Patrick Jackson

Much has been made online of the new Honda Prelude since it officially launched in late May. Whether it was its looks, its performance figures on paper, or its price tag, look in just about any comments section and you’ll see a flood of negativity and scepticism toward it. Yet, if you were to read or watch most of the reviews by journalists, you’d find waves of glowing positivity about the new Prelude.

There’s no denying that Japanese performance cars have enjoyed a massive boost in popularity and pricing over recent years. Partly, it’s that the generation that grew up admiring such cars are now in the position to actually acquire them. Their pedigree – whether via the world of motorsport or sheer rarity – also plays a part. In that sense, the 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 22B is the perfect poster child for that very phenomenon.

Ever since assuming the helm at Toyota, the company’s current chairman and former CEO Akio Toyoda pledged that the company would start building cars that are “fun to drive, again”. If anyone would take such pride in doing so, you’d imagine it would be him – after all, he’s the grandson of Toyota founder Keiichiro Toyoda. Since making that promise back in 2011, the man also known as Master Driver Morizo has stuck to his word, and the company’s latest creation is a clear testament to that.