1992 Honda Prelude Restyled Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE AS FAR as sports coupes go, the current (1991) Hon- da Prelude is rather conser- vative. Stylish, quiet, and reasonably comfortable, the Prelude is a quick and nim- ble automobile, but not in a way that’s likely to attract any undue attention. sports coupe emphasizes performance The 1992 Prelude, on the other hand, is more aggressive in both looks and performance: The new styling is very, very different. Honda has done away with the ‘greenhouse’ look and replaced it with the popular “‘wedge’’ shape. The Pretude’s low snout, wrap-around halogen headlamps, and high rear deck take a page out of the Acura Legend Coupe’s styling book, while the Prelude’s tall rear taillights could be mis- taken for those of a Jaguar XJS. From the front and side, the Prelude has a dynamic, ‘‘ready- to-pounce”’ !o0k; however, the rear looks rather awkward and takes some getting used to. While most other Japanese per- formance cars have been getting bigger, the new Prelude is actually seven centimetres shorter than the 91 model. However, it is con- siderably wider (by five and a half centimetres) and has a correspon- dingly wider track for improved stability and handling. The °92 Prelude is available in three trim levels, base, SR and 4wS (four-wheel-steering). Base Preludes are now powered by a 2.2-litre single overhead cam four-cylinder engine (up from 2.1 litres) with 135 horsepower. Though horsepower hasn’t chang- ed from last year, this engine de- velops peak power and torque at lower engine revolutions, resulting in more usable, around-town per- formance. Prelude ST and 4WS models get more punch with a brand new §60-horsepower 2.3-litre dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine (up from 2.1 litres and 140 horsepower). Both new engines feature twin-balance shafts to help cancel out engine vibrations. An upgraded five-speed manual gearbox is standard equipment on all Preludes. The new cable-ac- tuated shifter is easier to throw Price as tested $23,995 Type 2-door, 4-passenger coupe Layout transverse front engine/front wheei drive Engine 2,259 cc 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves, twin- from gear to gear and has a better shift ‘‘feel’’. An electronically- controlled four-speed automatic is available as an option. The best feature of the new Prelude, in my opinion, is its handling. It drives, sounds and feeis more like a sports car than its predecessor, and is one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive coupes I’ve ever driven. Honda's engineers improved the handling by widening the track, increasing the rigidity of the car’s platform, refining the independent doubdle-wishbone suspension system, and increasing wheel trav- el. The result is a sports coupe that is responsive to the driver's commands, easy and fun to drive, balance shafts, clectronic multi-point fuei injection Horsepower 160 @ 5,800 rpm Torque 156 Ibs-ft @ 4,500 rpm Transmission 5-speed man- ual(4-speed. electronically con- trotied) Curb weight 1,325 kg/2,921 ibs Wheelbase 2,550 mm/100.4 in. Length 4,440 mm/174.8 in. Width 1,765 mm/69.5 in. and quite forgiving and con- trolable at its limits. The top-of-the-line 4WS medel has a new electronically-controlied four-wheel-steering system (vs last year’s mechanical system) to fur- ther improve handling and manoeuverability. At speeds up to 36 km/h, the rear wheels steer slightly in the opposite direction to the front wheels, improving low-speed manouevers such as parallel parking. At speeds above 30 km/h, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels providing quicker turning response and better stability dur- ing lane changes. An indication of See Prelude page 28 Height 1,290 mm/50.8 in, Trunk space 224 1/7.9 cu. ft. Fuel ecenomy City 10.5 1/100 kms, 27 mpg H-vy 8.1 1/100 kms, 35 mpg Warranty Basic 3 yrs/60,000 kms, Powertrain 5 yrs/100,000 kms Check oui the 1992 Prelude at Pacific Honda, 725 Marine Dr., NV.