New Honda Prelude firms for Australia

It seems the reborn Honda Prelude could be released in Australia, judging by a recent trademark application that renews Honda’s ownership of the iconic JDM nameplate.

Car-makers routinely retrademark their old nameplates as a matter of intellectual property security both for marketing purposes and, according to some manufacturers, “potential future use”.

The Prelude submission was received by IP Australia in late October and was filed by the Japanese brand’s head office exclusively under Class 12 (automobiles and their parts and fittings), which suggests any marketing activities are still a way off yet given the nameplate wasn’t stylised in the slightest.

While not necessarily one of the JDM kings in the same ilk as the Nissan Skyline or Toyota Supra, the Honda Prelude name is still rich in heritage and was recently revived and unofficially applied to a new sports car concept that was presented at this year’s Tokyo motor show and subsequently confirmed as a hybrid rather than battery-electric vehicle.

The slinky coupe’s reveal sent the sports car world and ever-loyal Honda fanbase into a frenzy of excitement about the potential for a rebirth of the popular performance car.

Unfortunately, no extra details have come to light since then, but Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe has confirmed the concept would enter production and encouraged fans to keep their “expectations high”.

“Honda has always been committed to creating sporty vehicles,” he said at the reveal.

“And the word ‘prelude’ means an ‘introductory or preceding performance’. This model will become the prelude for our future models which will inherit the ‘joy of driving’ into the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda’s unalterable sports mindset.”

The production version is expected to debut and launch sometime in the second half of the decade, but with a new zero-emission NSX replacement seemingly in the works, it’s unlikely the sixth-generation Prelude will offer supercar-like performance.

However, don't rule out a sub-6.0sec 0-100km/h time and immense cornering capability, especially since the previous generations were famed for their agility.

Honda Australia has a blanket policy of not commenting on future product plans so we’ll be sure to keep you updated with the latest developments and rumours surrounding the born-again Prelude.

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