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- Honda recently revealed the new Prelude concept, which marks the brand’s return to sports cars after a long hiatus. This sleek and futuristic concept could disrupt the sports car industry.
- Honda promises to prioritize the “joy of driving” with the new Prelude, bringing the joy of driving into an electrified future. It will probably be a hybrid that combines a gas engine and an electric one.
- The new Prelude boasts a hybrid powertrain, offering a middle ground between traditional ICE models and futuristic all-electric sports cars. Powertrain details remain under wraps, but it’s expected to be more powerful than existing Honda hybrids.
Honda’s CEO recently gave an eye-opening speech at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo that revealed some surprising plans for the brand’s near-term future. The show covers everything from cars, motorcycles and trucks to everything that falls under the ‘mobility’ umbrella, including the latest technology and services; it is safe to say Honda stole the show when they unveiled this latest concept car.
It’s been more than two decades since the Honda Prelude went out of production, but this concept car brings this once revered plaque back to life. This elegant Prelude concept can seriously disrupt sports car upon production, looks a bit like a futuristic GR86 or BRZ, but boasts a much more futuristic drivetrain (more on that below).
HotCars has gathered and analyzed data from many authoritative sources, including Honda News, Ultimate Specs, and Fastest Laps, to bring you these reasons why you should wait for the newly unveiled Honda Prelude. All information has been collected and is correct as of October 2023.
Honda has just revealed the impressive new Prelude
To answer the question on everyone’s mind right now, yes, Honda is going to put the all-new Prelude into production, as confirmed at the Japan Mobility Show. After discussing various futuristic and autonomous concepts that work in conjunction with artificial intelligence, Honda CEO and President Toshihiro Mibe went on to admit that he recognizes that Honda customers expect something special from the Japanese brand – and that is more sports cars.
At this point, the Prelude concept was unveiled. According to Toshihiro, a car that will “offer an immersive experience that will make you want to keep driving forever, and provide extreme excitement that you’ve never experienced before” are bold claims indeed. As bold as that claim may be, a quick look back at the previous Prelude and the iconic S2000 reminds us that Honda rarely disappoints when it comes to sports cars, which is the first clue that this smart new Prelude just might be worth sticking around for.
Honda promises to prioritize “driving pleasure”
The one phrase that seems to have caught the interest of Honda gearheads and fans at the Prelude launch is that the Prelude will bring “the joy of driving into a fully electrified future.” At first, this led most to believe that the new sports car would be all-electric, but a Honda representative later clarified on social media what not, the Prelude will be a hybrid, and in the meantime will have a gas engine.
In a world where most electric cars either aim to be comfortable cruisers, prioritizing range and technology above all else, or are all about top speed and blistering acceleration, it’s great to see Honda promising a return to pure driving pleasure.
This modern Prelude will have a hybrid powertrain
As described above, Honda was quick to confirm that the new Prelude will still have a gas engine, rather than being offered as a full EV; it’s sure to please driving enthusiasts everywhere and is a great middle ground between traditional ICE models like the aforementioned GR86 and BRZ, from futuristic all-electric sports cars like MG’s Cyberster or the much-anticipated Tesla Roadster. It was the increased height of the front bumper and hood that made eagle-eyed fans question the powertrain. If the Prelude was a full electric car, why wouldn’t Honda go for a more refined design?
Other than that, Honda is remaining eerily silent on exactly what the new Prelude’s power output will be, although we’re guessing it will be more powerful than other Honda hybrids currently on the market. The discontinuation of both the Civic and Accord coupe in recent years could also be a hint that the Prelude will fill that void, though to promise a fun drive, we’d expect the Prelude to have more than the 212 horsepower offered in the past. Accord hybrid coupe.
Likewise, the latest Accord Hybrid and the newly introduced 2025 Civic Hybrid appear to be missing 204 and 181 horsepower, respectively; maybe Honda will provide a bigger gas engine to boost performance, or maybe more aggressive electrification will be introduced. For now, the details remain secret. For those considering a Honda hybrid, it might be worth holding on to the checkbook for now. If a hot new hybrid powertrain is already on the way for the Prelude, it could spill over to other models as well.
Honda engine and performance comparison
|
Model |
2017 Honda Accord Coupe Hybrid |
2023 Honda Accord Hybrid |
2025 Honda Civic Hybrid |
|
Engine |
2.0-liter inline-4 |
2.0-liter inline-4 |
2.0-liter inline-4 |
|
Electrical assistance |
Single electric motor |
Dual electric motors |
Dual electric motors |
|
Combined power |
212 horsepower |
204 horsepower |
181 horsepower |
|
Combined torque |
232 lb-ft |
247 lb-ft |
232 lb-ft |
You might not have to wait that long for a new Honda coupe
Perhaps the most exciting takeaway from the Prelude reveal is that the car is seemingly much closer to production than Honda is letting on. Traditionally, concept cars are design experiments that pave the way for future exploration with often adventurous designs that challenge current accepted norms.
However, the Prelude looks more like a pre-production prototype than a typical concept car, with windshield wipers, pronounced body panel lines, and details like rear reflectors and rear-view mirrors; all fairly common components that are often not included in interesting concept projects.
If we were looking for a new impressive sports car in the near future, we’d definitely want to wait for further updates from Honda, as the Prelude looks set to be the biggest hit in waiting – it certainly will be if it manages to live up to the older models that carry the name. There’s no word yet on what will power the Prelude or how much it will cost, but if the Prelude is indeed close to being production-ready, it’s unlikely that Honda will make us wait too long.
Sources: Information about the recently unveiled Honda Prelude concept car was gathered from Honda newswhile the performance and transmission data presented in the article were collected from both The highest characteristicsand Fastest laps.