First Drive: The 2026 Honda Prelude Is Back, and It's a Hybrid
Honda's coupe returns after a 26-year absence with Civic Type R chassis tuning and a 200-hp hybrid powertrain — no manual, no limited-slip diff.
- Powertrain
- 2.0L I4 + 2-Motor Hybrid
- Output
- 200 HP / 232 lb-ft
- Economy
- 46 City / 41 Highway MPG
- Price
- $43,195 (incl. destination)
Honda's Prelude nameplate is back after a 26-year absence, and it arrives as a hybrid rather than the naturally-aspirated coupe longtime fans might expect. The single-trim model pairs a 2.0-liter inline-four with a two-motor hybrid system for 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque, built on Civic architecture with chassis, brake, and adaptive-suspension tuning borrowed directly from the Civic Type R. EPA ratings land at 46 city and 41 highway mpg, and pricing starts at $43,195 including destination.
"If we wanted to focus on power, it would be a different concept than this model." — Yoshiharu Saito, Honda Chief Engineer
There's no manual transmission and no limited-slip differential — a deliberate choice, according to Chief Engineer Yoshiharu Saito: "If we wanted to focus on power, it would be a different concept than this model." It's a car built around chassis feel and efficiency rather than a horsepower chase, which is a genuinely different brief than the badge's reputation might suggest.
The Drive's Joel Feder came away won over regardless: "Stepping out of the 2026 Honda Prelude, the smile couldn't be wiped from my face." The Prelude began arriving in US showrooms in November 2025, meaning the car itself has had several months on sale — this is a first-drive verdict on a genuinely new nameplate revival, not a same-week reveal.
Tesla Showed a Roadster That Does Kickflips. The FAA Says It Isn't an Aircraft, and Nobody Will Say What It Is.
Nine years after taking deposits on a car promised for 2020, Tesla unveiled a four-trim Roadster that drives upside down, flips in mid-air, and carries about five seconds of compressed nitrogen. Production is now 2028. There is still no price.
Nissan Finally Put a Third Pedal in the Z NISMO. Then It Made Sure Almost Nobody Can Buy One.
420 horsepower, GT-R brakes, seven percent shorter throws, and no price premium over the automatic. Also: a reported allocation of two or three Zs per dealer for the entire model year, and a manual NISMO build share in the single digits.
Porsche Puts a Mid-Engined Car Above the 911 — and an Analogue Rev Counter in Front of the Driver
The Mission S vision model landed on a Queens pier on Thursday with five round dials, no fixed centre screen and a confirmed platform above the 911. What Porsche carefully did not say is what sits behind the seats.