> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://torquecafe.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Honda Prelude Type R in the works… with a catch
- URL: https://torquecafe.com/car-news-2026-honda-prelude-type-r-sema/
- Published: 2026-09-27T23:00:48.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-27T23:00:47.000Z
- Description: Honda hasn’t announced plans to give its new hybrid Prelude the heart of the Civic Type R hot hatch, leading one American crew to take matters into their own hands.
- Author: Jordan Mulach
- Tags: News, Performance

The new Honda Prelude is the first iteration of the sports coupe to be powered by a hybrid system, giving the fast-looking two-door a fuel-efficient powertrain, though one which some think isn’t as exciting as it could be.

Despite sharing the same platform as the current FL5 Civic, Honda isn’t planning to put the engine from the Civic Type R performance flagship into the Prelude – but that’s not stopping other people from trying.

US car modifiers Throtl are wanting to right Honda’s wrongs by giving the Prelude a Type R heart, with the build of its higher-power coupe currently underway.

With the complex hybrid powertrain of the Prelude removed and the Civic Type R’s engine and drivetrain in the Prelude, it should make for a far more exciting driving experience.

While the Prelude is powered by a 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain, producing up to 149kW and 315Nm combined from the four-cylinder petrol engine and two-motor hybrid system, the Civic Type R’s turbocharged 2.0-litre makes a far punchier 235kW and 420Nm.

Additionally, the Prelude only features an ‘e-CVT’ automatic transmission, while the Type R is exclusively available as a six-speed manual, with that part of the swap also occurring in Throtl’s example.

The build is being assisted by Honda specialists Hasport and VTEC Academy, with the ‘Prelude Type R’ to make its debut at this year’s SEMA automotive show in Las Vegas.

[2026 Honda Prelude: Subaru BRZ, Toyota GR86, VW Golf GTI rival testedHonda’s reborn Prelude isn’t the out-and-out performance car everyone expected it to be, but that’s ok.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/b3/a9b3e204-3117-4792-9a32-46184029df44/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-a2613fcb-1a87-4ba6-8bfe-9cab392fdf54.png)Torquecafe.comJordan Mulach![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/b3/a9b3e204-3117-4792-9a32-46184029df44/content/images/thumbnail/2026-honda-prelude-6-1-a4e8d89f-cb12-49d3-a6f3-4eb8ec27c5ed.jpg)](https://torquecafe.com/car-reviews-2026-honda-prelude-australia/)