2026 Honda Prelude Inches Closer to Production in New Spy Photos
Posted by blackout0424@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 165 comments
Posted by blackout0424@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 165 comments
Vhozite@reddit
Fuck the opinions on this sub I’m very curious to see how this car ends up. The Civic hybrid is pretty cool and the Prelude is definitely an attractive car. It would be super easy to make a case for this car not needing to exist to I suspect Honda has something up their sleeve. Would love to see Honda experiment with 4 wheel steering again.
Bottlely@reddit
I'm a bit late to the convo but I feel the same. I already expected things like the lack of a manual transmission, but everyone is too hasty to dump on this car.
I also think people are quickly forgetting that Honda has a rear e-axle slated for their hybrid models, and by all indications, this Prelude will likely be the first model to receive it.
People say that they don't understand what this is meant for. With all the available info so far, I'm betting that this will be an hybrid grand tourer with optional (unlikely standard) AWD and 270+ HP.
Oh_ffs_seriously@reddit
According to rumours it will have the same powertrain as the Civic, so 200 hp in the USA and 180 in Europe.
stoned-autistic-dude@reddit
Honda has been on a roll lately so I have hope. This isn't recession-era Honda. People on here were way too young to realize how fucked 2008 was.
Honda today is reporting profits and sales and they're dumping money heavily into HRC. They're partnered with Aston Martin in F1, developed a RWD CTR for Super GT, racing the CTR/ITS in TCR, are heavily invested in IMSA with the ARX-06 and NC1 NSX, developed a new bike for Moto GP, are funding HRC Off-Road Racing with the trophy truck Ridgeline, are the primary sponsor for Indycar... They had absolutely no reason to build a prototype parts catalogue for the ITS that included fully-adjustable coilovers, additional oil coolers, real bucket seats, weight reduction, and aero, all of which was built out of carbon and is expensive.
That's way more than they did for the S2000 CR which came out at the peak of the recession and was truly a parts bin special. The steering rack stiffener is stamped steel and a metal welded bar that looks pretty chintzy--but hey, if it works. There are forum posts of people in 2011 buying S2000 CRs from dealerships brand new that had been sitting on the lot. That's how bad that was.
The CRZ came out in 2010 when the market was still reeling, so Honda wasn't incentivized to spend a ton of money to build the car if they could just reuse a lot of the research they developed with the S2000 (intake and cooling, chassis rigidity), NSX (widespread use of aluminum), and Insight (hybrid tech). They designed something that looked cool, gave it a manual, and sent it out the door. That was the best we got.
But this looks promising. The US economy is recovering at a healthy clip and Honda recorded profits for Q1 2024. The fact that they're using the CTR's brakes means they're playing around with the power output. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a Type-R version of this car.
Vhozite@reddit
How do you know they’re using the Type R brakes? Did I miss that in the article?
Yeah I was in middle school during the recession so I can’t really comment on Honda back then. I do know that I’ve always loved their cars :) My favorite car I’ve ever driven was a slammed 90’s civic. No HP but also light as a feather and no power steering…was like driving a go kart.
I think they’re doing their best right now and deserve the benefit of the doubt.
stoned-autistic-dude@reddit
Looking at the photograph. It is shared among models and is likely the appropriate piston size for the weight of the car.
saturnuranusmars@reddit
This hybrid shit needs to die. No one asked for these bloated pieces of shit.
narcistic_asshole@reddit
I am so ready to be underwhelmed by this car
Embarrassed_Ship1519@reddit
Just make the old Prelude again. It’s time to resurrect 1990’s cars. No LCDs. Analog gauges. Manual transmissions
Mimical@reddit
If someone came out with an unapologetically "do everything yourself" shitbox for a stupidly cheap price I have no idea if we would champion it or sit here and complain that a sub 20k car doesn't have apple car play.
axelguntherc@reddit
Yep, we want to have our cake and to eat it too. Our ideal car is an F87 M2 made entirely out of carbon fiber by Toyota with an NA Miata front end, a V8 engine made by welding two K20s together, and the steering from a 1963 Oldsmobile.
When the press started making articles about it we would post them here and complain that it didn't come used from the factory, didn't have a wagon variant, and that Toyota had touched it during the manufacturing process.
RoyShavRick@reddit
I mean the original prelude was much the same. Just a gussied up civic.
