Honda reintroduced the Prelude as a compact sports car after a 25-year hiatus, and frankly, it wasn’t the bargain performance car many hoped it would be. Rather, it is a more expensive, front-wheel-drive alternative to more affordable enthusiast cars like Toyota’s GR86 and the Mazda MX-5 Miata, both of which are about to receive a comprehensive redesign.
That said, the latest Japanese scoop revealed something exciting about the Honda Prelude’s future. While the current Prelude hybrid might be discontinued soon, Japanese publication, BestCarWeb, confirmed in one of its latest issues, what I always suspected to be true (despite what Honda claimed). A Honda Prelude Type-R is coming as early as 2028, and the scoop provides some interesting details.
Related story: 5 Reasons I May Buy the 2026 Honda Prelude and 3 Things I Don’t Like
The Prelude Type-R will, essentially, be a two-door Civic Type-R.
We can all agree that the current Prelude hybrid needs more power, especially for the asking price. Early tests showed the Prelude to be much slower to 60 mph than rival models, especially in manual models with the S+ shift strategy. Luckily, the Prelude Type-R fixes the issue by utilizing the K20, 2.0-liter turbo-four engine from the Civic Type-R and Integra Type-S.
The performance version of the two-door coupe will develop 330 horsepower and 310 pound-feet. Similar to its hot-hatch counterparts, it will come exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. That last part will probably disappoint some of you, who were hoping for an all-wheel-drive version, but this might not be the whole story.
Related story: The First 2026 Honda Prelude Dyno Run Did Not Go As Planned, But We Still Got a Number
Expect the 2028 Honda Prelude Type-R to feature a wider body, pronounced front and rear spoilers, and an active rear diffuser. The scoop also mentions the price, which in Japan would be around 7.0 million Yen. In 2026 conversion rates, this translates to $44,375, but you can bet this won’t be the actual price for US buyers. With the Prelude Hybrid having a sticker price of $43,195, you can bet the Type-R model will be closer to $50,000 or more. At that price point, you are dangerously close to rear-wheel-drive sports cars like the Nissan Z, Toyota GR Supra, and BMW M240i.
The Japanese scoop also mentions exterior dimensions for the 2028 Prelude Type-R.
- Length: 4,550 mm / 179.13 inches
- Width: 1,890 mm / 74.4 inches
- Height: 1,350 mm / 53.15 inches
- Wheelbase: 2,605 mm / 102.55 inches
An Acura twin might be in the making
Honda is awfully quiet about anything related to a Prelude Type-R, but I see an obvious pattern. When Honda introduced the FL5 Civic Type-R, the Acura Integra Type-S followed a year later. Honda’s luxury arm trademarked the “Acura RSX” and “RSX” nameplates in Japan back in October 2024. This resulted in an EV crossover, which Honda later cancelled, due to a change in strategy, but the name is still available.
While nothing is set in stone, this could mean that when the 2028 Prelude Type-R debuts, a more luxurious Acura model could follow a year later. Moreover, it could come with the option of an automatic transmission and the company’s signature SH-AWD system. That last part is speculation, so time will tell if the Acura RSX name will return, alongside the Prelude and Integra.
Related story: The One Thing About The New Honda Prelude That Everyone Seems To Miss
Image source: 2026 Honda Prelude press
About the author
Dimitar Angelov has been an automotive journalist since 2014. His passion for cars and motorcycles led him to take up classic car restoration at the Classic Car Museum in Malta. While living there, he also graduated with a Master's in Media and Communications. Aside from Torquenews, his work can also be seen on Topspeed.com, HotCars.com, Motorheads.com, Jalopnik.com, and his own website, Ridereverie.com, where he also includes motorcycle content.
Set Torque News as Preferred Source on Google
Follow us today...
