Today in Cars: Prelude Dreams Paused, Safer EVs in China, a Lost Ford Icon Resurfaces, and Year-End Best-Ofs

I spent the morning nursing a too-hot coffee and paging through year-end notes, the sort of scribbles you only understand if you wrote them. It’s that time when the industry looks back at winners, mischief makes the headlines (potatoes, of all things), and a familiar badge whispers “not yet.” Let’s unpack it.

Honda Prelude: Type R on Ice, Spirit Intact

From CarExpert comes the tidbit many of us were waiting on: Honda has ruled out a Prelude Type R—at least for now. That makes sense when you consider Honda’s recent cadence. The reborn Prelude, teased as a clean coupe with hybrid intent, feels like it’s being positioned as a creamy grand tourer rather than a bare-knuckle track special. When I think back to threading a lightweight coupe over a battered B-road, I don’t immediately crave 9,000 rpm and winglets; I want balance, steering feel, and a powertrain that wakes up without waking the neighbors.

Could a Type R still happen down the line? Possibly. But the initial play looks like a stylish, usable everyday coupe—the sort of car you’d take to a Saturday cars-and-coffee, then straight to an Alpine weekend without worrying about scraping a splitter on every hotel ramp.

If the Prelude lands as a refined, efficient GT with Honda’s trademark chassis smarts, it’ll split the difference nicely: calmer than a Type R, but still a driver’s car. A few owners I’ve chatted with over the years prefer that balance—they love a Sunday blast, but Monday’s commute matters more.

EV Safety: China Tightens the Rules with “No Fire, No Explosion” Standard

Also via CarExpert, China has introduced new EV battery standards that headline with a stark promise: “no fire, no explosion.” The wording is bold by design. In practice, it signals stricter abuse and thermal controls, more rigorous pack-level safety, and tighter certification for suppliers. If you sell EVs in China, you’ll be engineering to this bar, full stop.

I’ve done enough winter testing to know batteries dislike extremes—heat and cold both. So standards that force better thermal management and failure isolation are quietly a big win for everyday drivers. It’s not just about dramatic lab tests; it’s about confidence when your EV is fast-charging after a ski day or sitting at 5% in a frosty airport lot. Expect learnings here to bleed into global programs quickly—safety tech rarely stays siloed.

Year-End Scorecards: Long-Termers and Best-in-Show Debates

Autocar tallied a busy year: 35 cars rotated through 12 drivers, covering 166,000 miles of long-term living. Those are the miles that tell the truth. Buttons you stop using, seats your back stops arguing with, an infotainment quirk you only discover after a week of school runs. I noticed the same pattern in my notes: the cars that win your heart are often the ones that don’t demand attention. They just work, and then—on the right road—they sing.

Carscoops, meanwhile, tossed the big question to its audience: after a flood of fresh metal in 2025, which new car was the best? The correct answer is “it depends.” Do you prize efficiency, drama, or that impossible-to-explain feel-good factor? In a year where performance stayed rowdy and electrification got smarter (and, crucially, lighter), it’s no wonder the debates are spicier than a Nürburgring bratwurst.

Culture Corner: Potatoes, a BMW, and a Lost Ford Legend for Sale

File this under “motoring oddities”: Carscoops spotlighted a viral moment involving a BMW driver and an unexpected pile of potatoes. It’s a reminder that the internet has time for everything, and that road hazards come in more flavors than gravel and screws. Pro tip from a life spent dodging debris on press loops—if it looks farm-fresh and roll-y, give it room.

More intriguing: a long-lost Ford concept has resurfaced for sale—the Probe IV, said Carscoops. Aerodynamic evangelism in rolling form, the Probe lineage shaped wind-cheating ideas that later filtered into production cars. Seeing one pop up on the market is like finding a prototype Stratocaster in a pawn shop. I once spent an afternoon in a design studio poking around retired show cars; the mix of optimism and experimentation is intoxicating. If this one finds a careful home, we all win.

Quick Hits

• Prelude Type R: officially not happening right now, but the base car could be sweeter for it.
• China’s EV rules: stricter battery safety will raise the global tide—engineering teams, sharpen your pencils.
• Year-end verdicts: long-term testing still tells the real story; audience picks prove how broad “best” can be.
• Car culture: from potato memes to museum-grade concepts going on sale—never a dull scroll.

Conclusion

As 2025 winds down, the storylines rhyme: patience from Honda on the Prelude, assertiveness from China on EV safety, healthy arguments about the year’s best new cars, and a surprise relic reminding us how far design has flown. If 2026 keeps this mix—safer batteries, honest-to-drive coupes, and the occasional barn-find concept—I’m happy to keep the coffee warm and the miles rolling.

FAQ

Is Honda building a Prelude Type R?

According to reporting from CarExpert, Honda has ruled out a Type R version for now. Expect the initial Prelude to focus on balanced, everyday performance rather than a hardcore track brief.

What do China’s new EV battery standards change?

The new rules aim to prevent fires and explosions under stringent test conditions, pushing improved thermal management and safety at the cell and pack level. Automakers selling in China will need to certify to these tougher standards.

Which car was the “best” new model of 2025?

Different outlets reached different conclusions and audiences weighed in with their own favorites, as Carscoops highlighted. The “best” depends on priorities—performance, efficiency, tech, price, or plain driving joy.

What’s the deal with the Ford Probe IV for sale?

It’s a historic Ford aero concept that resurfaced on the market after decades out of sight, noted by Carscoops. It represents a formative period of wind-tunnel-driven design.

Did a BMW really tangle with potatoes?

Yes—an oddball viral moment picked up by Carscoops involved a BMW and a potato situation. Consider it a lighthearted reminder to treat unusual road debris with caution.