Honda’s Strongest Hint Yet That The Prelude Is Coming To America

Honda has launched a new ad spot that could be the automaker’s best hint yet that the Prelude will be returning to America. The Prelude concept was first revealed a year ago, and a couple of months back, Honda confirmed that it would reach production. At the time, there was no word on whether this meant it would be offered in the US, but the new ad (embedded at the bottom of this article), is aimed at a global audience and features narration from John Cena, potentially indicating that the hybrid sports car will reach our shores.

Unstoppable Dreams

The video starts off with a negative slant, as Honda shows late Brazilian Formula One Champion Ayrton Senna in a moment of despair with his Honda-powered McLaren in the gravel, Max Verstappen being shunted into the wall at the 2021 Silverstone Grand Prix, and Team Honda HRC Progressive rider Jett Lawrence falling off his CRF450R motorcycle. We also see the Prelude running wide on a track and a Honda eVTOL stuttering on take-off. All the while, Cena’s narration paints a picture of despair.

But then the narration stops before Cena repeats the same sentences in reverse order, turning the tone of the clip from one of dejection to one of determination. At this turning point, we see the triumphs that can be had when one continues to pursue the dreams, with the Prelude driving smoothly, the eVTOL proving stable in the air, Lawrence’s bike triumphantly sailing through the air, and Jeff Proctor’s Honda Baja Ridgeline race truck conquering its course. Senna and Verstappen both became triple world champions, too, proving that perseverance breeds success.

What To Expect

The last Prelude was powered by a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine developing up to 200 horsepower on the front axle, but it’s unclear if the new Prelude will motivate the rear wheels, the front, or all four. What we do know is that the Prelude Concept is a hybrid, not a full EV, and the production version will be the same. Honda President Toshihiro Mibe promises that the focus of this car will be on the “joy of driving,” so we expect this to be a fairly light machine.

Just as this ad shows, the Honda CEO says we should look forward to something special even if it’s difficult to produce, saying, “Please keep your expectations high for this model.” A full reveal of the production version is expected before the end of the year, before which time we hope to have confirmation of the Prelude’s US arrival. With the Prelude being the only apparently road-legal vehicle in this video, we’re pretty sure an announcement is coming soon.