Anyone with an affinity for the Gran Turismo series will immediately recognize the long, wedge-shaped shape of the Honda Prelude. It has appeared in most games and provides a cheap entry into the front-engine, front-wheel drive street car category.
Clearly it was ripe for customization and in real life it offered a legitimate two-door sports car experience in something that could easily be used every day. Aside from the NSX, Honda hasn’t focused its intentions on true sports cars since the S2000. Does this concept mean a return to form?
Unveiled at the end of Honda’s Japan Mobility show speech, the Honda Prelude EV gives us a good idea of what an electrified version of this ’80s and ’90s classic could look like.
“We know that our customers expect one more thing from Honda, and that is sports models,” Honda CEO, President and Representative Toshihiro Mibe said during his presentation.
“Honda has always been committed to creating performance vehicles. And the word ‘prelude’ means an ‘introductory or preliminary performance.’
“This model will be the prelude to our future models that will inherit the ‘joy of driving’ in the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda’s unchanging sports spirit,” he added.
The shape of things to come?
We’re not sure this talk guarantees full commitment to a production version of the Prelude EV. But the concept itself doesn’t look like it needs to be radically changed to hit the streets.
That said, there was absolutely no mention of an EV powertrain underpinning this, nor any suggestion of performance figures.
Still, it certainly looks the part: not overly aggressive, not too low or impractical, this Prelude EV could easily be a contender for the likes of the rumored electric Porsche Boxster.
Hopefully this signals a return to form for Honda sports cars, and for more exciting electric cars in general.