1983 brought about the 2^nd gen Prelude.  Honda must have caught on to the fact people were treating Preludes like a sport cars, because the 2^nd gen was completely redesigned with a more sporty look to it.  With a 4 cylinder 100 hp, 1.8 liter 12 valve engine, it was also more powerful than the 1^st.  Also, the 2^nd gen featured twin carburetors, and a lower, more aerodynamic design.  Honda also managed to keep the car at an affordable price at around $10,000.  In addition to the redesigned exterior and stronger engine, the 2^nd gen also featured a double A-arm front suspension and rear Chapman struts with anti-roll bars.

Honda was not done yet though.  In 1985 the Si model was released, which was designed with notable features like a 2 liter engine with fuel injection producing 110 hp, and a body with a more aerodynamic design.  Many people agree that the 2^nd gen was better designed and made more sense from the engineering point of view than the 1^st gen.  Also, the 2^nd gen was lighter than the previous generation, which made it more agile and quick, especially when combined with the 16-valve engine on the Si model.  

The 2^nd gen took the Prelude from a normal but sporty looking car to a full-fledged modern sports car that was preferred over many other popular sports cars.  Contributing to this popularity was the incredible suspension that came on the 2^nd generation, the redesigned engine which gave the prelude the power to compete with the big boys, and the aerodynamic body style to give the car quickness and responsiveness.   Honda was listening to what the people wanted and produced a beautifully engineered sports car that was still very affordable.  Popularity was high and the future of the Prelude looked good in 1987, which was when the last of the 2^nd generations were produced.