Around 70 percent of the people who have reserved an Acura Integra since order banks opened on March 10 have opted for the manual transmission, according to Acura’s assistant vice president of sales Emile Korkor.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the pre-launch response to the 2023 Integra,” Korkor told Motor Trend in an article published on March 17. “The total number of reservations has far exceeded our expectations and most exciting is that around 70 percent of Integra reservations are for the 6-speed manual. We’re confident this new Integra will inspire a new generation of enthusiasts buyers for the Acura brand.”
Although that’s only pre-orders, which you would expect to skew towards those who are excited about the model, it suggests that Acura’s efforts to appeal to enthusiasts have been successful. Especially since the six-speed manual transmission is only available as an option on the high-zoot A-Spec trim.
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With the transmission, the automaker throws in a limited-slip differential and with the Technology Package, the car gets adaptive dampers and an individual mode to its Integrated Dynamics System. Otherwise, the only option for the Integra is a CVT transmission that Acura says responds quickly to throttle inputs and has “Step Shift” programming to simulate gear changes during acceleration.
Customers’ appetite for manual transmissions is perhaps not surprising, though, as Motor Trend reports that the lifetime take rate for manuals across all generations of the Integra is 56 percent.
The latest generation Integra is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 200 hp (149 kW/203 PS) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque. Deliveries are expected to begin this spring and prices will start at around $30,000.