{"id":1836480,"date":"2026-03-20T09:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1836480"},"modified":"2026-03-20T09:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:38:19","slug":"does-it-work-we-try-the-honda-preludes-weird-s-shift-gears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1836480","title":{"rendered":"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude&#8217;s weird S+ Shift gears"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"articleItem\">\n<p>    {&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Article&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;mainEntityOfPage&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;WebPage&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/tech\/honda-prelude-gears\/&#8221;},&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/tech\/honda-prelude-gears\/&#8221;,&#8221;author&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Tim Pollard&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Tim Pollard is CAR magazineu2019s Director of Content u2013u00A0Digital and specialises in writing automotive news, features, car reviews, scoops of future cars, buying advice and motoring commentary. He has worked at the title, on and off, for 18 years and oversees the website editors at parent company Bauer Media u2013 regularly contributing to the mag and our sister websites, the car-buying bible Parkers and money-saving car insurance comparison service Mustard.nnnnTim started work in daily newspapers and automotive trade magazines in the late 1990s, but quickly worked his way into motoring mags, running the newsdesk at Autocar and then switching to become Deputy Editor at What Car? before joining CAR in 2006. u2018CAR is one of the worldu2019s most respected motoring titles and I grew up reading the likes of LJK Setright, Gavin Green and Russell Bulgin on the pages of CAR in the 1980s and u201990s,u2019 he says. u2018We aim to keep that spirit alive today u2013 giving our readers thoughtful, provocative writing, trusted verdicts, plus sharp design and world-class photography to make CAR stand out from the opposition.u2019nnnnWhen heu2019s not strapped to his keyboard or helping with digital upskilling at Bauer, Tim finds time to act as an ambassador for the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME), plays a lot of hockey and can be spotted from time to time on national TV and radio doing automotive punditry. He has picked up a few awards over the years, including BSME Editor-in-chief\/Editorial Director of the Year (2021), the PPAu2019s Digital Innovation of the Year (2016) and the Guild of Motoring Writersu2019 Editor of the Year (2016) and Journalist of the Year (2007) for uncovering the first McLaren road car since the F1, when he scooped the MP4-12C a couple of years before launch. Heu2019s done some unusual things in his careeru00A0u2013u00A0from road-testing an Iraqi tank captured in the Gulf War to setting a Guinness World Record in 2011 for the fastest quarter mile in a hybrid car.nnnnWhat does he make of the current crop of cars? u2018I think Hyundai and Kia are doing great work in the mainstream, Polestar is the stand-out EV start-up of recent years, though itu2019s now being challenged by the wave of Chinese brands, and I still lust after the flat six charms of a Porsche Cayman. Itu2019s such a fascinating time of change in the automotive arena and weu2019re here to make sense of it all for our readers.u2019nnnnYou can follow Timu2019s exploits in cars on hisu00A0Instagram, Threads and X (formerly Twitter) accounts or his Linkedin profile u2013 and read his latest articles on CARu2019s website in the list below.&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14284\/timpollard2020.jpeg&#8221;,&#8221;caption&#8221;:&#8221;Tim Pollard&#8221;},&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:[&#8220;https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/timpollardcars\/&#8221;,&#8221;https:\/\/x.com\/TimPollardCars&#8221;,&#8221;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/timpollardcars\/&#8221;],&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/&#8221;,&#8221;alumniOf&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;EducationalOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Leeds University&#8221;},&#8221;email&#8221;:&#8221;tim.pollard@bauermedia.co.uk&#8221;,&#8221;jobTitle&#8221;:&#8221;Director of Content u2013 Digital&#8221;,&#8221;knowsAbout&#8221;:&#8221;Automotive,Motoring,Road testing,Car news,Electric cars,Hybrid cars&#8221;,&#8221;worksFor&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;CAR magazine&#8221;}},&#8221;dateModified&#8221;:&#8221;2026-03-20T09:38:19+00:00&#8243;,&#8221;datePublished&#8221;:&#8221;2026-03-20T09:38:19+00:00&#8243;,&#8221;headline&#8221;:&#8221;Does it work? We try the Honda Preludeu0027s weird Su002B Shift gears&#8221;,&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Bauer Media&#8221;,&#8221;brand&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Car Magazine&#8221;},&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/logos\/car.200&#215;88.png&#8221;}}}<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDoes it work? We try the Honda Prelude&#8217;s weird S+ Shift gears<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<div class=\"hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"compact-author-info\">\n\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/\">Tim Pollard<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"dates\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dates__date\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished: Today 09:38<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"cms-content\">\n<div class=\"in-page-gallery full-width thumbnails-bullets\">\n<ul class=\"carousel\" data-orbit=\"true\" data-options=\"bullets: true; resume_on_mouseout: false; timer: false; variable_height: true; slide_number: false\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Honda Prelude\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Honda Prelude<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Does it work? We try the Honda Prelude's weird S+ Shift gears\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x270\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x405\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1056x594\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleContent\">\n<div class=\"bold-links\">\n<p><strong>\u25ba Honda Prelude tested<br \/>\u25ba We try it out its novel gearing<br \/>\u25ba Fad or actually fun? <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Thought you knew car gearboxes? It\u2019s not as clear-cut as it used to be. The days of a simple choice between manual or automatic transmissions are long gone, as buyers are confronted with a baffling array of technological choices when it comes to shifting gear.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256084\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_gears.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Although in their twilight years, there are still manual gearboxes on simpler, cheaper cars and some very expensive ones; traditional torque-converter autos, which simply slur between cogs; one-speed Continuously Variable Transmissions, or CVTs, which make your car sound like your washing machine on fast spin cycle; dual-clutch gearboxes like Volkswagen\u2019s DSG, which execute rifle-bolt changes in the blink of an eye; electric vehicles, which do away with gearboxes altogether; and now \u2013 drumroll please \u2013 a new type of transmission called S+ Shift, which debuts on the box-fresh 2026 Honda Prelude coupe.<\/p>\n<p><em>Like this? Get more CAR delivered to your browser!\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=carmagazine.