Mugen Honda Integra Type R Concept Is a Modern Spin on a JDM Classic

Today, we got most of the important information out of the 2023 Acura Integra. The disappointment has gone down a little, but there’s no getting around the fact that it’s basically a Civic Si with an ILX-like front end.

The Acura Integra is going to be wonderful for the affordable premium sedan market, a rival to the ‘baby Benz” or the Audi A3. For around $30,000, you should be able to order a nice 4-door, as long as you’ll get the manual and are willing to put up with just 200 horsepower from a 1.5 Turbo.

However, those specs and indeed the design doesn’t live up to some people’s expectations of the Integra. Acura, at its core, is supposed to be a luxury brand, not a sports car brand. It’s born out of Honda’s need to make more profits within the import limits it had in the US.

However, the Integra was somehow not a Civic with leather seats and a sunroof; it had groundbreaking suspension and braking components that led it down the path of legendary handling. With the 2023 Integra not being anything like its ancestor from 20 years ago, renderings provide a much-needed dose of copium, the fantasy drug that helps you cope with things.

This is the work of artist and industrial designer Jordan Rubinstein-Towler. And like the Integra from Sugar Design we just showed you, this is a Honda, not an Integra. That’s especially important for the front-end design of his concept since this adopts the Japanese headlights instead of the American market ones.

To be more precise, the famous generation of the Integra didn’t go down well with Japanese buyers because of its spider-eyed headlights. And so they fixed it with horizontal, normal-looking lights.

On top of that Jordan also envisioned an Integra Type R with a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine. Honda used to be known for its high-revving four-cylinder engines which could exceed 8,000rpm. In fact, VTEC screams were the whole point of the Integra, the S2000 or Civic. But a 1.5-liter turbo now powers most Honda models, including the Civic Si, while the 2.0-liter turbo motivates the Type R.

But this white concept supposedly makes 280 hp normally and 320 hp after it’s been tuned by Mugen. Yes, there’s a Mugen twist to this Integra Type R unofficial concept, and it’s better than anything the tuner now makes in the real world.

Supposed mods include a full Mugen aero package, which includes wings on the side of the bumper, carbon vented hood, carbon roof and trunk, as well as the gigantic rear wing. Together, these are supposed to reduce the curb weight from 1,170 to 1,120 kg (2,580 to 2,470 lbs). So it’s more like a FWD rival to the Miata because of its back-to-basic, lightweight philosophy.

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