Honda Prelude CAUGHT Testing in Germany

[chopsuey34]

With the fact the Si was barely updated when the hybrid came out I'm getting the feeling that the Prelude will be replacing the Si.

Good take on this, I never considered this, but with Honda move to hybrid and EV, there's no room for Si in the future. This will get the Civic Hybrid motor and probably all the sporty suspension bits and maybe the LSD once the Si is canceled.

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[RobbJK]

Oh man.. no hatch?

It is a liftback similar to the Integra - it's got a cut line in roof and when Raiti was reviewing the concept he noted that the rear glass and trunklid were all one piece - you can also see the hatch supports behind the rear glass in some shots.

 

[RobbJK]

Also worth noting, saying it has a CVT is not really correct, Honda needs a better branding word for it, but their hybrids don't actually have a transmission to speak of - it's a single speed electric motor that drives the front wheels 95% of the time with the gas engine acting mostly as a generator for the battery unless its needed for more power or certain highway conditions.

It's more like a small battery EV with a built in generator + gas power booster than what most consider a regular mild hybrid to be where the electric and gas motors share duty more of the time. So it's seamless electric power from 0 rpm.

Given Honda's slower adoption of EV's I could possibly see the next gen Si going hybrid - and using the Prelude as a tester for some of the performance and tech that could go into it, I figure the CTR will continue on ICE/Manual for one more full generation possibly however.

Hearsay from a dealer meeting in Vegas stated the Prelude rides on a version of the CTR platform and possibly even uses the adjustable dampers from the CTR/Integra. It may not have everyones preferred transmission type (again, it doesn't have a transmission), but as a sporty GT car, which is what Honda is aiming for it to be (not a track car, that's what the CTR is for), it'll handle well, be appropriately quick, while also being efficient and comfortable.

 

[Integra23]

It is a liftback similar to the Integra - it's got a cut line in roof and when Raiti was reviewing the concept he noted that the rear glass and trunklid were all one piece - you can also see the hatch supports behind the rear glass in some shots.

The odd line that shoots over makes it appear to be a trunk. I forgot about Raiti.

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