ItsGizzman@reddit
The original prelude was derived from the Accord, not the Civic.
Conscious_Candle2598@reddit
according to who? It's your civic duties that tell me! And do it before the prelude of the conversation and all that jazz. make sure it's a legend answer!
ZachtoseIntolerant@reddit
i’m going to pilot my crv off a cliff
Haqthrow@reddit
Si
fiero-fire@reddit
Well today's civic is about twice the size of a late 90s accord
FruitbatNT@reddit
Literally a 12 seater passenger van
Quatro_Leches@reddit
Freight bus
JoeUrbanYYC@reddit
Freight train
Mediocre-Cat-Food@reddit
News to everyone that the ‘25 civic is nearly 6000lbs apparently
knuckles_n_chuckles@reddit
My 87 accord was 2700lbs.
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
You sure about that?
The late 90's Accord is 5" longer, 1" taller, but half an inch narrower than the current Civic.
ChiggaOG@reddit
It certainly was a Prelude then.
RoyShavRick@reddit
Ah right that's true. Still tho, a spritzed up accord coupe isn't anything to write home about
nappyrat@reddit
The prelude never shared anything with the civic. If anything the Integra was a gussied up civic.
Elianor_tijo@reddit
I mean, it absolutely was and the new ones still are.
nappyrat@reddit
I know, I get swapped my eg in 2008 lol.
RoyShavRick@reddit
Gussied up accord isn't much better lmao
nappyrat@reddit
never said it did, just correcting your factually inaccurate statement.
TheSexyKamil@reddit
People really concerned with the legacy of this 7.6s 0-60 MASTERPIECE.
The new one will handle well and be slower than it's competitors just like the og. And I think that's great. At least we'll finally have an interesting 2 door commuter again
Ancient_Persimmon@reddit
I mean, it was considered the one of the best handling cars on the market and had a pretty glorious powertrain to boot.
RoyShavRick@reddit
Nah like what I mean is that on paper that's what it was, in reality it was great for sure. I just mean to say that people shouldn't immediately write this off because it's like a Civic.
Kongary@reddit
Historically Accord-based. Loved the gen 5 Prelude I had, manual of course. At the same time a friend had an RSX, the actual "gussied up Civic".
MesWantooth@reddit
I had a manual Type SH, Crystal Blue (Silver with a slight blue tint)...Drove it for 10 years and 125k miles. Not fast, but quick and fun, and I had zero repair bills beyond 2 clutches and regular maintenance.
If the new one was RWD or AWD, I think I'd probably order one.
gunnutzz467@reddit
The original prelude had more power and a manual
This is a hybrid CVT grandma’s retirement coupe
RoyShavRick@reddit
The new civic hybrid is really good tho I've heard, faster than an Si
gunnutzz467@reddit
Faster in straight line, which isn’t the purpose of the si.
Elianor_tijo@reddit
This. The Si trim never made a ton of power, but offered good driving dynamics. The new ones still do for current era cars.
narcistic_asshole@reddit
Though they technically call it an eCVT, it is not really a CVT at all. It doesn't really have a transmission at all in the traditional sense, basically just a clutch and a separate electric motor. It's still no manual transmission, but it's a lot more responsive and smoother than a CVT or regular automatic transmission
rationis@reddit
Bullshot. The Prelude came with roughly twice the power of the Civic, a significantly larger engine, and was on an entirely different platform.
They shared damn near nothing in common aside from the Honda emblem lol
RoyShavRick@reddit
Okay well compared to an EM1 Si it was hardly much much faster.
rationis@reddit
Can't just cherry-pick a single later model Si and use a metric that has little to nothing to do with a platform's identity. Since the non Si Civics now come with the same or more power than the Si, it would be more correct to compare the Prelude with regular Civic's.
RoyShavRick@reddit
I'm looking at the 2001 Civic Si and the 2001 Prelude Type SH? It's not that much faster. More power but more weight? It's also way bigger.
lovsicfrs@reddit
You’re just looking at things on paper which tells me you never owned one. As OP said, the platforms are different. Which is why parts have never been as available for Prelude’s.
rationis@reddit
You're fixated on acceleration and a single model that isn't a good comparison in light of the fact that the new Prelud is getting a regular Civic's powertrain. If we use acceleration as the sole metric for determining model similarity, the NSX is just a gussied up S2000 and the S2000 is just a gussied up V6 Accord coupe.
