Honda’s New Sports Car Revival Is Already Selling Out and It’s Not Even Available in America Yet

Despite initial skepticism from fans, the new Honda Prelude revival is generating some serious buzz.

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Published October 7, 2025

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The new Honda Prelude is making some serious waves. The Japanese automaker officially shared some initial preorder and sales numbers from its domestic market, and they’re off to an unexpectedly huge start.

According to its latest figures, Honda in Japan confirmed that the new Prelude generated over 2,400 preorders thus far. That’s more than eight times initial monthly projections of 300 orders since the books opened up.

The influx of preorders is so high, that Honda is supposedly looking to boost production output. Other media outlets report that dealers were forced to pause reservations temporarily.

A sleek blue sports car driving on a road with mountains in the background, featuring a modern, aerodynamic design and black wheels. The car's windows are tinted, and the front has narrow, horizontal headlights with a shiny finish. — US dealers will open their books for the new Prelude in the coming months.

Most of the orders come from unusual suspects

Being an affordable sports coupe, especially one favored by the more youthful lot, Honda reports its initial sales are coming from an unlikely demographic.

According to preliminary order data, most of the initial Prelude reservations are coming from customers of the age of 50 to 60 years old. This is a considerable surprise, especially when the Prelude is an affordable sports car geared towards younger buyers.

Blue Honda electric coupe driving on a winding road with a hillside covered in grass and shrubs in the background. The car features sleek, modern headlights and black wheels. — The 2026 Honda Prelude is one of the most anticipated new cars from the brand.

But contextually, it may not be surprising from the perspective that the last Prelude rolled off the assembly line almost 25 years ago.

Buyers who were of age to drive at the youngest were likely in their late teens. And they probably aspired to own a Prelude, but couldn’t because virtually no first-time teen driver could afford a new car.

Interior of a modern Honda vehicle featuring a black steering wheel with blue stitching, a digital instrument cluster, and a central touchscreen display on the dashboard. The dashboard has a sleek design with black and dark gray materials, blue accent stitching, and a "Prologue" badge. The center console includes push-button gear selectors and climate control knobs. The driver's side door panel has window and mirror controls, and the view outside shows a scenic landscape with green hills and a partly cloudy sky. — The new Prelude is based off of the current Civic Hybrid.

Fast forward to today, and those late teenagers are likely in their mid-40s or early 50s. Given how that age group can now typically afford a new car, they’re likely experiencing a strong sense of nostalgia. That nostalgia is also probably a strong influence behind their purchase decision.

Silver two-door Honda Prelude coupe parked on asphalt with trees in the background. — The previous generation Prelude last sold in 2001.

Even then, the Prelude was most successful in the 1980s. It was one of Honda’s most iconic sports cars of the era. Aspirational teenage or younger buyers then are most certainly in their 40s and 50s, if not older.

Open trunk of a white Honda Prelude showing two hard-shell suitcases, one blue and one white, inside. The interior features light-colored front seats and a visible steering wheel. The car is parked near a body of water. — Despite its sporting intentions, the new Prelude seeks to help usher in a new era of affordable and practical sports cars.

The new Prelude is shaping up to be more than just a pretty Civic Hybrid

As a refresher, the new Prelude comes as a resurrection of one of Honda’s most iconic sports coupes. It utilizes the same underpinnings as the current Civic Hybrid.

White Honda Prelude coupe with black accents, tinted windows, and black alloy wheels, parked on a paved surface with mountains and a clear blue sky in the background. — The new Prelude will have a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

However, it sports two fewer doors and more sport- and performance-oriented tuning and other features to further distinguish it from its Civic Hybrid roots.

That means we’re expecting the same gas-electric hybrid propulsion system, including the Civic Hybrid’s continuously variable transmission. The latter has been a major source of critcism for the new model.

a shot of the sixth-generation Honda prelude next to the first-generation prelude — The original Prelude from 1978 helped put Honda on the map for American customers.

The criticism is further amplified by the lack of a manual transmission and no foreseeable inclusion of three pedals in the new Prelude’s future. We can only hope the backlash for the lack of a manual could force Honda to change their minds.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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