Hondas with rear-wheel drive conjure images of modified automobiles with the engine placed in the back. Either that, or a Honda that has been modified to fit an engine positioned longitudinally. This Honda is one of the few RWD conversions of a Honda to retain the same original engine.
Jason Modell was close to 500hp when he constructed this turbocharged Prelude. What good is it to the front wheels, he thought to himself at that point. Preludes are cool vehicles, but they should have been rear-wheel-driven, people frequently complain. Jason, though, intended to accomplish it first in the globe.
He owns the sole RWD Prelude in the entire world as a result of his two and a half years of labor. Any B-series transmission may be attached to the Prelude H22A engine using the H2B adaptor plate from Bisimoto. For H22A owners who desired to use a Civic or Integra transmission, the H2B adapter kit was created. Jason mounted an AWD transmission from a Honda CR-V instead using the kit. The H22A can remain in its original location with a Honda transmission, sort of. The H22A had to be elevated approximately 3″ in order for the transmission to function, necessitating the fabrication of a special hood and motor mounts.
The driveshaft’s clearance posed no issues at all. The exhaust piping tunnel hump is a standard feature on Honda vehicles. In the car’s exhaust tunnel, the driveshaft slid precisely into place. The exhaust had to be redirected under the automobile because the tunnel was occupied. The new exhaust was built with flat 3″ tubing to provide it sufficient ground clearance.
Finding a rear end with the proper gearing for the motor and transmission was more difficult than welding up a rear end. Jason managed to track down a 1979 Ford Racing concept rear end gearset that was manufactured in Canada. Jason has one of the strangest Preludes on the earth thanks to all of this combined with a ton of custom parts, manufacturing, long nights of planning, and wrenching.
In This Article...
Are there any Hondas with RWD?
Hondas with RWD do exist. The Honda S2000 and Honda NSX are two real “big hitters” in Honda’s RWD lineup, which is rather small.
One of the most adored two-seat roadsters of all time, the Honda S2000 is renowned for its superb handling and high-revving engine (with one of the highest outputs per litre of any naturally aspirated engine in history).
It truly is an excellent “riff on the traditional roadster recipe” (RWD, naturally aspirated engine, manual gearbox). As a result, Honda S2000 prices have been rising; if you’re considering buying one, check out our buyer’s guide for the Honda S2000 here.
The first and second generation NSX are another well-known pair of RWD Hondas. One of the top vehicles of the 1990s, the first generation NSX was Honda’s response to the world’s Ferraris and Lamborghinis. For more details on this outstanding supercar, read our first-generation Honda NSX buyer’s guide here.
In general, other RWD Hondas belong to the Honda “S family of compact roadsters (primarily produced for the Japanese domestic market).
The Honda Beat is one example.
The Honda S500, S600, and S800:
Additionally, there was the Honda Vamos, a Kei truck from the early 1970s that was resurrected as the Vamos Hobio in the late 1990s:
As you can see, Honda’s RWD lineup was never that diverse outside of the Honda S2000 and original NSX.
The Honda Prelude has what type of drive?
Honda produced the Prelude sports vehicle between 1978 and 2001. All Honda Preludes had 2-door hardtop coupes with front-wheel drive and 4-cylinder (inline-4) engines. Five different designs (generations) of the Honda Prelude were produced. Honda created the Prelude to be a direct rival to other sports coupes available on the market. The Toyota Celica, Nissan Silvia, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Ford Probe, and Mazda MX-6 were the primary rival vehicles.
The Honda Prelude has specific characteristics that set each version apart from the others. The Honda Prelude had updated body style, new engines, and a fresh set of amenities with each new generation. However, all variants of the Honda Prelude kept their core values and driving forces. Every Honda Prelude that was built was made to handle aggressively, be enjoyable to drive, and be nimble.
The Honda Prelude performed ok when it came to reviews. The Honda Prelude was on the annual 10 Best list of Car and Driver magazine ten times, from 1984 to 1986 and from 1992 to 1998.
Honda Preludes are speedy cars.
To unlock the engine’s full 158 lb-ft of torque, though, you must crank the large four-cylinder past 5250 rpm when Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing and lift system finally engages and shifts to its higher-lift cam profile. Horsepower peaks at 7000 rpm, and the redline is at 7400 rpm, but if you keep your foot on the gas, the engine will spin up to its 8000 rpm fuel cutoff. When driven hard, the Prelude can sound and feel like a first-generation NSX for the masses. Despite its VTEC theatrics, the vintage Prelude is not as speedy as it seems. The Type SH will accelerate to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds at the test track and complete the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 90 mph. A 5000-rpm launch causes some wheelspin. These numbers are about the same as those we set twenty years ago, but they are about a half-second slower than those of a 2019 Honda Civic Si, which has a new turbocharged engine that doesn’t have to work nearly as hard to provide full force.
