1997-2001 Honda Prelude - Monochrome Cotton T-Shirt

Defeating expensive rear-wheel-drive sports cars to win Car and Driver's best-handling car test, the 1997-2001 Honda Prelude established itself as the ultimate benchmark for front-wheel-drive dynamics. This coupe proved that a front-drive layout could deliver world-class steering feedback and balance.

Under the hood lies the H22A4 engine, a 2.2-liter dual-overhead-cam inline-four featuring Honda's VTEC variable valve timing. This high-revving powerplant produces 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 156 pound-feet of torque, utilizing Fiber-Reinforced Metal cylinder liners for durability.

Dynamics are defined by a control-arm double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, paired with a precise five-speed manual transmission. The Type SH trim features the Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS), an active differential that actively vectors torque to virtually eliminate understeer.

With roughly 58,000 units sold in the US, clean examples are now highly prized by collectors. This fifth-generation model replaced the radical fourth-generation Prelude in 1997, and when production ended in 2001 with no direct successor, the Acura RSX filled its sporty niche.