RE: Honda Integra Type R (DC5): PH Heroes

[IanUAE]

Here is our DC5 race car that one the UAE Touring Car Championship last year.

[mp3manager]

Whoever wrote this article didn't do much research...if any.

The DC5 has a K20A engine, (which was hand-finished and as a result, they only made 25 per day), and not the K20 and developed 217bhp and not 220bhp and it's still the only Type R specifically designed to be Type R from the get-go and not a base-model stuffed with a breathed-upon engine.
And as someone mentioned earlier, its motorsport credentials are quite impressive.

http://www.mattsalisbury.co.uk/2012/02/03/goodbye-...

And for those wanting a trackcar, it was available to order from the factory as a stripped-out, non-road legal rolling shell.

http://www.japanvehicles.com/newcars/honda/Integra...



I've owned my DC5 for 8 years and had a DC2 before that but, (shock, horror and you can burn me at the stake), I actually prefer the DC5.

Edited by mp3manager on Wednesday 9th July 06:59

[Patrick Bateman]

A workmate had one of these. Any particular reason they don't even have a clock?

[mp3manager]

A clock is too heavy.

[Coldfuse]

Patrick Bateman said:

A workmate had one of these. Any particular reason they don't even have a clock?

What do you need to know the time for?!

[Patrick Bateman]

It's handy and st, innit.

[Kozy]

mp3manager said:

it's still the only Type R specifically designed to be Type R from the get-go and not a base-model stuffed with a breathed-upon engine.

Sadly that doesn't count for much when it's based on the same underpinnings as the EP3 and Stream.

[TobyLaRohne]

IanUAE said:

Here is our DC5 race car that one the UAE Touring Car Championship last year.

Is there a UAETCC team you dont help out?
I noticed ECH are one of your sponsors, they're my old employers and I now work for one of their rivals who won't sponsor me (for any worthwhile amount anyway).

[FlavaDave]

DanielSan said:

Put some decent rubber on it and very little this side of an Evo can keep pace with them.

What!?

I had a DC2 and it was a horrible car in many ways. OK yes it had an LSD which, at the time, was made for a unique/interesting drive. And on a flat road in the right weather it was a very capable car. But that's where it ended for me.

It was fragile, noisy, rattly, bouncy, lacked torque, girls hated it, expensive and nearly everything bar the engine felt like it was about to break. (Queue the quote from EVO, "too raw for some"). I disagree. Too raw for Britain as a daily driver is what it should say. Apologies in advance but I swapped it for a 172 cup which made far more sense as B-road blaster/daily driver when I was under 30.

I must admit, I longed for a DC5. But the trouble was, I was about 30 by the time I could really afford one. And a DC5 as a one-size-fits-all car for me at 30+ seemed ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a car NUT like the rest of you. However unless you can afford two cars I think you have to consider image and comfort *a bit*

And because of that, the Integras fail for me as a serious proposition. Esp now when there's so much quality metal out there for the same money!

[GravelBen]

mp3manager said:

...it's still the only Type R specifically designed to be Type R from the get-go and not a base-model stuffed with a breathed-upon engine.

What were the lower-spec DC5 Integras (like the 160bhp Type-S) then if not a base model?

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 9th July 09:17

[Mark-t]

Escy said:

I like the look of them but I just can't get my head around the price of them. So many better cars can be bought for the money they go for.

Which are??!

I've had mine 7 years!.. The reason I haven't changed is because nothing comes close for a good 'all-rounder' for anywhere near this price bracket! (£13k is top whak for these!).

Here's mine:

Edited by Mark-t on Wednesday 9th July 09:17

[muppet42]

iloveboost said:

I agree with everything you said really except rust issues I have no idea about that.
I love the look of Metallic Blue DC5s with the blue carpets mmmm. I also agree about the facelift a bit of visual character was lost when they flattened the lights off.
I only wish Honda had imported them officially as I think they'd cost about a third less for the same car and there would be loads more around. I guess they decided they'd be too expensive for this market same reason they didn't fit an LSD in the EP3.

Yeah, surprised me when I saw the rust on the FD2. Could possibly have lived a lot of it's early life in a coastal town like the afore mentioned Aberdeen but it was bubbling at the sills around the wheel arches. Probably didn't help it was white and that highlighted the issue.

Does irk me a bit that Honda didn't spec the UK EP3 better at the very least when they didn't bring the DC5 over. They could've done the higher tune of the engine and added the LSD like the JDM model but felt it was adequate with the 197hp and no-LSD. Mind you, didn't hurt the reviews all that much I guess

[sh33n]

FlavaDave said:

I swapped it for a 172 cup which made far more sense as B-road blaster/daily driver when I was under 30.

