Tag Archives: Hybrid

NEW CARS

2026 Honda Prelude First Look: An Icon Returns as a Hybrid Sports Coupe

Honda just pulled the wraps off the all-new 2026 Prelude, reviving a nameplate that hasn’t been seen in U.S. showrooms for more than two decades. This isn’t a retro homage or a nostalgia play—it’s a thoroughly modern sports coupe that blends Honda’s proven two-motor hybrid system with chassis hardware borrowed from the mighty Civic Type R. The result is a front-wheel-drive grand tourer that aims to recapture Honda’s “joy of driving” mantra for a new era of electrification.

A Hybrid with Bite

Under the Prelude’s sleek sheetmetal lies the same hybrid setup found in the Civic Hybrid, upgraded for duty in this coupe. A 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder works in tandem with two electric motors to deliver a combined 200 horsepower and a stout 232 pound-feet of torque. That’s not Type R territory, but it’s plenty to make the Prelude feel lively off the line and eager out of corners.

Honda has developed a new trick for the car, too: S+ Shift mode, a drive program that simulates the experience of a traditional multi-gear transmission. With simulated rev-matched downshifts, paddle control, and enhanced engine sound piped into the cabin, it’s designed to give drivers the visceral engagement often missing in hybrids. Expect plenty of drivers pulling on those paddles just to hear the “downshift blip.”

Borrowed Type R Hardware

The Prelude earns its sporting credibility with more than clever software. It borrows key hardware directly from the Civic Type R: dual-axis strut front suspension, adaptive dampers, wide tracks, and even the blue-finished Brembo four-piston calipers clamping lightweight two-piece rotors. Paired with 19-inch wheels and sticky 235/40R19 rubber, the Prelude is promising more grip and composure than any hybrid Honda coupe before it.

Four selectable drive modes—Comfort, GT, Sport, and Individual—let drivers tailor the experience, from daily commuting to weekend canyon carving. Honda’s latest Agile Handling Assist system further integrates braking and powertrain response to sharpen turn-in and boost confidence at the limit.

Sophisticated, Muscular Design

Designed in Japan, the Prelude blends grand-touring sophistication with subtle aggression. A long, low hood, flared fenders, and a double-bubble roof hint at its performance intent, while flush door handles and laser-brazed roof seams keep the surfaces clean. Details like the black chrome grille trim, wing-like DRLs, and Prelude Blue brake calipers elevate it beyond the ordinary coupe.

Color choices include Rally Red, Boost Blue Pearl, and the new Winter Frost Pearl, which can be optioned with a contrasting black roof. For those who want more flash, Honda will offer factory accessories like a decklid spoiler and blacked-out emblems.

Driver-Centric Cabin

Inside, the Prelude’s mission as a sporty grand tourer continues. Leather-trimmed sport seats with integrated headrests and asymmetrical bolstering balance support for spirited driving with comfort on longer trips. Blue contrast stitching, houndstooth inserts, and embossed Prelude logos give the cabin an identity of its own.

The driving environment is anchored by a flat-bottom steering wheel, alloy pedals, and a 10.2-inch digital cluster that reconfigures depending on drive mode. A 9-inch infotainment screen with Google built-in comes standard, along with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, and an eight-speaker Bose system tuned specifically for this coupe. Rear seats—yes, there are two—fold flat to expand the hatchback’s cargo area.

Safety and Strategy

Every Prelude will come loaded with Honda Sensing, including adaptive cruise, lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, and post-collision braking. Honda is positioning the Prelude as more than just a niche product—it’s part of the company’s broader push to make hybrids the majority of its U.S. sales in the next few years.

What It Means

The Prelude was always Honda’s forward-looking coupe, often a test bed for new tech. That mission carries forward here, only now in the form of electrification. With Civic Type R bones, a genuinely engaging hybrid system, and a design that balances muscle and elegance, the 2026 Prelude looks ready to carve a new niche in a market that’s been steadily abandoning coupes.

Expect it in showrooms late fall 2025, offered in a single, well-equipped trim. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but given the hardware and standard kit, it’s safe to guess the Prelude will slot above the Civic Si and hybrid but well below the $45K Type R.

For those who thought the era of affordable, fun-to-drive coupes was dead, Honda just hit the defibrillator.

Source: Honda

NEW CARS

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Hybrid Power Is Coming, but the Flat-Six Lives On

With a model range as sprawling as the Alps it was born near, the Porsche 911 never sits still for long. Every year brings a fresh twist—sometimes it’s a new trim, sometimes a commemorative badge, sometimes just a handful of subtle updates that only Porsche diehards will notice. But the big changes are the ones worth watching, and the biggest of the 992.2 generation so far is just around the corner: a hybridized 911 Turbo S.

Porsche has been teasing the car with cryptic social posts ahead of its September 7 debut. Blink and you might miss the clues, but one thing is certain: it’s a 911. A video starring actor and racer Patrick Dempsey shows the unmistakable 2+2 layout, and Porsche has already confirmed the Turbo S will bow this year with electrification baked in.

