Armchair Fanatics Despair, Precise Consumers Need The New Honda Prelude

When the revived Honda Prelude launchedthe web responded in a lot the identical method because it did to the Acura Integra or Toyota Supra: Complaining that the brand new model is not some million-horsepower supercar, which the unique by no means was both. The Reddit threads all declare that the brand new Prelude is destined to fail as a consequence of its solely having 200 horsepower and no guide transmission, however the Prelude’s precise consumers appear to disagree. In Japan, at the very least, preorders have vastly outstripped anticipated demand for the automotive to the purpose the place Honda is growing manufacturing to get prospects their vehicles quicker.

The Prelude might not be obtainable for order but in the USA, however consumers in Japan have been capable of put their hard-earned money down in Japan for simply over a month. Since September 5, when preorders opened, Honda has offered 2,400 vehicles — eight occasions the 300 the corporate had deliberate. It is sufficient that some sellers have halted ordering altogether, whereas Honda itself has promised further manufacturing simply to fulfill demand.

Honda says that Prelude prospects are primarily of their 50s and 60s, which aligns with broader tendencies round new-car consumers. These 50- and 60-year-olds overwhelmingly ordered their vehicles in Moonlit White Pearl, which made up 63% of orders, making them among the most boring folks alive — although nonetheless higher than the 16% who opted for Meteoroid Gray Metallic, or the 11% who purchased Crystal Black Pearl. Solely 10% opted for Honda’s sole precise shade providing, Body Pink, although that could be on Honda’s choices greater than purchaser choice.

When Honda opens up orders on the U.S. facet, we’ll see whether or not the automotive lives as much as its Japanese success right here on our shores. Hopefully, it would — we deserve extra coupes on our roads, whether or not or not they’re efficiency monsters. Perhaps, if we’re fortunate, a profitable Prelude may even persuade different automakers that much less performance-oriented coupes are nonetheless needed on our shores. And, after all, present Honda that we wish a Prelude Sort R.