The tranny on our SS Preludes is designed to NOT have fast spooling of the torque convertor. It is not the best way for the gearbox to be operated-but then again it is conservative in function. You need to read up in the Helm how this thing actually works. My Honda tech took me out in mine and showed me what was going on when in AUTO mode. In SS it is very responsive, but not as quick as a 5 speed from a standing start.
The only thing we know about is the issue with outright failures of the tranny. If you want to do launches-get the gearbox rebuilt by Howard Engineering or Level Ten for more agressive usage. There is no real relationship between engine issues and the transmission.