Honda reveals Prelude GT500 for 2026 SUPER GT season

Honda Racing Corporation unveiled the Prelude GT500 on Tuesday at Sportsland Sugo and said the prototype will undertake a shakedown test there on Wednesday, with the new car scheduled to race in SUPER GT from the 2026 season. The Prelude GT500 will replace the Civic Type R GT500 at the end of the current campaign as Honda seeks a fresh start in the series.

HRC presented the racecar as a purpose built GT500 prototype derived visually from the all new three door Prelude road coupe, but with major mechanical and aerodynamic departures from the production model. Honda has said technical details remain limited, though the GT500 is a rear wheel drive, nonhybrid machine built around a carbon fiber structure and fitted with extensive aerodynamic bodywork. Published reports indicate its turbocharged 2.0 liter engine is tuned to roughly mid 600 horsepower levels, but HRC has not released full powertrain specifications. The company also has not named drivers for the 2026 campaign.

The move ends Honda’s recent experiment with a five door Civic Type R based GT500 car that debuted for the 2024 season. That car delivered one notable victory at Fuji Speedway for the ARTA team and contributed to...