Acura launches long-awaited 320hp Integra Type S
Still think the Civic Type R a bit OTT? Best look away now...
That the current Honda Civic Type R is brilliant is not really open for discussion. It is, case closed. But it is possible - understandable, even - that you’re still inclined to harbour serious misgivings about the way it looks. Honda was certainly not immune to criticisms levelled at its predecessor, but the jury is still very much out on whether or not it landed the FL5.
While it has apparently not affected demand, this debate has at least provided Acura with the perfect runway for the new Integra Type S. Why? Well, because despite its maker's reluctance to admit to it in the press bumf, the latest iteration of North American market Integra is very much a CTR underneath. It shares the same 320hp 2.0-litre turbocharged VTEC motor, the same six-speed manual gearbox, the same mechanical limited-slip diff and the same dual-axis front suspension and beefier, adaptive chassis. Acura points out the three centre-mounted tailpipes are a first for a Type S - but obviously not a Type R.
So it’s probably fair to conclude that the ‘most powerful, best performing’ Integra ever made will live up to its billing. But has it also earned bragging rights over the FL5 in the looks department - the one area where its maker is permitted something close to free rein? Well, that’s ultimately what the comment section is for, but we’ll stick an initial finger in the pot by suggesting that, yes, perhaps it has. Granted, despite it being widely lauded in the States (the Integra won North American Car of the Year) the standard model is not necessarily hand-bitingly good-looking - yet the Type S addenda has served it well.
From the A-pillar forward, all the body panels are said to be unique to the new variant. Together with its much wider stance (the Type S is fully 3.5 inches broader where it counts) it adds a redesigned front end with a much larger grille - improving airflow by 170 per cent - and has earned bigger, prettier 19-inch alloy wheels to go with its oversized brakes. At the back, things have been rearranged to accommodate the triple exhaust, not to mention a new diffuser and a slightly more pert rear spoiler.
The latter is precisely of the sort a dyed-in-the-wool CTR fan might be tempted to point and laugh at. Or you might think it appropriate for a family-friendly five-door liftback which might still be needed to whisk the kids to and from school. Either way, the comparative subtlety of the Acura makeover is obviously a key point of difference - not least because the interior, featuring Ultrasuede sports seats, a 9-inch touchscreen and a familiar-looking gear lever - is redolent of the Civic, too.
With as near as makes no difference in kerbweight, you can expect the performance to be virtually identical to the Type R - which ought to make the Type S a serious step up from what is said to be a so-so prospect with the standard 1.5-litre petrol engine doing all the pulling. And while no price has yet been announced, it will be interesting to see just how close to the (notoriously expensive over here) Civic the Integra lands when it eventually goes on sale in June. Not that we’ll have to worry about our Union Jack-branded knickers getting in a twist either way; like the cooking model, the go-faster version remains an exclusively ‘over there’ affair.
But that's not to be, sadly.
For this price I'll take a Cayman personally as I want something that feels more special.
this thing looks pretty good....which in today's world, will mean its over $50k because we live in a time of mad pricing.
But that's not to be, sadly.
The Type S brand has been nabbed by Acura in North America to mark out their top variants - see the 2022 NSX Type S, and why the UK didn’t get any of the 350 made.
I would have preferred to see a 3-door Integra, but that was never going to happen, especially as it is an Acura for the USA.
To me, there is not enough differentiation between the Honda and Acura cars, but then again I’m not the target audience.
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