Honda electric sports car concepts: The return of NSX, Prelude or both?

Honda is set to unveil a seemingly NSX-like electric concept, along with a family of other electric vehicle concepts at October's Japan Mobility Show.

Called the Honda Specialty Sports Concept (HSSC), the Japanese automaker claims it will “enable the driver to experience the pure joy of driving… even in the era of electrification for carbon neutrality and the popularisation of automated driving technology”.

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Honda 'specialty' and 'flagship' sports models teased in 2022

A rendering commissioned by Autocar [↗] – likely inspired by Honda's earlier teasers – proposes an ultra low, two-door aerodynamic shape with a footprint more akin to an electric NSX supercar successor, rather than the small S2000 convertible.

The concept will fulfill Honda’s announcement last year to offer two sports models globally – a ‘specialty’ and a ‘flagship’ – with a new Honda E: Architecture dedicated EV platform set to debut in 2026.

The full reveal is scheduled on October 25, alongside other new Japan-focused compact EV concepts.

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Honda Sustaina-C Concept

• Sustaina-C Concept: A Honda E-esque electric city car that uses recycled and repurposed materials in the circular economy.
• Pocket Concept: An electric motorcycle using recycled and repurposed materials in the circular economy.
• SC e: Concept: An electric motorcycle with modular swappable Honda Mobile Power Pack e: batteries.
• Honda CI-MEV: Two-seater electric Kei car targeted for regional and remote communities, who have limited access to public transportation.

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Honda’s EV push… not in Australia?

While Honda’s electric vehicle offerings have been limited compared to Asian automaker rivals from China and South Korea, it is aiming to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030 and produce more than two million units annually.

However, earlier this year Honda Australia director Carolyn McMahon told Wheels it won’t bring any pure EV models Down Under until at least 2028, citing sub-par public charging infrastructure as its key reason to focus on petrol-electric hybrids instead.

From next year, it will launch a family of EVs in China, introduce the Prologue medium SUV in partnership with General Motors, and debut the E:NY1 small SUV in Europe.

The latter is based on the Honda HR-V and signals new unique EV elements, including white Honda logos, a significantly larger 15.1-inch portrait-orientated touchscreen, and front charging bar light status.

Yet, it won’t make a Honda E successor – the only EV it sells in Europe – due to low demand in Europe and Japan for the limited-range Mini Cooper Electric and Fiat 500e rival.