“Honda has always been committed to creating sporty vehicles,” said Toshihiro Mibe, president and CEO of Honda, during his press conference at the ongoing Japan Mobility Show. Today, the Japanese carmaker is demonstrating that commitment by presenting this, the Prelude Concept.
Fans of the brand will know that in recent years, Honda has been bringing back a few famous names. The NSX made a return in 2016 but will soon be ended (again), and following that, the Integra made a return as an Acura model (the name was also used for the Civic in China).
Now, the Prelude gets its time in the spotlight, although Honda isn’t confirming if it will eventually become a series production model. The official word from the company is, “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.”
As such, the Prelude Concept previews future Honda electric vehicles (EVs), specifically sports cars that focus on driver engagement and driving performance. Or as the carmaker puts it, “offer exhilarating experience that makes you want to keep going forever and extraordinary excitement you never felt before.”
There are zero details on the Prelude Concept’s powertrain or the platform it is built on, but it certainly looks attractive. The two-door body is shaped in a way that is reminiscent of the previous coupe versions of the Accord and Civic, with notable cues being the prominent front lip, retractable door handles, a rear spoiler and a hammerhead shark-like front fascia.
The overall design doesn’t look overly outlandish as most concepts tend to be, and we dare say it looks pretty much production-ready. Honda said last year that it will introduce two sports car models as part of its electrification plans, with one being a specialty model while the other is a flagship model.
The former was mentioned by Mibe during the press conference, where he said, “at the automobile electrification business briefing we held last year, I talked about future sports models. Today, to conclude my presentation, I would like to show you one of them – the specialty sports model.” That certainly sounds like affirmation that the Prelude Concept will be made into something customers can buy. Looking forward to it?
The post Honda Prelude returns as a sporty 2-door EV concept appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