The entire reason I got rid of my Prelude was due to a lack of parts because it shares such little in common with other Honda platforms. My Cobalt SS shares more in common with a Corvette than the Civic does the Prelude.
GoHuskies1984@reddit
That’s what makes this all extra spicy.
It will be a couple version of whether Honda sedan. That’s it.
But Reddit and car subs will lose their damn minds over the application of the Prelude label.
AtomWorker@reddit
Over it's run, the Prelude shared components with other models but rode on a relatively distinct platform. It was also a showcase for tech like rear wheel steering and torque vectoring. Some of this stuff is ubiquitous today but back in the late 90s it was something special.
Let's not forget that virtually everything on the road, including luxury cars, is the result of platform sharing. If the new Prelude sucks that won't be the reason why.
Frodobagggyballs@reddit
No it’s not. It’s from the Honda accord
narcistic_asshole@reddit
Oh I know. At this point I'm just hoping they at least give it the LSD and chassis goodies the si gets since I think the civic si's days are numbered after this generation unfortunately.
It's just a shame it isn't something more because I think the car itself looks stunning. Maybe they'll release an AWD type R variant with their new e-axle that they say can be mated to future hybrids, but even that is a long shot
ChiggaOG@reddit
2026 Honda Prelude Hybrid.
Mimical@reddit
Not sure if the crossover of people have "neato little car" and "I want a chill hybrid" is big enough to support sales. If this thing launches at $35-40k USD... I dunno it's a tough call against literally everything else in the price bracket.
NotoriousCFR@reddit
Yeah, this is what I'm not understanding, what exactly does it do well enough to make anyone choose it over the competition? Wanna go fast, get a Mustang. Wanna rev high and fly around corners, get a BRZ/GT86. Wanna cruise in something that feels "premium", get an A3. Wanna hypermile, get a Prius Prime. Wanna drive a small 200hp hybrid Honda, get a Civic Hybrid....all near the same price range as what I expect the Prelude will fall into. The Prelude seems like it's going to try to do it all; unfortunately, the most likely result is that it will half-ass it all.
middle-of-the-road-g@reddit
I'm SOOO "eh" for this car already
longgamma@reddit
You drive a 2019 civic si lol.
narcistic_asshole@reddit
Which means I'm pretty much the target audience for this car. I'm planning on changing things up in the spring and eyeing pretty much every sports car between the Gr86 to a 987 Cayman, but probably not this
longgamma@reddit
Pipe down dude. You drive a civic. You’ll feel at home in the prelude.
narcistic_asshole@reddit
I mean probably, all things being equal I prefer Honda over pretty much any other brand, but I'm over the single car life and as much as I enjoy the si I think I prefer a dedicated fun car. The Prelude does not scratch the itch
longgamma@reddit
Cool maybe you are not the target audience
nolongerbanned99@reddit
Yeah, looked good in the prior concept photos but now the from looks like the Chevy cobalt. If it’s not fast, it’s done for.
HomosexualThots@reddit
I'm so ready to be disappointed by this car.
DaBombDiggidy@reddit
I'm waiting for some business guy to come in and convince everyone it's the perfect vehicle a week later too. Best part of the ITR launch tbh.
Astramael@reddit
I am going to be more interested in this car than the new F80 no matter how underwhelming it is.
A_Starving_Scientist@reddit
It will be a very whelming car.
Phosphorus444@reddit
At least I'd be able to afford one.
Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit
I really don't understand who this car is made for, it looks cool but kind of misses the whole point of modern coupes... you usually trade usability for performance, this doesn't really have any performance... so your trading that usability with 4 doors for absolutely no gain...
Why buy this over a Civic?
ravengenesis1@reddit
It’s an accord coupe with sportiness that it completely lacks.
Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit
But this isn't very sporty either haha.. just seems like a big inconvenience for no gain. 200 horsepower, FWD, Automatic.
six_six@reddit
Don’t forget heavy due to the hybrid powertrain.
bobovicus@reddit
Hybrid and heavy don't coincide every single time. My insight has almost the exact same curb weight as my Sky. It's not too far off from an Si either.
Whatcanyado420@reddit
and yet people buy the Si with similar specs
Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit
The Civic SI is manual only and has 4 doors...