The fifth-generation Prelude and other Hondas from the turn of the century are examples of vehicles that contributed to the brand’s development of a reputation for cutting-edge engineering, performance, and quality. Back then, they topped our comparative tests, and many of them often appeared on our list of the 10 Best Cars. It’s simple to see why after driving this brand-new Prelude Type SH for a week. No, it isn’t up to modern standards, but in many respects, it did so by establishing the norms of the day. What other interesting vintage vehicles do you have stashed away in dark places, Honda?
Honda only offers FWD; why?
simply a reputation The majority of Honda owners are, in fact, satisfied with the balance and handling of their vehicles, thanks to advancements in engineering such as electronic traction control. RWD is more durable, but it also costs a lot more to build, which you would have to pay up front.
Is RWD preferable to FWD?
For maximum acceleration, rear-wheel drive is preferable to front-wheel drive. The added weight over the car’s rear tires, which are its drive wheels, is the reason of this. This weight forces the tires of the cars into the pavement, boosting grip and the car’s ability to go forward. When you press the gas pedal, the weight on the rear tires increases, just as your body weight is pushed back into the seat when the automobile takes off. This increases pressure on the tires and improves grip by shifting the car’s weight to the back of the vehicle, which presses down on the tires even more. When a front-wheel drive vehicle accelerates, the same thing happens. However, a front-wheel drive system pulls an automobile along the road rather than pushing it. When you step on the gas, the weight transfer forces the vehicle’s front tires to bear less weight while simultaneously pushing the back tires down, thereby trying to raise them off the ground. Through wheel spin and a reduction in engine torque, this weight transfer reduces the traction of the vehicle’s front tires. Acceleration is usually slower when there is less traction. You now understand why rear-wheel drive racecars have the fastest acceleration in the world. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat and the newest Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 are two examples of today’s most potent rear-wheel-drive muscle cars.
S2000 is it RWD?
The S2000 was unveiled in 1999 and granted the “AP1” chassis designation for the 2000 model year. It has a front engine, rear-wheel drive design, with a 1,997 cc (122 cu in) inline four-cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine that provides power.
Are preludes trustworthy?
Problems with Honda Prelude Reliability 48 complaints have been filed by Prelude owners over a 12-year period. Out of 24 Honda vehicles, it had an overall PainRankTM rating of 8, with some engine and electrical issues.
Has the Honda Prelude VTEC?
Honda debuted the Prelude’s fourth generation in Japan in 1991 and on foreign markets the following year.
Honda only produced the Prelude for five years, but even so, the car was a fierce rival to other coupe cars on the market. The automaker used the same platform to build it as the fourth-generation Accord but incorporated the well-known VTEC engines.
Honda stopped producing Prelude; why?
Your inquiries concern the Honda Prelude. The car has solutions. Here are some of the most often asked Prelude questions and their responses.
Is the Honda Prelude a good car?
Yes, if you’re okay with design and technologies that are at least 20 years old. Every Prelude generation was built when Honda was at the peak of its game, and it was evident in the production quality, engineering, and dependability. Drive a pristine Prelude till the wheels come off of it if you can.
Why did Honda stop making the Prelude?
Unfortunately, the Prelude’s semi-high price tag drastically reduced sales at the conclusion of the fifth generation as Honda’s premium alter ego Acura gained popularity. Only 58,118 units of the fifth-generation Prelude were sold in the United States, as opposed to the 336,599 that were sold during the third generation.
Will the Honda Prelude come back?
At this moment, it is quite improbable that the Prelude will ever again be produced, especially as Honda starts to devote more money and attention to Acura. The current Civic Type R or Honda Accord Sport should be a good fit if you’re looking for a speedy, high-tech Honda. Additionally, if you have the extra cash, the impending Acura Type S sports sedan/coupe will probably rank among Honda/best-driving Acura’s vehicles to date.
Is the Honda Prelude a sports car?
Although the smaller, more agile Acura Integra might have a slight advantage, the Prelude is unquestionably not a sports vehicle. The term “sports coupe” would be more appropriate.
The Prelude is not a sports car.
The second-generation Honda Prelude was driven by American motorists for the first time in 1983. The second-generation model was more streamlined than the first, but it also featured sharp angles, a style trend of the 1980s.
However, it may be said that the enhanced performance was the most significant change. Preludes of the second generation could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 9 seconds, which was a substantial increase over the first.
As a result of this momentum, Honda unveiled the third-generation Prelude in 1988, a vehicle that genuinely belongs among the top sports cars from the 1980s. The third-generation vehicle had technological advancements like four-wheel steering and more horsepower.
Sales of the third-generation Honda Prelude (336,599) demonstrated the improvements that had been made.
How is VTEC put to use?
In essence, the VTEC system blends high-RPM performance with low-RPM fuel efficiency and stability. Additionally, the changeover happens smoothly, enabling consistent performance across the entire powerband. The engine computer manages the switching process between the two cam lobes.