The 2023 Acura Integra Type S and the Civic Type R have a lot in common. Although the spec sheet is not quite a complete copy-paste from one car to the other, the differences are easy to miss. So it won’t come as a surprise to discover that they’re closely matched in Edmund’s U-Drag race, but that doesn’t mean that neither comes out on top.
In a pair of races that pit the two closely related cars against one another, the Honda and the Acura race down a quarter-mile drag strip, at the end of which they must complete a hairpin turn, before racing back down the strip. The race is a test of acceleration, braking, and cornering, making it a useful test bed for performance cars.
It also helps highlight what each car in this particular test is best at. Although the Integra Type S weighs 3,207 lb (1,455 kg), making it a little heavier than the 3,181 lb (1,443 kg) Civic Type R, it makes five extra horses (3.7 kW/5 PS). That translates to a slightly better performance through the straight-line portion of the test.
Read: U-Drag Race Between Toyota GR Corolla Morizo And Honda Civic Type-R Is Very Close
However, once the Integra gets to the corner, its lead evaporates. Equipped with stickier tires, and burdened by less weight, the Civic Type R manages to reclaim some lost ground. The hosts of this video also report that the Honda’s seats hold them in place more firmly, making the higher G forces (1.25 G to the Acura’s 1.13 G) easier to deal with.
As the cars accelerate out of the corner and back down the straight, the race turns into a neck and neck battle. What they lack in uniqueness, they make up for in close racing, as both drivers will their cars forward by throwing their weight forward in the seat (spoilers below).
However, the extra power wins in the end, and in the hands of both drivers, the Acura Integra Type S winds up being the fastest in this test.
