Honda is heading to the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) 2026 with a fleet of sporty concepts and prototypes, as shown by a teaser image published by the automaker. Among the new metals set to debut at Makuhari Messe later on Jan 9 are several racing concepts by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), as well as the new Civic e:HEV RS Prototype.
We’ll start with the hybrid prototype, where the new Civic e:HEV RS will be built on the special Civic RS trim launched exclusively in Japan last year. That original version was essentially based on the current-gen Civic hatchback (FL1) facelift, where it gets several sporty bits, including a sharper chassis tuning, while its 1.5-litre turbocharged heart is exclusively mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
The new Civic e:HEV RS, as its name suggests, will take a different route, as it will likely feature Honda’s latest series-parallel hybrid system that was shown in a mysterious, camo-wrapped prototype displayed after the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) earlier this year. It still uses the same 2.0-litre engine base as before, which is then mated to two electric motors to deliver a total of 200 hp.
To add some sporty pedigree to this otherwise ‘boring’ hybrid, Honda is said to have added the same S+ Shift mode seen on the new Prelude to this prototype, with an aim to deliver a more engaging driving experience to match the stick-shift Civic RS.
While Honda hasn’t released any official images of the new prototype, we can expect the new Civic e:HEV RS to get the same sporty design bits seen on the current Japan-spec RS model.
Moving on to HRC, the racing arm will display two new concepts based on both the new Prelude and the current-gen Civic Type R. While no images were shared for now, the Civic Type R HRC Concept is being touted as the ultimate pure sports performance car for the road, possibly featuring a host of new sporty components over the standard Type R.
Meanwhile, the Prelude HRC Concept will get its own set of enhancements courtesy of optional parts already available from Honda Genuine Accessories and Mugen, plus some additional ones from HRC too.
Rounding off Honda’s exhibition booth at TAS 2026 is the recently-unveiled Honda HRC Prelude-GT racecar that will compete in the top-class GT500 category at Japan’s Super GT Series starting in 2026, replacing the outgoing Civic Type R-GT.
