Honda resurrected its Prelude coupe this year after a hiatus of some 24 years. The Japanese carmaker was able to do that by cleverly repurposing parts from the Civic lineup, namely the Civic Type R and the hybrid Civic e:HEV, and enveloping those parts in a stylish new body.
The new Prelude Type would employ a 325-hp turbo
Now, we are hearing in the November 10 edition of Japan’s Best Car magazine of a high performance Prelude Type R that would replace the car’s 200-hp hybrid engine with a hot 325-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and 6-speed stick shift from the Civic Type R. More on that in a minute.
The components that the stock Prelude inherited are the absolute cream of the crop from Honda’s parts bin. The new Prelude sits on a more comfort-oriented version of the Type R’s high performance chassis, and employs the Type R’s 4-piston Brembo brake package, while the 200-hp 2.0-liter hybrid drivetrain is borrowed from the Civic e:HEV, meaning that the new Prelude does not get a 6-speed manual option. But the just-launched stock Prelude does employ a totally new CVT with a bespoke automatic blipping system that changes gears according to the cornering
A new Prelude Type R would sit on the Civic Type R’s chassis
Now, just as Honda is launching its all-new Prelude onto the world stage comes news that Honda is seriously considering the addition of a high performance Prelude Type R boasting more power and even more dedicated parts and technology.
As mentioned above, according to the latest edition of Best Car, Honda will not only be adding a Prelude Type S to the lineup within 2026, packing a 182-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter VTEC engine and a 6-speed manual, but the Japanese carmaker is also weighing up the economies of scale and viability of launching a super hot Prelude Type R.
Adding the ‘Type R’ suffix to the Prelude name in this case basically means plonking a revised, more aerodynamic body onto the Civic Type R’s hardware, because the Prelude Type R would get the Civic Type R’s chassis as is, as well as that car’s 325-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter VTEC unit and 6-speed manual transmission. If Honda did make this car, it would almost certainly be the brand’s last (non-hybrid) full internal combustion-only vehicle.
The $64,000 question here is—can Honda find a strong economic case for developing and launching another hot 300-hp plus sports car that would not only sell in very small numbers, but would in many ways be a rival to the car from which it borrows its go-quick parts—the Civic Type R. And if this hot Prelude did surface, which would not be until late 2027, Honda would have to charge at least $55,000 for the Prelude Type R, which is $10,000 more than the Civic Type R. Watch this space.