A Faster-Than-Fast Turbo

The outgoing Turbo S is no slouch. With 640 horsepower from its twin-turbo 3.7-liter flat-six, it rockets to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds when fitted with the Sport Chrono package. That’s borderline warp speed for a car with license plates. But add in an electric motor’s instant torque, and the next Turbo S should make “faster than schnell”—as Porsche itself teased—sound like an understatement. Shaving a few tenths from that launch time feels inevitable.

While Porsche hasn’t spilled specs yet, the hybrid system is expected to push output well past today’s 640 horses. If the GTS’s recent hybrid upgrade is any indication, the setup won’t compromise character—it’ll amplify it.

What Comes After the Turbo?

The 992.2’s story is still unfolding. A new GT2 RS is reportedly in the works for next year, likely embracing electrification as well. Rumors also swirl about a Slantnose revival, a nod to the wild ’80s 930 Turbo SE. What you won’t see this decade is a fully electric 911. Porsche has drawn a line in the sand: the 911 remains an internal-combustion car, and likely the last of its kind in Stuttgart’s lineup.

That pledge is backed by Karl Dums, head of Porsche’s synthetic fuel program, who insists the 911 will stay on the road with a combustion engine for as long as possible. With the Cayenne’s V-8 confirmed to stick around into the 2030s, the rear-mounted flat-six isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Farewell to the 718, Hello to… Maybe?

The same can’t be said for the 718 twins. Both the Boxster and Cayman bow out next month, making way for all-electric successors later this decade. A combustion follow-up isn’t on the cards—at least officially. Still, Porsche has hinted that some future models originally slated as EV-only could see ICE versions after all. If the business case works, don’t count the 718 out completely. Stranger things have happened, like the unexpected decision to build a new gas-powered Macan alongside its EV counterpart.

The Bigger Picture

Porsche is threading a needle that other automakers have already dropped: balancing its racing-bred combustion heritage with an electrified future. The hybrid 911 Turbo S looks set to be the perfect embodiment of that strategy—brutally quick, technologically advanced, and still unmistakably Porsche.

When it arrives, the question won’t be whether it’s fast enough. The real question will be whether anything else on the road can keep up.

Source: Porsche

NEW CARS

Great Wall Motor Teases V8 Hybrid Supercar to Rival Ferrari and McLaren

In a move that will send shockwaves through the global performance car scene, Chinese automotive giant Great Wall Motor (GWM) has teased what appears to be its first true supercar—a bold new halo model aimed squarely at Ferrari and McLaren.

The news broke via Chinese social media platform Weibo, where GWM chairman Wei Jianjun marked the company’s 35th anniversary with a striking image: company executives gathered around the silhouette of a low-slung, mid-engined machine draped in cloth. Though no details were revealed in the post, the shape beneath the sheet left little doubt—a full-blooded supercar is on the way.

This development follows earlier confirmation from GWM’s chief technology officer, Wu Huixiao, that the company has been secretly developing a high-performance flagship for over five years. According to Wu, the car is built around a carbonfibre monocoque chassis, and in no uncertain terms, he claimed it “will be better” than its European counterparts.

If that sounds ambitious coming from the maker of budget-friendly models like the Ora 03 and Haval Jolion Pro, consider this: GWM is China’s largest privately owned carmaker, delivering over 1.2 million vehicles globally in 2024. And it’s not just quantity. In recent years, GWM has aggressively expanded its brand portfolio, including premium SUV marque Wey, rugged off-roaders from Tank, and the soon-to-arrive Poer pickup range.

The new supercar is tipped to debut under a newly minted high-end sub-brand called Confidence Auto, set to rival BYD’s Yangwang, which itself has gained notoriety with the U9—an all-electric hypercar producing 1,250bhp and capable of leaping off the ground and conquering the Nürburgring in a blistering 7 minutes 18 seconds.

Though GWM hasn’t officially disclosed performance figures or a name for its supercar, there are mounting rumors that it will feature the company’s newly unveiled 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, first shown at the 2024 Shanghai Auto Show. While specs remain under wraps, industry sources suggest outputs could exceed 600 hp and 590 lb-ft from the engine alone.

More intriguingly, this V8 (or possibly the brand’s existing V6) will be paired with electric motors in a plug-in hybrid layout—putting it in the same high-performance hybrid league as the McLaren Artura, Ferrari 296 GTB, and Lamborghini’s new Temerario. That means total power output could comfortably eclipse the 800bhp mark, setting up the GWM machine as a serious player in the global supercar race.

With no confirmed name or reveal date, all eyes now turn to the Guangzhou Auto Show in late November, one of China’s biggest automotive events and a likely stage for the car’s grand debut.

If successful, Great Wall Motor’s first foray into the supercar world won’t just be a bold flex of engineering muscle—it could mark a pivotal moment in China’s transition from volume producer to purveyor of genuinely world-class performance cars.

Source: Autocar