New Honda Prelude may feature ‘manual’ gearbox

The new Honda Prelude has been seen testing in public for the first time – while the car’s project leader refused to rule out that the hybrid sports coupe could be offered with a manual transmission.

The Japanese company will revive the long-running model after a gap of more than 20 years with a new version that will go on sale in 2026. The new model will be based on the Civic and is expected to serve as a halo product for the Honda. electrified technologies, using an as-yet-unconfirmed two-liter hybrid powertrain.

Already revealed as a show car, the new spy photos show the Prelude testing in the German countryside. Although the machine is covered in camouflage, it’s clear that the show car’s styling will be carried over into production.

Although Honda has been coy on the technical details of the new Prelude, there have been reports in the Japanese and Australian media that, to meet the car’s sporting demands, Honda is planning to install a manual gearbox – or at least a system that replicates a manual box. .

Prelude project leader Tomoyuki Yamagami declined to divulge technical details about the car, but said that “the joy of driving is a priority for us,” adding that “when you are in charge of developing the Prelude, you understand all have a lot of expectations from a coupe.”

Asked by Autocar about the manual gearbox reports, Yamagami said: “It’s very difficult to respond to that. Let me tell you that I have three cars, and two of them have manual transmissions: one is an Accord Type R, the other a (Porsche 911) 997 because I’m a big fan of manuals.

“I love manual vehicles and I can only say that it would be something I would like (for the Prelude). With a manual transmission, it would be a really fun vehicle.”

Honda has previously offered a manual gearbox in the Civic and Insight hybrids, but it would be complex to install in Honda’s current e-HEV hybrid system. Instead of featuring a combustion engine that drives the wheels and is assisted by a small electric motor, Honda’s system combines the battery and engine into the primary drive system, with the combustion engine acting as a generator to charge the battery. .