RE: Honda Integra Type R (DC2): PH Heroes
Discussion
Ran a 182 Trophy for 5 years. Now own a UK DC2 but haven't driven it in anger yet (sorting issues over winter, on the road next week 
).
First impressions are that the Teg is just so much more 'special' than the clio. The engine and gear shift are sublime. Can't wait to explore the handling.
).First impressions are that the Teg is just so much more 'special' than the clio. The engine and gear shift are sublime. Can't wait to explore the handling.
To echo the Clio vs. DC2 debates I've owned both as well.
The Clio's are a really good car - if it was between the Clio and the DC2 for a track car in 2017 I'd take the Clio for sure. Way cheaper, less rust, and just as much fun out of the box.
With that said, the DC2 is a better overall car IMO. The seating position is what I could never get on with on the Clios. I'd love to have a go in one with proper fixed back bucket seats mounted lower, with the steering wheel lowered to suit. The seating position in the DC2 is perfect. You get the feeling driving an Integra that you're in some custom built driving machine, not quite the shopping trolley feel that you get from the Clio. Though with that said, I did have to lower the OEM Recaro before I made the switch to fixed back seats...
The Clio's are a really good car - if it was between the Clio and the DC2 for a track car in 2017 I'd take the Clio for sure. Way cheaper, less rust, and just as much fun out of the box.
With that said, the DC2 is a better overall car IMO. The seating position is what I could never get on with on the Clios. I'd love to have a go in one with proper fixed back bucket seats mounted lower, with the steering wheel lowered to suit. The seating position in the DC2 is perfect. You get the feeling driving an Integra that you're in some custom built driving machine, not quite the shopping trolley feel that you get from the Clio. Though with that said, I did have to lower the OEM Recaro before I made the switch to fixed back seats...
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Take a look on the previous page, chap has owned the 1.7 Puma by the looks of it so can probs give a comparison. The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
I have a Racing Puma and DC2. The DC2 is a much better car in my view. The Puma is fun in its own way, and as you say has a great gear change, is engaging, with the fizzy engine, but it's nowhere near as good as a DC2 in the driver involvement stakes. The diff and the enging in the DC2 is in another league.The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
This morning i was on the M20 and got jealous seeing a number of modified Clio 172/182s, an Integra and Mini Cooper S in convoy, clearly heading to a track somewhere on the continent! Imagine they are going to have a right hoot, and it's good to know that there are still some great driver's cars out there at a budget level. That era of car really produced the last of the great hot hatches.
vz-r_dave said:
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Take a look on the previous page, chap has owned the 1.7 Puma by the looks of it so can probs give a comparison. The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Clio 172 v ITR v Racing Puma
Slightly off-topic, but I am surprised at the number of times people on PH write off the GT86 / BRZ as a commercial failure.
It may not have sold well in the UK, but it is quite successful in other markets - I see a lot of them here in AUS.
Then again, most diesels here are 4WDs and commercial vehicles...
It may not have sold well in the UK, but it is quite successful in other markets - I see a lot of them here in AUS.
Then again, most diesels here are 4WDs and commercial vehicles...
vz-r_dave said:
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Take a look on the previous page, chap has owned the 1.7 Puma by the looks of it so can probs give a comparison. The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
I did really rate the Puma, one of the best handling FWD cars I've driven, but it just can't compare with the DC2. One feels like (and is) a pretty Fiesta with a moderately powerful engine, and the other feels (and is) significantly more focused. The DC2 is a fair way ahead, but I do have a lot of respect for the Puma, and in fairness, the gearchange is definitely up there with the Hondas. It's also probably easier to drive on the limit but its overall ability is also a fair way behind (can't speak for the Racing model though).
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
.... you are lucky to find one without any rust!The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
I actually owned a 1.7 Puma prior to the Integra.... its a car I highly rate & in many ways I kind of miss it more than the DC2, where as the Integra can be an annoying daily companion, the Puma was just always a joy to drive (when fitted with fresh front wishbone/bushes) & in reality provide 98% of the Integra's thrills - on some roads (twisty & bumpy) the Puma would be the car I'd prefer to have been in. The Yamaha designed 1.7 Zetec may not have the headline grabbing BHP figures, or the spine tingling top-end howl of the B18C, but its a peach of an engine - so very flexible but still keen to rev!
ndj said:
My mate ran one of these at the same time I had an Accord Type R back in the day. I only drove the Integra twice (was a passenger loads of times over 3 years) and my overriding impression was gutless buzz-box with atrocious ride quality. Perhaps I was pampered by my Accord.
I'm sure it would have mullered the Accord on a track, but for the road it wasn't for me... and I'm a major Honda fan.
You would think so.....I'm sure it would have mullered the Accord on a track, but for the road it wasn't for me... and I'm a major Honda fan.
Having owned and run both on track (several round the country), I can say for sure that the difference in lap time is negligible - atleast in my hands. I still have the ATR, although embarrassingly I haven't driven it in 11 months....
The ITR feels more agile, but in reality I don't think it's any more capable - I also think the steering rack is a bit slow on both for my liking - feel is nice on both.
The ITR is a lovely car, but was less fun to drive and a worse daily drive than the (slower) G201 Daihatsu Charade DeTomaso I imported to replace it. That was an awesome car, let down by the engine - the chassis was something else.
JimGTxx said:
ndj said:
My mate ran one of these at the same time I had an Accord Type R back in the day. I only drove the Integra twice (was a passenger loads of times over 3 years) and my overriding impression was gutless buzz-box with atrocious ride quality. Perhaps I was pampered by my Accord.
I'm sure it would have mullered the Accord on a track, but for the road it wasn't for me... and I'm a major Honda fan.
You would think so.....I'm sure it would have mullered the Accord on a track, but for the road it wasn't for me... and I'm a major Honda fan.
Having owned and run both on track (several round the country), I can say for sure that the difference in lap time is negligible - atleast in my hands. I still have the ATR, although embarrassingly I haven't driven it in 11 months....
The ITR feels more agile, but in reality I don't think it's any more capable - I also think the steering? rack is a bit slow on both for my liking - feel is nice on both.
The ITR is a lovely car, but was less fun to drive and a worse daily drive than the (slower) G201 Daihatsu Charade DeTomaso I imported to replace it. That was an awesome car, let down by the engine - the chassis was something else.
Turning Japanese said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone has owned one of these as well as a standard 1.7 ford puma? I have and I was really impressed by the puma. It doesn't feel as special as the DC2 but it's a brilliant car considering the price. Mine cost £700 with 65,000 miles and no rust!
The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
Absolutely.The puma feels smaller and lighter and has great damping, steering feel and a better gear change (yes really). Where it falls short is the engine is not as special and it has a fiesta interior but pound for pound it's one of the best and most surprising cars I've owned.
I owned a DC2 for a few years and have driven several standard 1.7 Pumas, to me they are basically a cut-price DC2. Superb revvy engine, excellent chassis, and a wonderful gear change. The only thing that lets the Puma down as standard in my opinion is the seating position- being somewhat higher than I'd like.
I always jump at any opportunity I get to drive a Puma, and if I had the space I'd definitely have one as a 3rd car now that I now longer have a Type R.
Incidentally, I swapped to an Accord Type R about a year after selling my DC2 and that was also a wonderous thing- and it cost me all of £1,800, which is bonkers considering the values of DC2s. I enjoyed that every bit as much as the Integra, and in truth I would probably have another ATR now rather than another Integra. Not being a track-goer, I just found the ATR's larger engine that bit more enjoyable more of the time- and with the suitably anti-social mongoose exhaust / Typhoon induction combo it sounded like nothing else!
My DC2
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