honda.co.jp (http://www.honda.co.jp/HOT/ModelData/prelude/index.html)