Acura Integra Type S: Acura's new halo car

The Acura Integra Type S is a souped-up, 320-hp sport sedan that has moved into the brand's halo position this year.

Intended to be a specialty vehicle, the Integra Type S targets the driver more interested in extreme performance. It comes with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and a 2.0-liter engine recalibrated to deliver 320 hp.

The Type S increases output from the standard Integra by 120 hp and 118 pound-feet of torque. Its stance is also 2.8 inches wider, and the front exterior was reworked to improve airflow.

The Integra Type S replaces the NSX hybrid-electric supercar that was retired last year and represents a new product strategy for Acura. This new model costs $51,995, a stark contrast to the previous halo at $171,495, including shipping but before any options.

"We want to create sufficient demand to satisfy enthusiasts yearning for a specialty vehicle like this with limited production and avoid saturating the market because that takes away that specialness from the car," Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales, previously told Automotive News.

Journalists had a chance to drive the Integra Type S in California and we've collected some early reviews.

 

Outpacing the Type R

"As quick and rewarding as the Type R is on circuit and canyon road alike, it's not perfect. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S, on the other hand, just might be. It retains all the performance-driving goodness of the Type R but neatly rounds off many of its daily-driving rough edges …

"Chucking the new Integra Type S between the guardrails along Highway 39 in California, we immediately see that this machine has the same sharp steering, deft handling and colossal grip as its shoutier Honda sibling. The Acura's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine has been recalibrated to deliver 320 horsepower and a smidge more part-throttle midrange torque. Reaching peak horsepower requires 93 octane, and on the local 91-octane California brew, we can't point to any difference—which is no bad thing. The Integra still pulls mightily out of corners, with the Type R's helical limited-slip front differential and clever dual-axis strut front suspension absolving the Type S powertrain of any of the usual high-horsepower front-wheel-drive sins."

— Dan Edmunds,

Car and Driver

Premium performance

"The Integra Type S is a premium performance sport compact car, brand new for 2024. It shares a platform and key components with the FL5 Civic Type R that also just came out. But while the Honda is tuned for time attack (read: stiff, sharp and aggressive) this Acura is set up to be a little more comfortable and daily driving friendly — a few clicks more compliant in ride and responsiveness with a more upscale interior.

"The Integra A-Spec is a nice-driving sport compact car, too, and it lets you squeeze a lot of joy out of its 200-horsepower engine. But the Type S is more than a few tweaks up. Between its 320-hp turbo K-series and hunkered stance, this car does an exceptional job of asserting itself as a serious performance car without compromising refinement or looking like a Hollywood prop car…

"Two decades ago, the Integra Type R was the top-tier offering. It was light, lean and compared to today's cars, pretty raw. The new Type S is not that car. Today's range-topping Integra is faster, more comfortable and markedly safer. But what really makes it better to live with its versatility. When you've got a stretch of open road or racetrack in front of you, the Sport and Sport+ modes make the ITS eager to slice and dice and blow the doors off an old Type R. When you want to chill, Comfort mode is just a couple of quick clicks away and the car suddenly softens up for daily duty. That is the real magic of a modern Type S."

— Andrew Collins,

The Drive

 

A misleading silhouette

"The ignorant could easily overlook the Integra Type-S as another commuter trout. In silhouette, it's identical to the other Integras and that's not much different from a lot of other small sedans. And the current Integra is — as all Integras have been since the 1986 model year — a Civic that's been burnished to near luxury. But for those who know, there are plenty of distinguishing elements to the Type-S.

"First, this thing is wide. Using stamped steel front fenders and plastic flares in back, it's 2.8 inches wider than a standard Integra and incorporates such aero tricks as big openings to feed the heat exchangers and a vented aluminum hood to facilitate air flowing through the engine bay. Acura claims that all the bodywork forward of the A-pillars is unique to the S-Type.

"One neat element to the nose are the mongo-sized air portals on each end. They're large but feed pipes that narrow until dumping in the wheel wells. They're basically venturi tunnels built into the nose that cool the front brakes and provide downforce with a minimal drag penalty."

— John Huffman,

Road and Track

Balance amid variety

"One of the most compelling attributes of the standard 2023 Integra is how pleasant it is to drive in a variety of situations. Its adequate powertrain and responsive chassis conspire to make every trip feel engaging and fun. But the Type S — with 62 percent more power — has its work cut out for it in terms of maintaining that balanced driving behavior. Luckily, the front-drive-only 'Teggy has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, starting with a comparatively light 3,219-pound curb weight that pays out with nimble, tossable reflexes in every driving situation.

"And even though the Integra is front-wheel drive (as opposed to the all-wheel-drive Audi, BMW and Mercedes or the rear-drive Caddy), the car puts its power down brilliantly. Like the manual versions of the regular hatch, the Type S comes standard with a true mechanical limited-slip differential, which helps split thrust evenly between the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires up front.

"There's also a dual-axis front steering knuckle in the double-wishbone suspension — borrowed from the Honda Civic Type R — which almost completely eliminates torque steer. As a result, flooring it out of an apex reveals benign, neutral handling that only rarely reveals a bit of wheel fight. Think of it as a charming idiosyncrasy instead of a design flaw and the minor torque steer even starts to feel fun."

— Brett Evans, Motor1.com

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