A Honda Prelude Type R Isn't Happening: 'No Plans at the Moment'

Rumors of a Type S and Type R Prelude have already been shot down by Honda.

Honda Prelude

Photo by: Honda

Jeff Glucker

By: Jeff Glucker

Dec 30, 2025 at 4:30pm ET

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THE BREAKDOWN

Honda says it has 'no plans at the moment' to produce a Type S or Type R Prelude.
That doesn't close the door on a potential Prelude Si.
Honda could reveal a peppier Prelude at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Honda has no current plans to deliver a Type S or Type R variant of the new Prelude. I wouldn’t necessarily call this shocking news, but I don’t think it’s reason to believe more sporting versions of the Prelude aren’t still to come.

According to a report from CarScoops, there was some initial chatter of a high-performance Prelude. The timing certainly makes sense, since the Tokyo Auto Salon is just around the corner. But did you really expect a 325-horsepower Prelude Type R to appear so soon? Unlikely.

The other model described is a Prelude Type S featuring 1.5-liter turbo power and 179 hp on tap. That would be a step in the wrong direction, and not a model worthy of a Type S badge—at least here in the States.

Regardless, these model rumors were squashed thanks to a reporter at Creative311. The journalist attended a program where they were able to directly ask about both a Type S and Type R Prelude variant. The response? Honda has "no plans at the moment."

Gallery: 2026 Honda Prelude: First Look

2026 Honda Prelude

Source: Honda

This news, or lack of it, may sadden some Honda enthusiasts. But I don’t believe the door is entirely closed for a peppier Prelude. I think people are just asking about the wrong potential model names. In fact, I’d place money that we’ll see a particular badge appear on the back of a Prelude very soon: Si.

This one is too easy for Honda not to do. The Honda Civic Si already exists, so the running gear would easily swap over. You already have the badges ready to slap on the Prelude. Honda would just need to emboss the headrests, add the tailgate and chin spoilers as standard items, and keep the price well under $50,000.

What do you think?

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Now we’d have a Honda Prelude with the exact horsepower figure as the hybrid version, but with a bit less curb weight and a lot more fun. In fact, it would likely be quite a bit more entertaining compared to the Civic Si, as the Prelude already features parts borrowed from the Civic Type R.

Honda delivers an excellent manual gearbox. The Prelude is a sharp-looking machine. Let’s combine these two and give the people the Prelude they really want. Yes, a Prelude Type R would be lots of fun, but a Prelude Si could actually move a bit more units—especially if it’s not priced too far out of reach from the folks who actually want to buy one.

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Source: Creative311 via CarScoops

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