RUMOR: Honda Prelude EV To Return To Fight Toyota GR86

Nov. 06, 2022 1:44 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Rumor / 9 Comments

The Honda Prelude could come back, but it'll be years before the car sees the light of day.

Honda is bolstering its electric lineup, and pretty soon, the Honda Prologue won't be the only electric Honda with a name that's a synonym for "introduction." According to Japanese sources, the Honda Prelude could return to the brand's lineup after a decades-long hiatus.

However, it won't be for some time, and we'll likely see the Prelude as a concept first, well before any production version is in the works. The OG Prelude, killed off in 2001, was a cheaper, sporty two-door coupe that notably packed the Nissan GT-R-like four-wheel steering. Now, it could return to fight Toyota and Subaru's small sports car.

The report comes on the heels of an updated electrification roadmap from Honda, says Best Car Web. We're inclined to at least consider the possibility of a Prelude return, as the Japanese publication has a track record for getting its info on upcoming models right.

For now, sources point to a 2028 introduction. The roadmap from Honda above shows two new electric sports cars are officially in the works, with one very clearly a "mid-engine-look" car and another with a more traditional coupe body style. We believe the former to be a revived NSX.

Acura VP Jon Ikeda hinted at an NSX revival, on top of that. To use Honda's own words, the two electric sports cars will be a flagship and a specialty model. Evidently, the NSX will fill its old flagship role, leaving the Prelude to fill the "specialty" slot.

Given the sizing and market positioning of the older Prelude, it's not impossible to rule this model out as a GR86/BRZ competitor. The Mazda Miata can also be thrown into the mix, so long as the model survives in some capacity come 2028 or so. Next to no information is available on the model's specs as of now, and we doubt even Honda has any idea of what the potential revival will look like six years from now.