The Prelude was last made back in 2001 when it was discontinued because Honda replaced it with the coupe Accord. Even though so far there haven’t been many details about a future model, it seems that Honda might in fact release a successor. They currently do have a front wheel drive Accord coupe on the market which perfectly fills the spot of the Prelude. However, it seems that the rumored 2018 Honda Prelude might still have a place. Like we all know, Honda is preparing a new S2000 to take the market by storm. Well, the rumored Prelude is actually expected to become its coupe sibling.
2018 Honda Prelude – More details
The two would share the same engine, suspension, chassis and most importantly, the rear wheel drive setup. This would be quite different from the front wheel drive original but it would allow Honda to focus once again on the high performance market. The new Prelude would easily find a spot in a market currently dominated by cars like the Toyota FT-86 or even the new Mustang. The release date is currently unknown, especially since Honda hasn’t actually confirmed it. At this point it seems that a concept might be showcased next year with a production version coming in the late 2018. The price would have to be around $25,000 to $30,000 for a base model in order to be competitive. The Accord Coupe is also right around there but it would be aimed at a completely different segment of the market.
Exterior Design of Honda Prelude 2018
The original Prelude went through many different design schemes with the last model being quite unique. Well, the 2018 Honda Prelude is also expected to depart quite a bit from Honda’s other cars. For starters, it seems that it may actually share some design traits with the NSX. Even though this is not official, there have been some inside sources suggesting that the S2000 will take that design scheme. Considering that the Prelude would be the coupe version, it is safe to assume the two will share the same front end. However, the Prelude will have a new profile with a long hood, a cabin built towards the back of the chassis and a really short rear end.
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Inside the cabin of new Prelude
Even though the S2000 will be a two-seats car, the 2018 Honda Prelude might stick to the original design and offer four individual seats. This would allow Honda to sell the car to a much larger market than otherwise and it would allow it to be compared to the cars at this price point. The design of the dashboard will likely be all new and mostly based on the S2000. The equipment level and the materials on the other hand should be at the same level with what can be currently be had on the Accord.
Engine and Transmission
The original models all used a VTEC naturally aspirated engine in one form or another. Unfortunately the 2018 car won’t. Honda’s newest engine is a 2 liter turbocharged and direct injected mill which is capable of 314 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It seems that this is the most likely candidate to be installed under the hood of the Prelude. However, the engine will likely come in a couple of different versions. There will be a lower end model with closer to 200 horsepower while the top end version will offer its full potential. A six speed manual gearbox is more than likely going to be offered while an automatic should also be an option. Like we mentioned above, the car will more than likely be rear wheel drive. With the help of the powerful engine, it should be capable of a 0 to 60 MPH time of less than 5 seconds which would put it at the top of its class.
