The Integra brand is on the ropes, and releasing a 4-door premium Integra should have been the right move. We love that they’re offing an AWD option with the 1.5-liter turbo. However, there’s no getting around that this isn’t the Integra purists wanted.
Regular compact coupes are almost dead. Nobody wants to buy a $30,000 economy car that’s not practical. Honda, Toyota and even Volkswagen have pulled them out. So it’s understandable that the 2023 Integra is basically a fancy sedan.
So why doesn’t it look like an Integra? Well, most people think of the yellow 3rd-gen with a wing and body kit. The car came out in Japan back in 1993 and was dubbed the “spider eyes” by enthusiasts because of its four small projectors.
So we have to play the devil’s advocate here, and not just because we like Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino. No, Integra’s four headlights were so controversial that in 1995 it received conventional elongated lights. Yes, the legend we all loved didn’t sit well with the actual JDM market.
The Integra was a sedan before
In addition, the EK3 Integra Sedan Joyful needs to be mentioned. It’s basically just a Civic, but it did wear the Integra badge and had four doors. Suddenly, the 2023 model isn’t so controversial!
One rendering artist decided to take all that pent-up anger towards the new Acura and make something cool. This unofficial concept doesn’t have anything to do with the company but represents everything fans say they wanted from the 2023 Integra.
First of all, it’s a Honda, because most of Asia has that brand, not Acura. Also, it’s designed a lot more like a Civic, and that suggests affordability. Also, you can’t miss the 2-door coupe body and the lightweight look. The original Integra Type R was more like a race car, designed to be super-light and rigid, not a luxury car.
The white wheels and large Type R trunk wing hint at the potential of such a concept. The original Integra is known primarily for its 1.8-liter DOHC VTEC that screamed to 8,000rpm and made almost 200 hp. The VTEC on its 2.0-liter modern counterpart isn’t the same, but a turbocharger makes up for everything.
We suspect the actual 2023 Integra Type R will have 306 hp and could compete with premium cars like the Audi S3, Mercedes CLA 35, and BMW M235i Gran Coupe. In the meantime, Sugar Design’s throwback rendering is quite the thing, so enjoy it and tell us what you think.
