John Cena’s love affair with fast Hondas just got more expensive. The wrestler turned actor and long time Honda fan recently took his Civic Type R in for service at a dealer in Florida and left with the keys to a brand new 2026 Honda Prelude in Boost Blue, adding the reborn coupe to a garage that already includes one of the best hot hatches on sale.
From Daily Type R To Hybrid Prelude
Cena posted that he “took the Civic Type R in for service and was fortunate enough to pick up the brand new Honda Prelude,” thanking Wesley Chapel Honda for the hookup and calling the car a “Boost Blue Beauty.” The Civic Type R remains his daily driver, but the Prelude is clearly the new toy, and it fits the way he talks about cars.
Took the Civic TypeR in for service and was fortunate enough to pick up the brand new @Honda Prelude!! Thank U @wc_honda for helping add this Boost Blue Beauty to the Honda Lineup! Time to see what this thing can do!!! pic.twitter.com/th2anjPkim
— John Cena (@JohnCena) January 10, 2026
The new Prelude is a front wheel drive, two door coupe powered by Honda’s latest two motor hybrid system, tuned for real performance rather than pure efficiency. Underneath, it borrows heavily from the FL5 Civic Type R, including major braking and suspension hardware, which explains why Honda is already bringing the Prelude’s new performance hybrid tech to the Civic.
Honda’s New Hybrid Era Sounds Better Than You Think
Honda has given the new Prelude an “S+ Shift” mode that simulates gear changes so the hybrid powertrain behaves more like a traditional performance car instead of a droning CVT. That ties into a larger push to keep its electrified cars from sounding dull.
Cena himself is right in the middle of that messaging. He is the voice of Honda’s US ad campaign for the Prelude and has been fronting spots built around fun, approachable performance rather than lap times. Owning the car he is selling on TV makes the whole thing an extension of what he already drives.
If you are a Civic Type R fan, Cena’s new Prelude does not mean the end of the manual turbo hatch. Honda has already made it clear that the Civic Type R will live on in America, carrying the K20 turbo four and six speed manual forward for buyers who are not ready to plug in. Instead, the Prelude points at where Honda wants to take the rest of its performance lineup: same handling focus, more hybrid help.