Whatcanyado420@reddit
4 doors is a preference. And no one is buying a manual for a slow car in this market.
In reality 200hp is a perfectly fine number that was acceptable not so long ago.
IS-2-OP@reddit
Reason I wanted the SI was only for the manual lol. Won’t drive a CVT ever if possible.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
TIL the prelude hits 0.94G stock
altshiftM@reddit
I just want a 6cyl Accord Coupe again...
tduncs88@reddit
I drove one for the first time a few months ago.... those suckers rip for what they are. Was fun to drive.
Scary_One_2452@reddit
You said why. It looks cooler.
There's people who buy a Mustang Ecoboost mainly because it's an cool looking coupe with an iconic nameplate.
Sure Prelude is not exactly as iconic but it's still a good looking coupe still. The trade off is that this should get much better fuel economy than the Mustang ecoboost, which should snag some of those buyers.
Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit
The Mustang ecoboost is pretty dang sporty... the Prelude is likely to have what a 6.5+ second 0-60... 4.5 seconds to 60.
Scary_One_2452@reddit
Yeah but I'm talking about the people who buy the Mustang specifically because they want a cool looking daily. 0-60 aside.
In the opinion of SavageGeese, when it comes to handling, the base Ecoboost isn't any better than a commuter car. And there's plenty of buyers of the Ecoboost without the performance package. So the prelude definitely has a target audience.
randeus@reddit
As somebody who has driven plenty of commuter cars and has drivers base model ecoboost, it definitely handles better than your typical Civic or Camry lol
aaayyyuuussshhh@reddit
Umm the Prelude and Civic wont handle any better than an average commuter car when it comes to lateral grip numbers. Actually in Motortrends recent test, the Prius pulled a higher lateral G than the Civic hybrid....
At least the Ecoboost has some serious power and tuning potential. It's also a significantly larger car that has a more usable size truck and somewhat usable rear seats. Still get mid to high 20s mpg. The Prelude is basically just a civic coupe. 6.5 seconds to 60 is not thrilling. Especially since it's a hybrid with no real trans. Honestly don't see why one would get the prelude hybrid when the Civic hybrid will exist for the same price potentially less.
I'm happy it exists but I don't see the reason to buy one I guess. For its price a BRZ or GR86 is actually fun even though it gets 20mpg less. Not sure why Honda didn't put the detuned 2.0T in the prelude. Also highly doubt base models or even any model will come with an LSD meaning it's handling is gonna be mediocre.
Logical-Vermicelli53@reddit
People buy the Mustang because of the halo cars. Entry level versions of performance cars have always sold well.
It’s just like people who want a type R buy a lesser civic.
But this doesn’t seem to have any performance.
nomosolo@reddit
Reminds me of the CRZ, then
MojaMonkey@reddit
It has the same performance as a Civic but you just drive this one faster.
thetrappster@reddit
My wife.
No kids...no need for a 4 door, she wants something small and cute that gets good mileage. This is perfect for her.
Occhrome@reddit
Like the CRZ
GoHuskies1984@reddit
Do you want something other than sedans and crossovers?
This is something other than a sedan or crossover.
If this sells well enough it might convince other automakers to bring back two door coupes to replace all those ‘coupe’ crossovers.
LifeguardLimp6264@reddit
New civic is ugly. This looks good. That’s why. I’d be very interested if I didn’t just buy a new Prius (words I never thought I’d say). I remember being disappointed by the crz and I had an rsx
manesag@reddit
If it comes with Si drive train, or a combined si hybrid drive train, I would easily sell my civic for it, it needs stick though
narcistic_asshole@reddit
Unfortunately a manual transmission would be virtually impossible to mate to their current hybrid powertrain as it doesn't even really have a transmission to begin with.
It'd be so sick though if they used the hybrid powertrain to make a high reving naturally aspirated Honda engine of old, but now compliant with modern emissions requirements.
Basically just replace the Atkinson cycle motor with a K20
manesag@reddit
See and I don’t even care about having a high revving motor. Give me the L15 with a hybrid system on the rear axle and I’ll be happy
narcistic_asshole@reddit
I don't mind the L15, but I am intrigued at the potential of a high revving NA engine mated to an electric motor.
