1999 Honda Prelude 2.2 Motegi

Highlights

• Rare Motegi Special Edition
• 2.2 litre engine and manual gearbox
• Just 34,319 verified miles
• Excellent service and maintenance history
• Recommissioned in August 2022

Overview

This isn’t just a Prelude, yeah? It’s not even just a 2.2. This is the ULTIMATE Prelude. At least, that’s what Honda says in the brochure – and who are we to argue with the mighty Honda?

In the late 90s the Prelude had already garnered a reputation as a seriously capable and technically advanced sporting GT car. With a range of smooth yet rev-hungry engines and such forward looking features as four-wheel steering, it was the thinking man’s fast coupe.

In 1997 Honda finished construction of the Motegi racetrack and, to celebrate the occasion, they released the UK-only Motegi Special Edition. As close as we ever got to a Type-R Prelude, with its more sporting suspension set-up, handsome bodykit, exclusive 17” wheels and screaming 2.2 V-Tech that redlined at 7,200rpm, it ticked all the boxes for any fan of the Minato-based manufacturer.

Nowadays, they’re a rare sight on our roads, but they’re still just as capable, comfortable and even more of an enticing prospect to own – they’re now a genuine modern classic. Which brings us neatly to the delightfully well-preserved machine you see before you.

Finished with attractive deep green paintwork and complementary light tan leather upholstery, it looks every inch the sporting GT. After spending about 15 years off the road, it was comprehensively recommissioned in late 2022 and is now presented in original, factory correct specification with gentle patination, a solid service record and genuinely low mileage. When it comes to 90s performance vehicles that can genuinely be used as a daily driver, there’s little to compare to the Prelude. And the Motegi is definitely the pick of the range.

So if you’ve been looking to add a modern classic to your fleet, then look no further. Just be quick, because it’s the 2.2, and that don’t hang about, you know?

History and documentation

• Registered 15th January 1999
• 3 former keepers
• In current ownership since November 2023
• 34,319 miles on the clock, verified by the MOT and service records
• The car appears to have been mostly off the road from 2006 to 2022, having only covered about 700 miles in this period
• Extensively recommissioned in August 2022 @ c.31,973 miles
• Stamped service book with services as follows: Nov 2000 @ 10,803 miles, Nov 2001 @ 15,711 miles, Nov 2002 @ 21,436 miles, Nov 2003 @ 24,845 miles, Aug 2022 @ c.31,973 miles (recommissioning service including timing belt, tyres and brake renewal)
• Full original document pack and sales brochure
• A number of invoices and old MOT certificates
• Two keys
• Current MOT expires 14th November 2025
• V5 present in owner’s name
• Private plate not included in the sale; car will revert to its original plate S667MST
• HPI clear (checked November 2024)

Interior

• Lovely light tan leather upholstery, with colour-coded dark green piping to match the exterior
• Other than a small split and some light wear to the outer bolster of the driver’s seat, all of the upholstery looks to be in excellent condition, with the passenger seat and rear bench appearing to have been very lightly used, if used at all
• Both front seats have a two-stage heating function
• Light tan carpeting to match the upholstery, all of which appears to be in good order, and is complemented with a set of black over-mats
• Wood veneer trim to the door cards and centre console show well, with no warping, cracking or chipping we could see
• All of the internal trim looks to be in fine fettle, with a little age-appropriate wear, but nothing broken or damaged
• The headlining looks to be secure and undamaged
• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors
• Electrically operated slide and tilt glass sunroof
• Air conditioning
• Cruise control
• Period Pioneer CD/radio system
• We’re assured by the vendor that everything in the cabin functions just as it should, with no faults reported

Exterior

• Handsome dark green paintwork gives the car a subtle and refined character
• The paintwork appears to be in good, original condition, with some minor blemishes, some stone-chipping to the front and a light scuff to the offside corner of the rear bumper
• All of the bodywork looks to be well aligned, evenly gapped and free from corrosion or notable damage
• That factory-fitted bodykit really suits the lines of the Prelude, and is in fine condition with no misalignment or damage we could discern
• The external badging and trim is all present and correct, including the unique ‘Motegi’ branding to the bootlid
• We noted a little age related wear to some of the badging and the trim around the side windows, but nothing that would concern us in any way
• Underneath, the car looks to be clean and tidy, with straight, undamaged sills and floor pans and a minimal amount of surface corrosion on some suspension components
• We’re delighted to see the car still sitting on the original factory 17” wheels, which feature a handsome five-spoke design and looks to be in good condition, with a little wear to the paint on the centre caps, but no notable kerbing or lacquer peel to the wheels
• The wheels are shod in a matched set of Toyo Proxes, which were fitted when the car was recommissioned in late 2022 and so have covered c.3,000 miles

Mechanical

• 2,157cc four-cylinder VTEC
• Front-wheel drive
• Rare five-speed manual transmission
• Four-wheel steering system
• Fully independent, double wishbone suspension all round with front and rear anti-roll bars
• The Motegi Special Edition features a more sporting, lower and slightly stiffer set-up than standard models
• Disc brakes all round, with yellow painted calipers
• Factor performance figures: 197bhp, 156lb-ft, 7,200rpm redline, 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 142mph
• The engine bay looks tidy and appears to be free from leaks, with a smattering of surface corrosion and paint wear to some bracketry, the manifold heat shield and the painted rocker cover
• When the car was recommissioned in late 2022, the timing belt was renewed and the brakes were refreshed, among other works – all carried out at c.31,973 miles
• We’re assured by the vendor that the car drives very well, with no mechanical issues that they are aware of

Summary

The Prelude is a properly underrated gem of a car – that 2.2 is a belter of an engine, strong and eager with a lovely note. It handles beautifully too, the stiffer set-up of the Motegi offering a great balance between long-distance ability and B-road fun. It’s a rare beast now too, with fewer than 200 examples of the 2.2 on the road in the UK – and most of those will not be Motegi Special Editions.

What we’re saying is that this is a very desirable car. On the verge of classic status, wonderfully capable, yet subtle and restrained. It’s one of those cars that just looks and feels right. This appears to be a fine example of the marque and, in our opinion, the specification is spot-on. It’s been thoughtfully recommissioned and that 2.2 is a work of art. The “Ultimate Prelude”?

Believe.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Wilmslow, Cheshire.