Integra Type-R

[FG - 98/4/2] I secured a test drive of a broken in Integra Type R a few days ago and  here are my impressions (comparing the Type R with my 95 NSX-T).

The Type R feels like it is carved out of a solid billet of steel! Very solid chassis - much better than the NSX-T. No steering shake and the steering actually feels much more precise and has better feedback.

The suspension also provides more feedback (probably from stiffer bushings) and the car does not roll as much as the NSX-T. At the limit, the car is very neutral - only thing is you need lift throttle to get the tail out as opposed to a throttle stab.

The Type R is quite noisy though, and would be hard to live with on long drives, though, between 6000 and 8500 it sounds great! Not as refined a sound as the NSX - but definitely clearer and I think it is also more noticeable from the outside.

In any case, I'd still keep my Prelude VTEC and the NSX (for now).

[MB - 98/4/10] Well, I finally got my chance to drive the new Type R. It was about time considering that one of the first pictures of the car that made it to the web was me sitting in one at the Acura Lyndhurst event (thanks to Don Gallo). It was easier to arrange than I thought, but then again, when it comes to that car, I'm a salesman's wet dream. I currently have the Prelude VTEC, which replaced my '89 Integra. Combine that with the NSX, and you won't find a better potential customer for that car! I took it on the exact same test drive loop that I used when I drove the '97 NSX for comparison sake. I was surprised to find that it didn't feel like it was made from aluminum foil. It really is a solid car. It took me
about a fraction of a second to get comfortable and start driving it like I've owned it all my life.

Without question, this was the best Integra I have ever driven. The power was good, but it has the same problem as every other Integra VTEC I have ever driven. It is too slow when it is out of VTEC, and the acceleration is no where near as linear as my Prelude. For this reason more than any other, it really didn't remind me of the NSX at all. This is also the area where I think the Prelude VTEC is most superior. I had a blast trying to shift it exactly at redline so I could stay in VTEC first to second. I was very satisfied and impressed with the handling, but I would like to see it sitting on more rubber. I really had a blast driving the car, but I should mention that my friend Josh (who some of you might remember from the Nockamixon event) did not like the car at all. He thought the handling was "twitchy". In defense of the car, he drove it on cold tires, I took the second shift, if you will and experienced no twitching - and I was pushing it. I must say neither of us had ANY complaints about the brakes. The one place that I thought the Integra is superior is the sound. It really makes a glorious noise when you wind it out. It really is fun to run it to the redline.

After the drive, I parked it next to my 94 Prelude and discovered that even with the ground effects and spoiler, the Prelude is still a much more aggressive looking car. Next to the Integra it looked VERY low and wide. Interior wise, the guages were great, but I like the Prelude's leather interior a lot more. Having owned both, I realize that the main difference between the two cars is HOW it achieves performance. The Prelude does it with more power and larger displacement while the Integra does it with weight. This makes the Prelude a more substantial car on the road, and gives it an overall solid feeling.

As you can tell, I liked the Type R a lot, but I would never give up my Prelude for it. Furthermore, I disagree with the title of "NSX jr." In my opinion, this is more of a marketing thing than anything. The Prelude is much more like the NSX, and I am still confused as to why Honda made the more luxurious of their two sport coupes the Honda instead of the Acura. Any ideas?

[BD] I have an NSX and test drove a 98 Integra. In fact, it spent the night in my garage. I'm not technically proficient enough to write a review like most of you. But I can briefly say this. I fell in love with the car. It was in its own way as exhilirating a drive as my NSX or even my Ferrari 355. I liked the idea of a non glitzy, no curb-appeal, nondescript car that would go like crazy. I also felt you could drive it every day and never get tired of it or really think much about the per mile cost. BOTTOM LINE: In its own way I liked the car the equal of anything I ever drove. I didn't buy it for some different reasons.

[CL - 2000/2/20] Q: Does this car deserve its often overused "Baby NSX" moniker?"

A: Driving (track and street) the NSX and Chris Marsh's ITR(s) <G> have been great experiences in my book. The stock NSX is greatly under-powered (IMO...especially at 6-7000 feet) and I feel the same about the ITR. Both cars have there assets...both can brag great handling, different types of great handling, but great none-the-less...both have pretty good power for the engine size (NSX especially in '91...not so good today). Both break well, and have great overall feel.

The two configurations, however, make any real comparisons impossible. They feel completely different. ITR being the best fwd car I have ever driven, hands down (though I'm not a very good ITR driver), NSX being a mid-engine car (easier to rotate, lower cowl, and other mid-engine benefits). Each are above the top of their class (maybe NSX is a little behind, but it was WAY ahead in '91) and are bragging rights for Honda.

They are completely different, but equally outstanding...Let's call them Tochigi Babies and stop comparing apples to oranges...incomparable complements.

[MF - 2000/2/20] I have driven both the Integra Type-R and NSX on VERY brisk drives through curving country roads, and I can say that **FROM MY PERSPECTIVE** the Integra Type-R is every bit as much fun as the NSX. When I first got out of the Type-R I was instantly reminded of the first time I drove an NSX. Everything seemed to work perfectly, and the car inspired great amounts of confidence. The brakes on the Integra Type-R are phenomenal. They never seem to fade. The car may not be as fast as an NSX, but it is every bit as much fun. It is very deserving of the title of "Baby NSX". Drive one, you WILL agree.

NSX Coupe vs. NSX-T

From: Eric Kerub, ebk@total.net
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 10:31:04

Eric, what do you base this information on? Acura states that because of increased stiffening in the structure, a targa is very close to a coupe in torsional rigidity. With the roof in place it may be 5% less stiff. Is this enough to make a "night and day" difference? Do you have comparative stiffness information or lap times?

I've driven a few same model cars around the track (coup & targa) and it was a generalized statement for sure. I cannot provide any engineering background to my coup vs. targa comparision, only driving experience.

I was approched last year by the sales director of my local Acura dealership when I popped in for a visit. He had a new '95 unsold and was trying desperatley to sell it. Something to do with if he sells 6 (that was #6 BTW) that year he would get some sort of exclusivity for Quebec on NSX's (don't ask me if this is true). Anyhow, The price he quoted me for the car *and* the offer he made me for mine (15K more than I paid for it), made it very tempting for me.

I started making some calls to find out if anyone had tracked one of these targa's and what their impression was. I called Tim at Comptech, Randy at RM, and a few others that I figured could fill me in. Nobody had any solid feedback from anyone regarding the "trackability" of the targa.

I knew somebody that had a '95 but would take alot of convincing to bring him to a driving school. I finally managed to get him in my next event and we swapped cars a few times.

n.b. I have to admit at that time I had already done the Comptech suspension, headers, RM brake package, and chip. So that test on that day was not "fair." But OTOH, The year before my NSX was stock and I remember It's characterisitcs quite well.

Anyway, to cut this long story... Everything that was written about the NSX in that Car & Driver Handling Shootout article was representive to how I felt driving my friends Targa and not my coupe. Maybe that 5% is enough on that design to make a big difference. But I admit it's just *my* impression, others may have a different view.