It took a while, but the world finally has a reason not to buy a brand-new Honda Civic Type R. That reason is the 2024 Acura Integra Type S, which is essentially a CTR that’s dressed a little more like James Bond, and less like one of Blofeld’s henchmen, and is packing even more muscle than the Honda.
We’re not talking about a huge horsepower difference – 320 (324 PS) at 6,500 rpm for the Integra versus 315 hp (319 PS) for the Civic at the same spin, but the Acura’s advantage is quickly swallowed by an extra 31 lbs (14 kg) of ballast it carries over the Honda. That leaves both cars with an almost identical 10.1 lbs per hp power-to-weight ratio to go with their identical 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) at 2,600-4,000 rpm torque outputs. But still, the fact remains that the most powerful Type R is now a Type S.
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Well, a Type S in name. The base Civic and Integra ride on the same platform, have the same 107.7-inch (2,736 mm) wheelbase and the new Integra Type S borrows or matches almost every key performance part from the Civic Type R, including four-piston Brembo brakes and adaptive dampers. They share the same extended track widths and drive the front wheels only via a six-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. Acura even says that engaging Sport model will deliver “show stopping pops and bangs” from the exhaust. To all intents and purposes, this is an Integra Type R, or as near as we’re probably going to get.
It even looks the part from the outside with its fender flares covering sexy 10-spoke, NSX Type S-inspired wheels, its scooped hood, gaping front air intakes, huge diffuser panel, and three center-mounted exhaust tailpipes. Sure, it’s a more subtle look than even the newly toned-down Civic Type R’s, but it oozes restrained aggression and you can always ramp up the attitude by ordering the optional carbon fiber rear lip spoiler and mirror caps, black illuminated front Acura badge and a copper finish for the 19-inch wheels, which are 2 lbs (0.9 kg) lighter than the 18s on the Integra.
Also part of that options list is an “Integra Type R-inspired” titanium shift knob, which looks even cooler than the similar one you get in a Civic Type R. If you can handle the sting on hot and cold mornings we say go for it because if there’s one place where the Type S’s Type R act falls apart, it’s on the inside.
Don’t get us wrong, we love the dashboard design and build quality of the latest Integra, which it shares with the Civic, and some of the goodies that lift the CTR from regular Civics, including the Ultrasuede-wrapped three-spoke wheel, are also present in the Type S. But we suspect the 10.2-inch digital gauge pack doesn’t get the Honda’s competition-style rev counter readout and the senior-citizen sports seats appear to offer way less support (though we might want to rethink that criticism in the wake of Honda recalling the Type R over faulty seat frames).
But we get it: Acura is trying to put its own spin on the Type R package, and for good reason. Since both are technically hatchbacks, despite the liftback Integra being billed as a sedan, Acura needs to offer a subtly different proposition, and the Type S’s is to give Type R performance to people who don’t want to have to clamber over chunky seat bolsters every morning or drive around in something that looks like a mobile “Race Me!” billboard. This is a Civic Type R for grown-ups.
Acura hasn’t explicitly said, but we imagine the chassis tuning will also reflect that different character. Expect the Type S to be nimble and capable on a great road, but the Type R to show it a clean pair of taillights on a track. Which isn’t to say that Acura has skimped on the good stuff, or that the Type S won’t feel anything other than night and day more capable than the already fun 200 hp (203 PS) 1.5-liter A-Spec.
Compared with that car the Type S’s front brake rotors are 1.5-inches (38 mm) bigger, its 265 mm tires are 30 mm broader, the front and rear tracks are wider by 3.5 and 1.9 inches (89 / 48 mm), the front anti-roll bar has grown by 2 mm (0.08 inches) to 29 mm (1.14 inches), and steering geometry revisions promise to quell torque steer.
Standard equipment for the Type S includes heated seats, a 9-inch color touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 16-speaker 530-watt ELS Studio 3D audio system, and the brand’s AcuraWatch safety suite. You’ll also be able to order the Integra in seven colors, including the Type S-only Tiger Eye Pearl, and pick from three interior colors.
What we don’t know is how much the 2024 Type S is going to cost when sales start in June this year. But since the Civic Type R has an MSRP of $43,295, a starting price of around $45k looks likely. So come on, tell us, which you buy?
