Honda Visually Beefs Up The New Prelude

Honda's racing division, HRC, is also giving the Civic Type R a few cosmetic mods.

Honda at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon

Photo by: Honda

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jan 9, at 4:33am ET

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The Breakdown

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is developing bolt-ons for cars and SUVs.
The Prelude and Civic Type R lead the way.
Crossovers are also getting HRC upgrades.

Italdesign’s reimagined NSX is the most interesting Honda at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, but the Japanese automaker itself has some juicy news to share as well. Through its global racing division, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), it has given the new Prelude a racy makeover. Additionally, the Civic Type R hot hatch has never looked this aggressive.

Although both are technically concepts, Honda says the spicier Prelude and CTR are a sign of things to come. More expensive versions with HRC-branded bits and pieces are on the way, bringing everything from fender flares to large rear wings. The duo will become the founding members of a new “Sport Line,” intended for upgraded configurations featuring HRC goodies.

Honda’s luxury division, Acura, first hinted at a catalog of HRC parts with an amped-up Integra Type S during the 2024 Monterey Car Week. While those parts still aren’t available to buy, these new concepts strongly suggest that HRC bolt-ons are coming for customers looking to spice up their cars.

Photo by: Honda

Separately, Honda is rolling out a Trail Line dedicated to crossovers and SUVs equipped with HRC items. To that end, a rugged Passport TrailSport Elite is on display in Tokyo, following its debut last November at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It’s joined on stage by TrailSport HRC concepts based on the CR-V, ZR-V, Vezel, and WR-V.

A colorful Civic hatch is also attending the event as the first Honda to receive the S+ Shift tech after the Prelude. It goes on sale in Japan at the end of the year, allowing drivers to swap imaginary cogs using the paddle shifters. It’s too soon to say whether availability will extend beyond the domestic market or it'll remain JDM-only.

Honda at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon

Source: Honda

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Motor1's Take: It makes sense for Honda to create an additional revenue stream by offering a new line of HRC accessories. However, at least in the case of the Prelude and Civic Type R, these upgrades appear to be limited largely to visual changes. More substantial modifications are likely planned, considering the Integra Type S concept also featured adjustable coilovers and a carbon-fiber hood.

Hopefully, these HRC parts will be available individually rather than only as full packages. The Prelude and CTR concepts are overly aggressive for our tastes, but we’d definitely pick and choose some of the components Honda is developing.

Catch Up With Honda's Fun Cars:

Honda Rules Out a Manual Gearbox for the New Prelude

The Honda Civic Type R Nearly Costs $50,000 Now

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