What’s in a name? As far as the Acura Integra Type R is concerned, we’re dealing with arguably the best FWD car of all time. The Japanese automaker intends to revive the Integra for the 2023 model year with Honda Civic bits and bobs, yet we don’t know if the Integra Type R will make a comeback.
Spied by a member of the IntegraForums.com in headache-inducing camouflage, the compact-sized liftback sedan doesn’t appear to be a Type R based on the rather tame styling. In other words, Acura may be cooking up a luxed-up Civic Si with the 1.5-liter turbo and a six-speed manual box.
Recently teased with a row-your-own transmission and a four-cylinder turbo, the Integra should crank out in excess of 200 horsepower. The previous generation of the Civic Si, for example, makes 205 horsepower at 5,700 revolutions and 192 pound-feet (260 Nm) from 2,100 to 5,000 revs.
Those are pretty good numbers for a 1.5er, but it’s not enough to keep the Volkswagen Jetta GLI on its toes. Heck, even the Hyundai Elantra N can do better thanks to more displacement from its Smartstream G2.0 T-GDi.
But numbers on a piece of paper aren’t everything. Handling matters the most in a driver’s car, and chances are that Acura will emphasize handling as the Integra’s pièce de resistance. Loosely inspired by the larger TLX, the sloping roofline and slim taillamps help the Integra stand out in the crowd.
To be revealed next spring, the compact sedan will replace the ILX in the automaker’s lineup. Based on the ninth-generation Civic, the current model goes for $26,500 excluding taxes for the base specification. Every single trim level comes with a 2.4-liter powerplant and a dual-clutch transmission that incorporates a torque converter for smoother launches from a red light.
Considering that sport utility vehicles reign supreme these days, the Integra may be a very rare sight on U.S. roads from the 2023 model year onward.
Recently teased with a row-your-own transmission and a four-cylinder turbo, the Integra should crank out in excess of 200 horsepower. The previous generation of the Civic Si, for example, makes 205 horsepower at 5,700 revolutions and 192 pound-feet (260 Nm) from 2,100 to 5,000 revs.
Those are pretty good numbers for a 1.5er, but it’s not enough to keep the Volkswagen Jetta GLI on its toes. Heck, even the Hyundai Elantra N can do better thanks to more displacement from its Smartstream G2.0 T-GDi.
But numbers on a piece of paper aren’t everything. Handling matters the most in a driver’s car, and chances are that Acura will emphasize handling as the Integra’s pièce de resistance. Loosely inspired by the larger TLX, the sloping roofline and slim taillamps help the Integra stand out in the crowd.
To be revealed next spring, the compact sedan will replace the ILX in the automaker’s lineup. Based on the ninth-generation Civic, the current model goes for $26,500 excluding taxes for the base specification. Every single trim level comes with a 2.4-liter powerplant and a dual-clutch transmission that incorporates a torque converter for smoother launches from a red light.
Considering that sport utility vehicles reign supreme these days, the Integra may be a very rare sight on U.S. roads from the 2023 model year onward.