Honda has developed many applications for its clever VTEC (Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control) system, but the configuration employed in the Prelude is the most stimulating. Using two sets of cam lobes per shaft--one set placid, the second aggressive--the hydromechanically activated system engages the second set of lobs at about 5200 rpm and voila! We have liftoff.In the lower gears, particularly, power comes on with a dramatic rush reminiscent of some turbocharged cars, transforming the engine from mild to wild. At maximum thrust, the little 2.2-liter engine propels the Prelude from 0 to 60 mph in about 7 seconds, making an engagingly refined snarl while doing so. The 5-speed gearbox is precise, although the gear ratios aren't quite as close as they were in the previous VTEC-powered Preludes. Honda's painstaking work with the chassis is immediately apparent in hard cornering, even in the basic car. Transitions are crisp, steering responses scalpel-sharp. Automatic Torque Transfer makes the car easier to drive quickly and helps reduce understeer. However, you have to drive the car quite briskly to experience it. Just as impressive as its handling and power, the Prelude provides surprising long-haul comfort. Editor Mitch McCullough and I drove a Prelude SH more than 6000 miles during the seven-day One Lap of America marathon hosted by Car and Driver magazine last summer.
|