Oh my! | Image: HondaHonda is bringing back the sporty Prelude as a technology-packed 200-horsepower hybrid to tug at nostalgia strings. It’s the first new Prelude in 25 years and the front-wheel-drive-coup antidote to crossover SUVs. Pricing hasn’t been announced but in Japan it starts at just under 6.18 million yen (around $41,600), according to Nikkei. It will arrive at US dealerships in late autumnPitched as “fun-to-drive,” the 2026 Prelude features 232 pound-feet of torque and a direct-drive transmission that pairs two electric motors with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, just like Honda’s Civic Hybrid. It also features paddle shifters and a new S+ Shift drive mode that “simulates a performance transmission experience” of a real sports car. Here’s how Honda describes it:With the innovative new Honda S+ Shift system, Prelude delivers the ultimate electrified Honda driving experience with a responsive and engaging shifting simulation, featuring virtual rev-matched downshifts in S+ mode and enhanced engine sounds to increase driver feel and connection with the vehicle.In other words, S+ Shift lets you aggressively mimic traditional gear changes to make the Prelude go vroom vroom at will. Fortunately, you don’t have to use it. Honda Japan gives us an idea of what S+ Shift looks and sounds like in the following video — and honestly, I don’t hate it:Inside the 2+2 coupe you’ll find a 10.2-inch instrument cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get a wireless charger for your phone and Google built-in, which includes things like Google Assistant and Google Maps for a personalized and connected driving experience. It all comes standard with three years of unlimited data and a Wi-Fi hotspot. For sound, the 8-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium audio system includes 6.5-inch, wide-range speakers in the doors and a large subwoofer located in the cargo area.Nikkei says the car is meant to win over a generation of Prelude fans who are now in their 50s and 60s — I’ve never felt so seen:Back in the 1980s, the Prelude was available for around 1.5 million yen, making it a popular choice for young men for going on dates. Roughly a quarter century after the previous Prelude was discontinued, many are now empty nesters looking to choose cars for themselves again.See, I drove a Honda Prelude as a young man in the late ‘80s and did, indeed, use it for dates. Last weekend I dropped my youngest off at college and returned to a house that never felt so empty.I need this car.