Many JDM legends end up being converted into drift cars because they combine lightweight, nimble handling with a rear-wheel-drive layout. But a ton of Japanese models are also sold as front-wheel-drive commuter cars, some of which can handle respectably but none of which will ever serve as proper drifters from the factory. Enter this hardcore Honda Prelude build, however, which has been swapped to a rear-wheel-drive setup while also receiving a turbocharged Mercedes-Benz engine under the hood. Arguably now in the layout that would have helped Honda sell the Prelude more successfully, given its simple and stylish design, the project is a true screamer that's ready to shred rubber at a moment's notice.
Turn Up The Sound
In the YouTube video above and a series of Instagram posts, the Prelude's owner Pawel Szorstki gets a chance to reveal all the work required to bring it up to the state it now drives in. Originally, he dropped in a Mercedes four-cylinder engine along with the subframes from a rebadged Cadillac Catera, which was sold in RoW markets as the Opel Omega B.
Going Bigger And Badder
Clearly, that inline-four just wasn't doing the trick, as Szorstki has now dropped in a 3.2-liter V6 to replace it. Running on 11.6 pounds of boost, the powerplant routes grunt to the rear wheels through a BMW stick shift and a rear differential sourced from an Opel Omega.
Still Sort Of Stock
The interior really hasn't even been stripped too aggressively, revealing the clean design aesthetic that used to dictate Honda's ethos (as opposed to the completely over-the-top swoops and wings of the new Civic Type R). With a My Little Pony emergency brake addition, this Prelude now has all the class it needs to get sideways during fun track days.
Sources: youtube.com and instagram.com.