I went the other way around and it felt a hell of an upgrade from the Renault (on a side note I later had an R26 so don't hate Renaults), the interior build quality, sensation and overall drive was just a massive step up imo.

FlavaDave said:

I must admit, I longed for a DC5. But the trouble was, I was about 30 by the time I could really afford one. And a DC5 as a one-size-fits-all car for me at 30+ seemed ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a car NUT like the rest of you. However unless you can afford two cars I think you have to consider image and comfort *a bit*

I did have mine in my early to mid 20's and I loved the looks and attention it got; maybe I was just satisfying my inner chav. I saw one a while back with the wife (who wasn't with me when I had my DC5) and she couldn't believe I owned such a car.....still the boy racer in me yearns for another, but it would definitely be a second car now I'm in my early 30s.

[DanielSan]

FlavaDave said:

Stuff

I ran mine as a daily for 18 months, mainly on dual carriageways and b roads. Never had a problem once with the DC5 being too loud or hard as a daily. And when it came to giving it some death it was brilliant fun.

Guess some of us are just more hardcore lol

[DanielJames]

Terrible thread. It's making me consider getting one as a daily!

They're that much softer than the DC2, almost a totally different car.

[iloveboost]

muppet42 said:

Yeah, surprised me when I saw the rust on the FD2. Could possibly have lived a lot of it's early life in a coastal town like the afore mentioned Aberdeen but it was bubbling at the sills around the wheel arches. Probably didn't help it was white and that highlighted the issue.

Does irk me a bit that Honda didn't spec the UK EP3 better at the very least when they didn't bring the DC5 over. They could've done the higher tune of the engine and added the LSD like the JDM model but felt it was adequate with the 197hp and no-LSD. Mind you, didn't hurt the reviews all that much I guess

No it didn't hurt them really as no other hot hatch had one anyway. I don't think there's much difference anyway unless you're on a very tight bend and/or it's wet or you're on a race track.
I think Honda said that our B roads played a part in deciding that we didn't get the LSD as they didn't want torque steer over bumpy/cambered roads like the Mk1 Focus RS is known for.
Not sure why we got a lightly de-tuned engine but maybe traction/fuel had something to do with it? Other countries had differences as well to the equivalent JDM model.
In Australia it was weirder than anywhere else. They essentially got the same looks/name/LSD as the JDM Integra Type R but with the same powertrain/chassis as the US RSX (Integra) Type S or Euro Civic Type R.

[DanielJames]

iloveboost said:

No it didn't hurt them really as no other hot hatch had one anyway. I don't think there's much difference anyway unless you're on a very tight bend and/or it's wet or you're on a race track.
I think Honda said that our B roads played a part in deciding that we didn't get the LSD as they didn't want torque steer over bumpy/cambered roads like the Mk1 Focus RS is known for.
Not sure why we got a lightly de-tuned engine but maybe traction/fuel had something to do with it? Other countries had differences as well to the equivalent JDM model.
In Australia it was weirder than anywhere else. They essentially got the same looks/name/LSD as the JDM Integra Type R but with the same powertrain/chassis as the US RSX (Integra) Type S or Euro Civic Type R.

Never noticed that with my ITR on B roads.

I think LSD was left out as it would probably add too much to the production price.

Like you say, it didn't seem to harm the reviews/sales. After all, the enthusiast is a small number of sales. Most EP3s I see are driven by women to the shops!

[s m]

DanielJames said:

I think LSD was left out as it would probably add too much to the production price.

Surprising if so as the Cooper S also uses a similar torque sensing type diff and it was £100 option.

Perhaps they loaded the pricing elsewhere to discount it

[Antj]

sorry, but it's nothing more than an Ep3 coupe. No way as special as the older DC2.

Also pretty sure the JDM Ep3 was as quick if not quicker off the line than the DC5 and was lighter.

[DanielJames]

Antj said:

sorry, but it's nothing more than an Ep3 coupe. No way as special as the older DC2.

Also pretty sure the JDM Ep3 was as quick if not quicker off the line than the DC5 and was lighter.

Holy crap Batman that's a poor statement!

The DC5 is much better than the EU EP3!

Of course standard vs standard they feel nothing like a DC2, more like it's dad, but once fettled with they can be crazy beasts. I was just recently chatting to a lad with a 270 N/A one. Didn't look slow!

(this is coming from a serial DC2 enthusiast/owner!)