Honda S2000 Trade for New Prelude Sparks Social Media Outrage in Northern Ireland

A Northern Ireland Honda dealership’s celebratory Facebook post sparked a social media firestorm, forcing its removal just hours after publication. The post featured a customer trading in a highly coveted Honda S2000 roadster for the brand-new Honda Prelude coupe, igniting fierce debate among automotive enthusiasts.

The controversy began when Donnelly Group Honda shared a photo on Facebook showing the handover. The image captured the new Prelude parked beside a facelifted S2000, with the customer and a dealership employee shaking hands. The caption read:

“Out with the old and in with the new for Mr … 🤩 He is replacing his S2000 with a Honda Prelude in Racing Blue. After driving one of Honda’s most iconic performance cars, it is great to see him stay with the brand for his next chapter.”

The post, which attracted hundreds of reactions in a short time, drew overwhelmingly negative responses in the comments section. Many users criticized the decision to trade the S2000—a high-revving, rear-wheel-drive roadster—for the Prelude, a front-wheel-drive hybrid coupe. Comments ranged from sarcastic to outright condemnatory, with some users joking that the buyer would soon regret the trade and attempt to repurchase the S2000. Others speculated that the dealership’s staff may have acquired the S2000 before it could be listed as a used car.

Faced with the backlash, the dealership removed the post entirely. The timing of its deletion left little trace, though a screenshot was captured before it vanished from the platform.

Key Differences: S2000 vs. New Prelude

The new Prelude and the discontinued S2000 share little beyond Honda branding and engine displacement. The Prelude is a front-wheel-drive hybrid coupe powered by a self-charging hybrid system producing 181 hp with simulated gear changes. In contrast, the S2000 is a rear-wheel-drive roadster equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine generating 237 hp and paired with a six-speed manual transmission.

This particular Prelude isn’t the first Racing Blue example sold by the dealership. Donnelly Group Honda previously shared a photo of another female customer who purchased an identical Prelude. Notably, this buyer also had a prior connection to Honda, having owned the original Prelude model in the past.