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>Click here to add CAR Magazine as a preferred source on Google<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256081\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_3.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the first Prelude sold globally since 2001 and it\u2019s typical of Honda that it\u2019s come up with a novel way of swapping cogs. Never a company to follow convention, the newcomer takes the hybrid powertrain from the Honda Civic family hatchback and adapts it for use in a coupe \u2013 with a surprising technical flourish.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256078\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_7.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s an efficiency-tuned 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor and, in true hybrid style, the electronics govern the switchover between combustion and electric motion for maximum efficiency or performance, depending on the driver\u2019s whim. Where it gets interesting is the single direct-drive gear, which is more akin to the drivetrain in an EV: technically, there is no gearbox whatsoever. Around town and in most everyday driving, the new Prelude drives like an electric car using just the e-motor but, at higher speeds, a clutch engages the engine to drive the front wheels directly through a single fixed ratio. For much of the time, the engine is used as a generator, like in a range-extender hybrid.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256080\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_5.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Honda calls this an eCVT gearbox in the Civic and the new 2026 Prelude, arriving in UK showrooms this month priced from \u00a339,595, introduces the S+ Shift feature, which cleverly programmes fake \u2018gearchanges\u2019 to replicate the up- and downshifts you\u2019ll enjoy in a race-style twin-clutch auto or a well-driven manual.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256076\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_9.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The central idea is that it mimics physical gearshifts, despite the powertrain not having any ratios. It does this by interrupting the torque from the motor, to give the effect of dipping the clutch and interrupting drive; this is accompanied by the car\u2019s electronic brain revving the petrol engine to match a simulated gearchange \u2013 and its repertoire includes regular or rushed cog-swaps, up and down the \u2019box. The blipping and rev-matching on downshifts is a thing of aural beauty, each tug on a steering wheel paddle eliciting a crescendo of revs and a jolt your body can feel. It\u2019s a feeling amplified by the S+ Shift\u2019s rev counter, showing the engine speed rising and falling.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256082\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_2.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does it work?<\/h2>\n<p>Absolutely, it does. Most of the time, you can leave the Honda Prelude in D for Drive and you\u2019d easily be fooled that this is a conventional automatic transmission. The engine behaves like a normal petrol motor, revs rise and fall, progress is easy and unstressed. But press the prominent S+ Shift button on the centre console, engage with the paddles behind the steering wheel, and you can play Lewis Hamilton to your heart\u2019s content, tapping up and down the gears. Every gearshift is pitch-perfect, S+ Shift acting as software theatre designed to make the car feel more like a traditional sports car. If anything, we just wish it sounded a little louder and more raucous in Sport mode, as the civilised petrol engine fails to excite as much as a Honda VTEC engine from a decade ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256079\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_6.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Best news of all? The clever transmission doesn\u2019t dent the impressive economy from Honda\u2019s hybrid powertrain; you\u2019d think you might be burning more fuel by revving the engine for your aural delectation, but we struggled to push the economy below 50mpg, even when pressing on. It\u2019s an impressive bit of kit.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-256083\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/480x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/720x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/1040x0\/honda_prelude_transmission_1.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<aside class=\"about-author\">\n<h2 class=\"about-author-heading\">About the author<\/h2>\n<div class=\"about-author-inner\">\n<div class=\"main-author-summary-container\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"main-author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14284\/120x120\/timpollard2020.jpeg?quality=90)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"main-author-name-container\">\n<div class=\"main-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/\">Tim Pollard<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"main-author-job-title\">Director of Content \u2013 Digital<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"main-author-byline\">Tim oversees the digital teams that bring you CAR magazine and Parkers, our car-buying sister website. A lifelong motoring journalist, he has worked at many of the UK&#8217;s biggest car titles, including stints on Autocar, What Car? and MSN Cars at Microsoft. Over two decades he has built extensive experience reviewing cars, writing features, breaking news about future products and navigating the airports of the world.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"column show-for-xlarge-up xlarge-2 xlarge-pull-10\">\n<figure class=\"author-info clearfix\">\n<p>\t\t\t<a class=\"author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14284\/85x85\/timpollard2020.jpeg?quality=90)\"><\/a><figcaption>\n<p class=\"author-name\">\n\t\t\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/tim-pollard\/\">Tim Pollard<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"author-quote\">Director of Content \u2013\u00a0Digital, car news magnet, crafter of words<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2 disqus\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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data-elem=\"close\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Article&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/256071\/honda_prelude_transmission_8.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;mainEntityOfPage&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;WebPage&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/tech\/honda-prelude-gears\/&#8221;},&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/tech\/honda-prelude-gears\/&#8221;,&#8221;author&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Tim Pollard&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Tim Pollard is CAR magazineu2019s Director of Content u2013u00A0Digital and specialises in writing automotive news, features, car reviews, scoops of future cars, buying advice and motoring commentary. He has worked at the title, on and off, for 18 years and oversees the website editors at parent company Bauer Media u2013 regularly contributing to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[239,226],"class_list":["post-1836480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-carmagazine-co-uk","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1836480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1836480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1836480\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1836480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1836480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1836480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}