It wouldn't be nearly as restricted by emissions compliance, and you could engineer a very peaky high-revving engine because the EV motor gives you all the low end torque you need. Like imagine an F20C with a robust low end
manesag@reddit
Oh that would be glorious, I’m just thinking more realistically I guess haha.
Just curious, is your Si modded in anyway?
MrBanditOne@reddit
Honda has confirmed that there will be no manual transmission offered on the Prelude.
avoidhugeships@reddit
The gain is driving something beautiful. If it's done right anyway.
Dr_Disaster@reddit
It’s basically a Civic/Accord coupe. It’s for people who bemoaned the loss of those.
quikskier@reddit
Which doesn't even make sense to me since Honda killed the coupe off due to lack of sales.
Dr_Disaster@reddit
I’m thinking Honda likely found a way to make their production more economical. I mean, I agree it’s still odd. It’s obviously not targeting sports coupes like the GR86/BRZ/Miata. It’s clearly not perfomance minded enough to be an SI coupe eqivalent. It honestly seems like a modern attempt at the lifestyle coupes that were everywhere during the 80s and 90s. And that’s a weird direction for a company as risk averse as Honda. And for that reason alone, I kinda respect it. This car doesn’t need to exist at all, but it’s being made purely to give buyers an economical, attractive coupe and I’ve always been a fan of those.
quikskier@reddit
Agreed, I give props to these companies that take some risks. Just hopefully it doesn't backfire and make them even more risk averse.
stav_and_nick@reddit
Me. I want a coupe, don’t wanna spend a lot, and want decent fuel economy
bobovicus@reddit
To be completely honest, ti's just a Civic Coupe resurrected, which is not a bad thing at all, if the price reflects it. They've done stuff like this in the past. Like instead of making a 10th gen Civic Hybrid, they gave it accord tech, styling, hybrid drive, and called it the Insight.
The upside is that it's possible we could see Si and Type R-esque variants on this.
xTRYPTAMINEx@reddit
Kinda reminds me of one of these guys
RustyNK@reddit
However good this car ends up being will determine if I buy one of these or just upgrade my 2018 Civic Si to a 2027 Civic Si. I'll let the 2026 Prelude go into production and see how it does and determine what I buy in 2027. Who knows, if I do well enough in the stock market, maybe I upgrade to an Integra Type S instead?
TheWayOfEli@reddit
I had such high hopes for this car. I know the looks were debatable, but I thought that concept looked amazing in white. Even though they said "it won't be the fastest car in a circuit" seeing the brembos made me believe it would have some performance chops, even if it wasn't going to be laying down lap times competitive with the Civic Type R. I never expected a manual transmission for this car, but would've loved one anyway.
But now, as more and more news has come out, it's had me scratching my head; who out there is looking for a non-performance, automatic, 2-door car? That's basically the Honda Civic Coupe at that point and they killed that car. How big is the buyer category for a 2-door car with no meaningful performance?
BraveFencerMusashi@reddit
I like it but it better have an upgraded hybrid system putting out more power
Frodobagggyballs@reddit
I’m already prepared for the worse, they can’t hurt me now
fhs@reddit
Only way they can surprise me is by making it a rwd v8 manual
uchigaytana@reddit
Unless Honda manages to completely knock it out of the park with the transmission and creates something as good as the DSG was, I really can't see this car doing well.
missbewtyifulness@reddit
Let's believe!
Vhozite@reddit
I believe :)
XSC@reddit
How the hell is Honda still doing this car after the CRZ. Did they not learn their lesson? Hopefully it’s a supra situation.
tclark2006@reddit
I don't think this is going to be a BMW in disguise. This is going to be a car that looks sporty but has none of the things that make it actually sporty.
FruitbatNT@reddit
as is tradition
Zealousideal-Taro976@reddit
I have a RSX Type-S it's a great car. Interior is much nicer than the previous generation, the power from the K20 is much more usable, it handles well, the manual feels great, the fuel economy is good, and it revs to the moon.
stoned-autistic-dude@reddit
I loved the DC5 RSXS. It was great because it had a screaming engine and the race car inspired dash. It was a great car. It just wasn't as great as the DC2 because it lacked double wishbones.
Top_Repair6670@reddit
What the fuck? I swear every other post on this subreddit is people saying they’d buy a modern CRZ.. Well here you go, a modern CRZ
F1_Geek@reddit
They wanted a stick.
