Yahoo Autos 2024 Acura Integra Type S Provides the Same Punch with More Polish
We're on record as being huge fans of the Honda Civic Type R. The Type R helped put the Civic onto our 10Best list. It also topped the Toyota GR Corolla and the Volkswagen Golf R in our GRRR hot-hatch comparo, and by no small margin. And who among us could forget its standout Lightning Lap performance, wherein it became the event's all-time fastest front-driver and the first of that species to break the three-minute mark?
As quick and rewarding as the Type R is on circuit and canyon road alike, it's not perfect. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S, on the other hand, just might be. It retains all the performance-driving goodness of the Type R, but neatly rounds off many of its daily-driving rough edges. Its main drawback is the $51,995 price, which outpaces the 2023 Type R by some $7105. The figure makes more sense when you realize that Acura thinks you'll cross-shop it with the Audi S3, the BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe, and the Mercedes-AMG CLA35—and maybe you will—but those cars are all-wheel drive and, crucially, lack a manual-gearbox option.
Shared Elements
Chucking the new Integra Type S between the guardrails along Highway 39 in California, we immediately see that this machine has the same sharp steering, deft handling, and colossal grip as its shoutier Honda sibling. The Acura's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine has been recalibrated to deliver 320 horsepower and a smidge more part-throttle midrange torque. Reaching peak horsepower requires 93 octane, and on the local 91-octane California brew, we can't point to any difference—which is no bad thing. The Integra still pulls mightily out of corners, with the Type R's helical limited-slip front differential and clever dual-axis strut front suspension absolving the Type S powertrain of any of the usual high-horsepower front-wheel-drive sins.
The thankfully mandatory six-speed manual gearbox feels as surgical and precise as ever, but Acura has made one change we fully support. The Type R's metal shift knob, which can get hot enough to cauterize your fingerprints in summer or freeze-burn them in winter, has been replaced with a tactilely satisfying leather-sleeved upgrade. The shift diagram is still engraved metal, so you could brand your palm if you shift like an ape, and determined masochists can opt for a dealer-installed all-metal titanium substitute. Consequently, wounded Type R owners can now visit an Acura parts counter for relief.
Much of the Type S's dynamic goodness derives from the shared platform using the same floorpan, firewall, and suspension hard points. The suspension itself and the adaptive dampers are also identical from a hardware standpoint. All the various links and bushings are shared, and the springs and anti-roll-bar specs are samesies too. In addition, you get the same 265/30ZR-19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires and boffo brakes featuring four-pot Brembo front calipers and two-piece ventilated rotors. After all of this, it should go without saying that both cars share a 107.7-inch wheelbase and broad front and rear track widths of 64.0 and 63.5 inches, respectively.
Key Differences
But there are differences, and they account for much of the edge smoothing we hinted at earlier. For those who wondered what a Type R with a few dozen extra pounds of sound insulation would be like, the Integra Type S provides an answer. Acura claims that this Integra's weight is 36 pounds heavier than a Type R. The Integra has more floor and firewall insulation, though those materials don't account for the entire difference. The Integra body is made up of different stampings and has better strength and noise-attenuating characteristics.
