engine similarities?
Moderators: RedRacer, spiffyguido
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nu2prelude
- Prelude Enthusiast
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:09 am
engine similarities?
Why did Honda use so many varied engines that all gave basically the same results in the Prelude? With CRXs, there was a fuel saver HF and a SI that was much faster. With the Prelude, the 2.0 and 2.1 are almost the same where results are concerned. Honda usually has such focus with their designs. The engine variations in these Preludes don't make sense. Of course where I live, a Prelude is simply an engine container for somebody's future CRX or DX race car. It makes them easy to find in the junkyards as long as you don't want engine parts.
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RedRacer
- Moderator
- Posts: 532
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:38 pm
- Prelude Model: 1995 Si w/mods
- Location: Alabama
Re: engine similarities?
Two words:
Marketing and money.
The various engines in the Prelude allowed for the differentiation in models, esp beyond the 3rd gen, which allowed for a much wider consumer appeal and affordability factor. (remember, Prelude was one of the most expensive sports cars out there at the time)
It also gave Honda the ability to testbed their power plants.
Marketing and money.
The various engines in the Prelude allowed for the differentiation in models, esp beyond the 3rd gen, which allowed for a much wider consumer appeal and affordability factor. (remember, Prelude was one of the most expensive sports cars out there at the time)
It also gave Honda the ability to testbed their power plants.
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spiffyguido
- Moderator
- Posts: 2196
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:55 am
- Prelude Model: 1991 SE-SR
- Location: Alberta, Canada
- Contact:
Re: engine similarities?
Yeah, I was going to say something about the Prelude being a test-bed. Preludes were often used as a platform for testing some of Honda's innovation. The third gen in particular is laced with goodies from Honda. A few examples:
-The FRM sleeves used inthe B21. This was no doubt the result of Honda wanting to test some new materials for engine construction. Honda's use of FRM is the B21 sleeves is just awesome. Those are the strongest and most durable sleeves you're likely to find on almost any car of that era.
-The bonnet line. By sloping the engine backwards in the 3rd gen Prelude, Honda was able to create a car that has superb visibility. The forward visibility in a 3rd gen is unmatched. And now, with new crash guidelines, etc, there will likely never be a car that has that type of forward visibility.
-The A-pillars. The 3rd gen prelude is known for having the highest degree of visibility from the driving position. I can't remember the exact number, but it works out to something like 315 degrees of visibility. Part of this is due to the extra thin A-pillars used on the 3rd gen which apparently are made of a very high strength steel that Honda was innovating at the time.
-4WS. The fully mechanical 4WS system found in 3rd gen preludes is still to this day recognized as being a leading implementation of 4-wheel steering.
The list goes on. The prelude was even one of the first Hondas to get OBD1 ECUs for engine management.
A similar story can be told of the other generations as well. A lot of neat stuff has been featured in Preludes over the years.
What a great car.
-The FRM sleeves used inthe B21. This was no doubt the result of Honda wanting to test some new materials for engine construction. Honda's use of FRM is the B21 sleeves is just awesome. Those are the strongest and most durable sleeves you're likely to find on almost any car of that era.
-The bonnet line. By sloping the engine backwards in the 3rd gen Prelude, Honda was able to create a car that has superb visibility. The forward visibility in a 3rd gen is unmatched. And now, with new crash guidelines, etc, there will likely never be a car that has that type of forward visibility.
-The A-pillars. The 3rd gen prelude is known for having the highest degree of visibility from the driving position. I can't remember the exact number, but it works out to something like 315 degrees of visibility. Part of this is due to the extra thin A-pillars used on the 3rd gen which apparently are made of a very high strength steel that Honda was innovating at the time.
-4WS. The fully mechanical 4WS system found in 3rd gen preludes is still to this day recognized as being a leading implementation of 4-wheel steering.
The list goes on. The prelude was even one of the first Hondas to get OBD1 ECUs for engine management.
A similar story can be told of the other generations as well. A lot of neat stuff has been featured in Preludes over the years.
What a great car.
