Prelude Type S and Type R Rumors Denied by Honda

Honda Prelude. (Photo: Honda)

JAKARTA - Honda is rumored to be preparing the Prelude Type S and Type R in the future. This news has sparked various speculations, and not a few fans are looking forward to its arrival.

One of the claims states that the Prelude Type S will be equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is the same as the Civic RS, with 179 hp of power and 240 Nm of torque. However, this figure is actually lower than the standard hybrid Prelude which is claimed to have 200 hp of power and 315 Nm of torque.

Meanwhile, the Type R variant is rumored to carry the same flagship engine as the Civic Type R and Integra Type S in the United States. According to Best Car's report, the engine is capable of producing 325 hp of power and 420 Nm of torque.

However, the news is confirmed to be untrue. Citing Carscoops, Monday, December 29, a journalist from Creative311 who recently attended a Honda event directly asked about the rumor of the Prelude variant.

"Currently there are no plans to sell the Type S or Type R versions of the new Prelude," said a Honda representative who did not want to be named.

Although it's easy to imagine a more powerful version of Prelude, especially with a 325 hp engine, Honda doesn't seem to be agreeing to it anytime soon. The presence of the Prelude Type R has the potential to overlap with the existing Civic Type R.

In addition, this step is also contrary to Prelude's positioning as a more efficient coupe and prioritizing hybrid technology, not as a high-performance sports model.

Historically, Honda has also never offered a Prelude Type R. The only Type S variant ever sold was the fifth generation Prelude, and it was only available in the Japanese market.

Is the opportunity really closed? Not entirely. Given the still-intertwined roots of the Prelude with the Civic, the possibility remains open. However, everything will depend very much on the performance of the latest generation Prelude in the market and how much consumer demand is for a more sporty variant.