European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 2, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 13 \ 4-wheel steering a hi-tech9 feature Honda prelude is modernity plus the 1989 Honda prelude Sis ports coup6 with 4-wheel steering and . Specifications arrived on the Mili tary Market late last autumn and we had been looking Forward to a test session with it Ever since. Now with our curiosity satisfied after a fling behind the wheel we can say that the prelude is not Only technically interesting but an impressive car All around. Honda was the first company in the world to offer 4-wheel steering on a production passenger car and while the sys tem works Well and is highly recommended one May also Purchase prelude is without it. There is also a prelude s in the lineup this one with a less potent engine than the unit powering the is models. When the prelude is first appeared with 4ws, it was identical in appearance to its "non-4ws" counterpart but for1989, the is with 4-wheel steering has established its own identity with Alloy wheels a rear spoiler and Bronze tinted Glass plus Power door locks. Before discussing the 4-wheel steering let s take a look at the other prelude is attributes. The test car was made Avail Able by the Honda military sales Divi Sion of Auto Exchange. The prelude is a genuine 2 2 sports coups with not much room in Back but thoroughly modern Low Slung an aggressive in appearance. It s capable of reaching 128 Mph and zipping from Zeroth 60 Mph in 8.9 seconds. The engine is a 2-liter, 4-Cylinder, 16-valve twin Cam unit of 135 horsepower. Fuel delivery is by Honda s programme fuel injection system. Honda says the engine has some formula one racing heritage dialled into its Over All system and this stands to reason. The old slogan goes that racing improves the Breed and Honda s technical achievements i formula one racing Are obviously being brought into production car use. The redline is 6,750 rpm and Speed through the gears came to 32 Mph in first 58 in second 88 in third 120 i fourth and 128 in fifth. The five Speed manual Gearbox is Quick and easy to use. Inside the prelude is one gets an immediate sports car feeling with snug but Correct seating position a panoramic View of the Road and All controls positioned perfectly. The gauges Are also easy to read and the Best we be Ever encountered for night time driving All illuminated in a Cool and restful Blue color. Just As on the Honda Crusi sport scar the entire dash panel on the prelude is wide Low and angled Forward an Down to create spaciousness. Our Only complaint involves the deep positioning of the seat Belt anchors which makes the belts difficult to engage. The Keyhole in the Driver s door is illuminated As is the ignition key Slot. There Are storage panels at the Bottom of both doors a Footrest passenger grab bar air conditioning cruise control Power windows and Power adjust mirrors Power Sunroof am pm stereo radio with four speakers and a lot More. There s a Good size trunk 11 cubic feet and the rear seat backs fold Down to provide extra space for ski equipment arid other lengthy items. Now let s look at the Road going aspects. Because the rear wheels move in the 4-wheel-steering setup an altered rear suspension was obviously necessary and Honda adopted the same unusual design for front and rear. Again from the racing world the front wheel drive pre Lude utilizes a 4-wheel double Wishbone suspension which Honda says Maxi mizes tire adhesion while cornering. We would agree As the suspension provided excellent control and Road holding As Well As a smooth ride. In hard the Honda prelude is with 4ws has Alloy wheels and a spoiler atop trunk lid. Is photos Hoo line is extremely Low headlights Are retractable. For Sharp turns wheels move in opposite directions. The cockpit is Roomy neat and functional. The 2-liter, 16-valve engine produces 135 he. Turns the prelude always proved predictable and the engine was highly responsive while powering into and out of turns. The prelude s 14-Inch Alloy wheels were shod with 195/60 Michelin Mevs. The 4-wheel-steering system is at work in the turns and also while passing cars on the autobahn but we could Only detect the real difference at Low speeds Dur 4ws a parking  ing parking Maneu vers and  is also an advantage when driving up ramps in parking garages and in Mak Ingu turns. The prelude is 4ws s turn ing Circle is Only 31.5 feet compared to the Normal prelude s 34.8 feet. But for the real "4ws feel parallel parking does the Job and you can especially appreciate the difference in re verse. The response there is Sharp and immediate and the toughest parallel parking situations Are made easy. If you can believe it parallel parking with 4ws is actually fun and it is then that you think the extra $1,485 for the 4ws pack age might be Worth it. The Honda 4ws system is a relatively simple mechanical one the front and rear wheels linked by a steering Shaft that connects the front and rear gearboxes. You feel the 4ws difference instantly Atlow speeds during parking Maneu vers and a turns because when the steering wheel is turned More than one half turn the rear wheels Are steered in the opposite direction of the front wheels. This sharply reduce the turning radius of the car. When the steering wheel is turned Only a moderate amount up to approximately one Hal turn the rear wheels Are steered in the same direction As the front wheels so the drive really cannot feel the difference Here at least we did because steering move ments at High speeds tend to be frequent but quite Small. The 4ws system has definite benefits and it is a major technical Advance. Honda deserves great credit for bringing it onto the Market. Looking at a few other prelude aspects steering is Power assist rack and Pinion and the brakes Are Power assist discs Allaround Abs is not available except on Jap anese and european specification mod Els. Our fuel Economy figure for All conditions came to 21 mpg. The tank holds 15.9gallons 60 liners a 330-mile Range. The Honda military sales division of the Auto Exchange offers the prelude is 4ws sports coup6 at $19,358, that Price including the 4-wheel-steering package. The regular prelude is costs $17,873while the preludes with a 2-liter, 12 valve engine of 104 he costs $ 15,400. All prices on the Honda prelude Model plus Honda accords and civics include Home shipment the program just announced by Honda military sales which has 43 outlets in Germany. Randy Burnet Auto columnist