- Prelude rumors suggested possible Type S and Type R trims.
- One report outlines a 325 hp Type R with manual gearbox.
- Honda was asked about rumored high-performance variants.
When Honda brought the Integra name back a few years ago, it didn’t waste time giving it a performance flagship in the form of the Type S. So now that the Prelude has been resurrected, it’s only natural that speculation is building around whether it might receive a similar high-powered treatment. Unfortunately, Honda’s latest response probably won’t thrill enthusiasts.
Reports from Japan have suggested that Honda is working on high-performance Type S and Type R variants of the new Prelude, citing insider information. One such claim proposes that the Prelude Type S would feature the same 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the Civic RS, delivering 179 horsepower and 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) of torque.
Read: Honda’s Too-Slow 2026 Prelude Could Be Much Faster Than You Think
Curiously, that figure would make it notably less powerful than the standard Prelude hybrid, which is rated at 200 hp and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm). Not exactly the kind of jump that justifies a Type S badge, at least on paper, though we assume it would have been tuned to deliver more than that.
Then there’s the Type R. According to a report from Best Car, this model could get the same flagship 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the Civic Type R and America’s Integra Type S, punching out 325 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque.
Coupled with the Civic’s six-speed manual transmission, it would turn the Prelude into an entirely different machine.
Honda Shuts Down the Hype
That dream, however, may be short-lived. A journalist from Creative311, another Japanese automotive publication, recently attended a Honda event and asked about the rumored Prelude variants. A company representative reportedly responded, “There are no current plans to sell either a Type S or Type R version of the new Prelude.” Of course, the phrase “current plans” leaves the door open, but not by much.
While it’s easy to imagine a livelier version of the Prelude, especially one built around a 325 hp powertrain, Honda seems unlikely to greenlight it anytime soon. A Type R model could overlap heavily with the Civic Type R and Integra Type S, both of which already cover that high-performance territory.
It would also run counter to how the Prelude is being positioned so far, which is as a more efficient, hybrid-first coupe rather than a performance sports model.
There’s also the matter of historical precedent. Honda has never offered a Prelude Type R, and the only version ever sold as a Type S was the fifth-generation model, available exclusively in Japan. The Civic and Integra, by contrast, have a long-established legacy with both Type S and Type R badges, making them more natural recipients of Honda’s performance focus.
Could that change? It’s certainly possible, and given the Prelude’s Civic roots, entirely plausible too. But any move in that direction would likely hinge on how the Prelude performs in its current form, and whether market demand pushes Honda to explore a sportier variant.
