The Honda Prelude is back! Electric-car concept unveiled, showroom version to follow
One of Honda's best-known sports-car nameplates is poised to return with electric power by the end of the decade – and it should look something like this Tokyo motor show concept unveiled today.
Honda has confirmed the return of the Prelude sports car with the unveiling of an electric-powered concept at the Tokyo motor show.
Last year the Japanese car giant confirmed plans for two new electric sports cars: a smaller and cheaper model in the vein of the Prelude or S2000, and a flagship vehicle to succeed the latest mid-engined hybrid NSX.
Now it has confirmed reports out of Japan the Prelude name will make a comeback, with the unveiling of a concept reviving the name used from 1978 to 2001 over five generations.
Honda has not confirmed showroom arrival timing for the production Prelude, beyond its previous confirmation it will arrive before the end of the decade.
Japanese media reports have previously claimed it is planned for launch in 2028.
Honda has not explicitly said the Prelude name will feature on the production car, however it emphasised the meaning of the name in the context of an “introduction” to electric sports cars – and the concept car looks ready for showrooms, with only small tweaks.
“We are diligently progressing with development. Please keep your expectations high for this model,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said on stage at the Tokyo motor show.
Limited technical details of the concept have been revealed, and it is so far unclear if it will be rear-wheel drive like the S2000, or front-wheel drive like the Prelude.
The concept’s design is sleek, with hints of the new Toyota Prius in the headlights – and simple surfaces, without extroverted air vents or aerodynamic details.
The short distance between the front wheels and windscreen is typically associated with front-wheel drive cars, which do not need the same space as rear-wheel-drive vehicles to package a long, in-line engine running along the length of the car (rather than across its width).