Can you make my Lexus drive like my Prelude?

On November 14, 1997, my parents bought me a red Honda Prelude. I remember the exact date because that car made my world bigger. Suddenly, I could go pretty much anywhere I wanted. And I did.

It had 200 horsepower, loved to rev, and made every drive feel fast. There were faster cars. I knew that even then. I also knew I’d rather be driving my Prelude.

On January 12, 2006, a truck hit me, and that was the end of the Prelude. I kept buying little pieces of it without really admitting that’s what I was doing. One car had an engine that reminded me of it. Another had a red interior. I gravitated toward Honda and Acura’s handling technology. Even the Acura TLX I bought brought back something familiar in the way the engine felt and the instruments looked.

See the Prelude after the accident →

Then I bought a Lexus RX with red seats. It’s a great everyday SUV. Unassuming but powerful. Like me, if you ask me.

Can you make my Lexus drive like my Prelude?

One of our consulting clients at 37 Dimensions LLC was a shop that could take on a project like this. I asked if they could give my Lexus a mode that felt like driving my old Prelude.

They did. They even recreated the layout and font of the Prelude’s instrument panel. I’d asked them to bring back the way the car drove, and they brought back the way it looked from the driver’s seat, too.

They also added settings inspired by the Honda S2000 and the Lexus GS. And my favourite little detail? They repurposed the auto stop/start button to activate launch mode. The button even stayed in the same spot.

Then came some hardware changes. The shop added bracing and upgraded the brakes. I’ve always figured you’re only as fast as your ability to stop.

So, how does it drive?

It puts a grin on my face. I’ve let a few friends and business contacts try it, and they’ve loved it too. It’s still the Lexus I want to drive every day. When I’m in the mood for a little 1997, I can switch modes.

Could there be a business in it?

I went into this because I missed a car. Then the shop started telling me what else they could do, and I started wondering which of those capabilities might solve an actual problem for a commercial customer. Friends enjoying a drive tells me the idea is fun. The business question is what someone would pay for and why.

We’re now exploring SR&ED and other government funding opportunities as we look at developing and testing some of those capabilities. There’s more to figure out, and I’ll share what we learn as it takes shape.

For now, I’m taking the long way home.