Top_Repair6670@reddit
Yeah, after doing some reading it looks like the current hybrid setup would be unable to pair with a manual transmission.
Well, there goes my own enthusiasm, lol
DaOne_44@reddit
I just want Acura to get their mitts on it
Muttonboat@reddit
Something recently popped up with the Honda working with the RSX trademark again, so I'd wager dollars to donuts the prelude becomes that.
JDai01@reddit
Interestingly that would mean they would have an Integra and an RSX for sale at the same time.
Muttonboat@reddit
I mean that happened before - The RSX was just called the integra in Japan and the RSX in the states.
stoned-autistic-dude@reddit
I feel like if the Mustang and Mach E can both exist at the same time and be called Mustang, the RSX and Integra can be separate cars. The RSX only came as a coupe whereas the Teggy was always offered as a sedan, too. I guess that works.
Muttonboat@reddit
The DC5 was the RSX / Integra for the same year and it was coupe only. Was there another model?
stoned-autistic-dude@reddit
I was talking about the DC2 Integra.
Elianor_tijo@reddit
This would open up the possibility of an RSX Type S in some form. I doubt they'd ditch the hybrid, put a K20 C8 in there and SH-AWD, but we can dream!
Honda pretty much always had the one Type R at the same time, but Acura usually has Type S everything. Granted, not all of the Type S are that interesting, but I'd say they got the MDX and Integra right (MSRP can be argued).
Even if it's still a hybrid with more oomph and hopefully great driving dynamics, I could some market for this. Not a large one, but some market.
FruitbatNT@reddit
That saying made more sense when donuts were less than a dollar.
waterbed87@reddit
Acura making some version of this with some more power in a Type S variant could be very interesting. I'd love to see some non german coupes make a comeback.
mkvii1989@reddit
Those sure are some FWD proportions.
tbone747@reddit
Yeah I'm feeling CRZ 2.0 here. Just a very niche car for someone who wants a cheap-ish sporty-looking car but also wants the fuel efficiency of that hybrid powertrain.
That being said I kinda fit that niche so I'm curious about the pricing and if it'll get the sporty bits from the Civic Si and/or Type R to make it more enticing.
Logical-Vermicelli53@reddit
Thankfully Hondas hybrid systems seems to have improved significant since the CRZ. This is meant to be around 200hp which is still mildly sporty.
The CRZ had 130hp. If it had 200 it probably would have been quite a bit more successful.
I’d prefer a far more exciting power plant but at least 200hp won’t be underpowered
tbone747@reddit
Yeah if they keep the pricing reasonable I think a Civic Hybrid powertrain in a (I assume) lighter car sounds like a recipe for success.
Cheesybox@reddit
I desperately want to like it, as someone who had a 5th generation Prelude and loved that car.
The biggest question is how will it compete vs things like the GR86 and the Miata.
I'm also a little disappointed it's not being used as a testbed for new tech like previous Preludes were. They were always Accord coupes that had some wacky new system Honda wanted to test (like 4-wheel steering in the 3rd gen).
Conscious-Lobster60@reddit
Slower and more expensive than the: ND, 86, and probably a Tesla Model 3. The 4 door Accord Hybrid will probably gap this thing.
Kranthiuf91@reddit
Looks like an old sedan to me. Change my mind here
Conscious-Lobster60@reddit
Poor sales buyers discover the Accord hybrid is faster, cheaper, and more practical! Isn’t this already happening with the SI versus the Hybrid Civic?
Latios19@reddit
I’m a bit discouraged by the powertrain. Not that it needs to be a 500HP car of course, but at least give us 300HP. The hybrid I’m not in love but I’ll have to get used to it since every Honda eventually will be hybrid.
The rest of the body design interior/exterior I really like!
Will need to learn how to love it haha
turboash78@reddit
I see it's abandoning the tradition of having a sweet ass.
Slow_Fox967@reddit
Not sure, the hips is what did it for me on the 4th. Seems like the hipwork is order to me.
mil777@reddit
I'm still very confused by this car.
They put 20 inch wheels on it and gave it the Type R brakes, yet nothing indicates this car will have much if any power gain from the Civic Hybrid (low to mid 200s at best). A Honda guy in one of the interviews said the Prelude will not be a fast car.
