So you love the new Honda Civic Type R but you want to spend even more money to get red leather seats and fancy LEDs? That’s not going to be a problem, as the automotive legend that is the Acura Integra Type S is making a comeback with the same 2.0-liter turbo engine.
The new Integra hasn’t enjoyed the same love as its predecessors. It comes with the 1.5-liter turbo engine just like a regular Civic and is even available with a manual, which is a problem because the Integra is perceived as a performance car, even though it’s always been a money-making premium machine.
This doesn’t have to be a history lesson, but know because successful Japanese imports were perceived as a threat many moons ago, they were capped. So Honda created the Acura brand in order to sell fewer but more profitable cars to Americans. And today, the new Integra continues to be a more profitable Civic with sexier features.
“But when is the 2.0-liter turbo coming?” the fans have been asking for almost a year. And it appears “2024” is the answer to that question because the Acura Integra Type S has just been spotted on the streets of Ohio. There’s no mistaking it for anything else.
The trademark taillights of the new Integra can easily be spotted from underneath a thick double layer of camouflage. The test prototype was spotted by a follower of the channel Allcarnews and it’s been fitted with many more performance upgrades compared to the regular Civic Si-powered Acura.
Type S gets serious upgrades
The most obvious change is the three exhaust tips that are coming out of the back of this prototype. It’s a straight copy of the Civic Type R exhaust system though it doesn’t mean that’s what they’ll use for production. They could just dress it up with a different tip. The trademark Honda hot hatch has two pipes on the sides from the mufflers and a smaller one in the middle from the resonator. At high rpm, the middle section creates negative pressure to reduce the boom of a loud exhaust system. How’s that for having your cake and eating it?
The Integra’s exhaust also pretty much confirms that a 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo resides under the hood, which in the latest Civic is rated at 315 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque (420 Nm). Old reports have talked about an electric motor being added, but Acura buyers are probably just looking to have a DCT (twin-clutch) option which the Type R will never offer.
AWD is definitely possible since this will be available even for the 1.5L engine. Also, the improved Integra Type S prototype appears to ride lower, has bigger Brembo brakes and similar wheels to the Civic, 20-inch with 245/30ZR20 summer tires.
We’re pretty sure this will be a fantastic car. The Civic isn’t that interesting to look at, and Acura just has amazing interiors. Money should be the only problem here. All-in, the 2024 Integra Type S should cost at least $45,000, right in the same league as a Golf r or Audi S3.
