The new Honda coupe has struck a nostalgic chord, with most buyers in their 50s and 60s helping it exceed all expectations
- Honda received 2,400 Prelude orders in a month, eight times its forecast.
- Most buyers are in their 50s and 60s, citing nostalgia as the reason.
- Many buyers are adding the Prelude as a stylish second or weekend car.
The Prelude is officially back, and Honda’s bet on nostalgia and hybrid performance is paying off already. Just one month after the two-door coupe’s September 5 debut, Honda says it’s already got 2,400 orders in Japan.
More: New Prelude Has Type R Bits And Fake Gears But Not The Power You Might Expect
That figure is around eight times higher than what Honda initially planned for, despite the Prelude’s premium price of ¥6,179,800 (about $41,100 or €35,000 at current rates). That’s not only steep by Honda standards but it’s even pricier than the 400 hp, V6-powered Nissan Z, which starts at ¥5,497,800 ($36,300 or €31,100).
To keep pace with the unexpected surge in demand, Honda is already making adjustments behind the scenes.
Some dealers have already paused new orders, and Honda itself is ramping up production to meet the orders it already has. The automaker says it wants “as many customers as possible” to get behind the wheel, which, given this kinda start, might mean expanding production well beyond expectations.
The Older Buyers Behind the Buzz
Perhaps the most surprising part is that Honda isn’t scoring waves of young buyers with the Prelude. Instead, it’s Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, those in their 50s and 60s, who are snatching up this new two-door hybrid.
No doubt, both generations are full of folks with fond memories of earlier generations of the Prelude who are willing to spend a little now to recapture parts of their youth. This modern interpretation of the car might not be as raw as the original, but it’s still practical and sleek.
The color breakdown says a lot about the buyers too. The vast majority (63 percent) have opted for Moonlight White Pearl as their exterior paint color. 16 percent selected Meteoroid Gray Metallic, 11 percent chose Crystal Black Pearl, and a measly 10 percent chose Flame Red paint.
Hybrid Tech, Honda Style
The new Prelude sits on Honda’s e:HEV hybrid platform, a step somewhere between a conventional hybrid and an EV. For example, there isn’t any sort of traditional transmission. Honda uses two electric motors to transmit power to the wheels, and those motors get power from a generator fed by the gas engine.
Read: New Prelude Inspires A Modern Take On Honda’s S2000 Roadster
A new system Honda calls “S+ Shift” provides what the company calls a “sharp shift feel similar to a stepped shift.” The front of the Prelude benefits from the Civic Type-R’s dual-axis strut and active damper components. In essence, it should drive like no other Honda ever made.
At the heart of the setup is a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that delivers 141 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 134 lb-ft (182 Nm) of torque at 4,500 rpm. Working alongside it is an electric motor producing 181 horsepower and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm). However, because the two systems deliver their power differently, total output levels off at 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm) when they operate together.
US Sales
The new Prelude is scheduled to go on sale in America later this fall with pricing details to be announced. We can’t wait to try it out.
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