Also the Prelude nameplate used to mean this car is a tech showcase for future models, yet they pretty much confirmed it will get nearly identical powerplant from the existing Civic. It would make more sense that the Prelude is the first model to receive some kind of a 'next gen' hybrid system that will be rolled out for the rest of the Honda lineup a year or two later.
And like others mentioned, it seems like you trade all the usability of a Civic for next to no performance gain.
None of this makes sense.
MaybeNext-Monday@reddit
Honda Honda-ing. They’re in the business of boring lately. Even the type-R is a sedan now.
JEs4@reddit
It is actually a great point for prospective buyers; the consumables are going to eat into fuel savings a bit.
Aggravating_Math_623@reddit
Haha you read my mind!
I have a friend with a Type S, and if I want to get him upset, I just bring up this vehicle.
It's a real "what was I made for" car.
SaveTheSticks@reddit
Honda really is phoning it in lately on performance. The new Si got decontented for the US market. It's a great cheap car to beat on but they're just resting on the "laurels" of the Si/Honda badge without pushing the envelope at all.The new Type R is great but mechanically it's barely an innovation over the FK8. I understand fun cars don't make much money, but it's sad to see how little they care about progression in this aspect.
JEs4@reddit
I prefer the path Honda is taking with the Type R. While the current generation is a bit of an exception, it really isn’t dissimilar to VW’s approach on the Golf R. The CTR is still arguably the sport compact king so incremental improvements are better than potentially breaking a great formula.
Their other offerings are definitely puzzling though.
Chi-Guy86@reddit
Some people are never happy. Honda brings back a good looking two door car with a modern hybrid powertrain, and all people do here is piss and moan about it. This is why automakers don’t listen to enthusiasts. They try to meet enthusiasts half way, and people stomp their feet and whine about it not being good enough.
Big-Smoke99@reddit
Nobody asked for an automatic FWD hybrid coupe. Enthusiasts didn't, as they could buy a GR86/BRZ, Miata, or Civic Si. The general public didn't, because they largely don't buy impractical coupes at this price point. So this car is in No man's land. Thats why the complaints.
uberdosage@reddit
Maybe if it wasnt going to be another boring 200hp engine like always.
CreatedUsername1@reddit
Scion TC 2.0
hey_its_meeee@reddit
Is this another 200hp FWD car from Honda, like the last 30 years?
Yeah I get it, they are reliable, but man, they are so boring to drive. It is time to start developing more RWD cars Honda.
CompetitionFalse3620@reddit
I work for Honda and have as much interest in this car as I do the Prologue, none.
Chi-Guy86@reddit
Just saying you work for a big multinational corporation isn’t the flex you think it is.
CompetitionFalse3620@reddit
I wasn't flexing at all, was making a point that I don't love a product that my company is making. Where is the flex?
BigFootEnergy@reddit
Cool story
CompetitionFalse3620@reddit
Thanks, thought you would like it.
jawnlerdoe@reddit
As the driver of a civic coupe, I would totally take this as a replacement daily, even if it “only” had the civic hybrids power train.
B00marangTrotter@reddit
2026? Looks like a 2006 Mitsubishi eclipse to me.
Give me a call when the 1982 styling comes around.
illawgickal@reddit
If this was a slightly smaller, slightly lighter, two-door Si, it would be an instant buy for me. A two door Civic Hybrid is much less interesting. It does look good though! And I'm in support of having more "small-ish" cars on the market.
alphachruch@reddit
It's a cool car but the issue is that it's posed as a GR86 rival. Where most 86 buyers are manual drivers, so...how is the Prelude going to compete. This feels like an answer for ppl who got mad at Honda for not making a 11th gen Civic coupe, but it's just a regular Civic and not the Si. I can't imagine this really selling more than a Civic coupe did. Especially when you consider that the Integra is also just a Civic Si with an automatic transmission option (or manual with better materials).
dumahim@reddit
In what way is it being posed as an 86 rival? Because it has 2 doors?
alphachruch@reddit
Oh, I just saw a couple of headlines that reference the Prelude against the 86. Probably because they are both around the same HP and two door coupes. And some Civic Si buyers cross shop the 86 too, so I'd say it's fair to assume it's a 86 competitor, or at least til now.
Traditional-Oven4092@reddit
Looks like an accord lol
Stunning_Bird6106@reddit
Looks chonky.
Stoneheart26@reddit
I only wish I could afford it...