The fifth generation of Honda's sporty Prelude coupe launched for the 1997 model year. Wheelbase was up by two inches over the previous model, accompanied by a gain of a hundred-ish pounds of curb weight.
However, both the base model and the sportier SH package (for "Super Handling") came with the same 2.2L H22A4 motor driving the front wheels. Featuring a DOHC 16V head and Honda's VTEC variable valve timing, it made 195 SAE net horsepower at 7,000 wailing RPM. It could be paired with either a five-speed manual or, if your soul were dead, a four speed automatic.
The SH version added a funky setup called the Active Torque Transfer System that monitored the steering angle of the front wheels and shunted more torque to the outboard wheel in order to aid with turn-in and tame understeer. This was doubly necessary on the Prelude which carried its engine forward of the axle and thus sported a nose-heavy 63%/37% F-R weight distribution.
When Car and Driver tested a 1997 Prelude SH with the manual transmission, it returned a 7.2 second zero-to-sixty time and managed the quarter mile in 15.6 seconds at 91mph. It topped out at 139 when the motor just couldn't push the air out of the way anymore and circled the skidpad at 0.83g. Price as tested was $26,095 (which comes to $52,522 in today's money).
This 1998 Prelude in White Diamond was photographed in June of 2020 using a Nikon D700 and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens.
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