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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
12/5/22 9:20 a.m.
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Is the fabled Acura Type R making a return? Acura today announced that “a high-performance Integra Type S” is currently in the works.

Details are scarce, but Acura does tell us that the Integra Type S will be powered by a “high-revving,” turbocharged, 2.0-liter engine good over 300 horsepower. A six-speed manual and a limited-slip differential are also confirmed as …

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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
12/5/22 9:21 a.m.

At this point, I would have been more surprised in Acura said they weren't going to be making a Type S version of the Integra.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
12/5/22 9:36 a.m.

Color me intrigued. 

kevinatfms
kevinatfms GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
12/5/22 9:46 a.m.

So a totted up Civic Type R for an extra $15,000? Then another $30,000 for dealer mark up?

No thanks.

bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand UberDork
12/5/22 11:30 a.m.

I think they will price themselves out of the market with this one. Given the CTR is $44K + TTL w/o any market adjustments, I couldn't see this at less than $48-50K range. That starts to get into some serious cars. 

It's interesting to have it back but it really needs to be out performing it's Honda twin for the type of cash they are asking. 

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
12/5/22 11:42 a.m.

In reply to bmw88rider :

I really want to like the new Integra and I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I think you summed it up pretty well.

bobzilla
bobzilla MegaDork
12/5/22 11:52 a.m.

In reply to bmw88rider :

and when the competition is releasing competitors that are its equal a $34k its a no-brainer. 

TGMF
TGMF HalfDork
12/5/22 12:31 p.m.

Im puzzled how they are going to price this. I was shocked at the CTR's 45k tag a full 10k more than the previous gen, and 15 k more than the SI. There's no room to go up much higher. The civic is already dangerously close to the price of a Camaro SS 1LE  or track pack mustang... I know what I'd pick. 

Who's really going to pony up the change for a Integra S ?  CTR at 39k and the Integra at 45 would have made sense. 50- 55k, this thing is DOA.   

 

roughly 45K will put you in a IS350, looks like 58k will seat you in a IS500, or a number of other sport sedans from BMW or Merc with Rear wheel drive and more firepower. 

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
12/5/22 1:09 p.m.

Ooof.  Yeah this price tag is a bit nutty.

 

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
12/5/22 1:13 p.m.

^You can get a 1SS LE with no extra options for like $47k, if you wanted to order it that way.  

bmw88rider said:

I think they will price themselves out of the market with this one. Given the CTR is $44K + TTL w/o any market adjustments, I couldn't see this at less than $48-50K range. That starts to get into some serious cars. 

It's interesting to have it back but it really needs to be out performing it's Honda twin for the type of cash they are asking. 

This doesn't even bring up the fact that's it a really ugly/boring looking car. 

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter)
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) Dork
12/5/22 1:21 p.m.

Badge engineering is different than it was 30 years ago, when people generally didnt cross-shop Honda against Acura. I would argue that they would have sold a lot more of the original ITR if it was a Civic sold at the Honda dealership rather than trying to move a purebred sports car out of a luxury dealership. The whole thing makes me wonder if brands like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti even need to exist any more, or what they even mean. 

msterbeau
msterbeau Reader
12/5/22 1:26 p.m.

Arguably better looking than the CTR.  We'll see next year what the numbers are and if they make any sense.  It may be that these sell with little to no markup which might make them effectively cheaper than the CTR - depending on who you're buying it from. 

bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand UberDork
12/5/22 2:15 p.m.

In reply to Colin Wood :

Same here Colin. I've owned every generation of the Integra/RSX up to now and current DD a 2001 GSR sedan. I drove a new one a few weeks ago and left feeling that was the most expensive interior upgrade ever. I didn't see at all where the almost 8K went TBH. This just looks like the same deal. A fancier CTR from the pre-launch teasers. 

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 PowerDork
12/5/22 3:23 p.m.

I would hardly call the K20C1 a "high revver." 

I agree with the hive, this is going to be close to a $60k car without markups. There are many better options and I can't see what they can add on top of the Type R that will warrant the upmarket costs. 

BA5
BA5 GRM+ Memberand Reader
12/5/22 5:00 p.m.

That lead photo makes it look pretty darn good.

 

Datsun310Guy
Datsun310Guy MegaDork
12/5/22 5:28 p.m.

In reply to TGMF :

I wonder if I'd enjoy a lower end Camaro SS rather than these over sticker priced cars?  Would I like the old muscle car over the newer CTR while saving $10,000+?  

Couple of issues: dealers don't have to honor the employee discount.  You'll be challenged to find one.  (Chevy guy in Dearborn, MI will)  How long for Chevrolet to build this?  

Recently GRM had a guy buy a new Mustang only to not like the bulk and size of it.  Is that going to be me?

If I was going cheap I would add the white stripe (cause Dazed&Confused Chevelle), different wheels and the knee pad.  
 

Datsun310Guy
Datsun310Guy MegaDork
12/5/22 5:37 p.m.

 

Byrneon27
Byrneon27 Reader
12/5/22 9:19 p.m.

There's a hard line assumption here that any desirable car can be purchased at sticker... 

Our resident Integra fan boy here and basically the target market for this vehicle and I'm not really interested. This Integra just simply missed the point as it turns out the embossed bumper badge wasn't what made the last one so special 

bobzilla
bobzilla MegaDork
12/6/22 5:55 a.m.

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Same price the elantra N is available as well. Still a smaller economical car with all the Rio snorty silliness any inner 12 year old loves. 

RadBarchetta
RadBarchetta New Reader
12/6/22 8:17 a.m.
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

Badge engineering is different than it was 30 years ago, when people generally didnt cross-shop Honda against Acura. I would argue that they would have sold a lot more of the original ITR if it was a Civic sold at the Honda dealership rather than trying to move a purebred sports car out of a luxury dealership. The whole thing makes me wonder if brands like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti even need to exist any more, or what they even mean. 

That's a good point. All these brands trying to "move upmarket" to justify higher prices are getting dangerously close to their traditional luxury counterparts.

BA5
BA5 GRM+ Memberand Reader
12/6/22 8:25 a.m.

Eh, the vast majority of the car buying public still doesn't know or care that Lexus/Acura/Infiniti/etc. are just the luxury arm of other brands.

j_tso
j_tso HalfDork
12/6/22 8:33 a.m.
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

The whole thing makes me wonder if brands like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti even need to exist any more, or what they even mean. 

It's not just the cars that define the premium brand but also the dealership experience. Never been to an Acura, but comparing a Lexus dealer to Toyota is like Macy's to Walmart. 

calteg
calteg SuperDork
12/6/22 10:02 a.m.

A few statistics to chew on:

Less than 15% of the U.S. population can drive stick shift

That 15% is heavily comprised of Boomers, who are approaching retirement or already retired.

 

How many of those who can drive manual trans

a) Actually want to row their own

b) Are able to drop $60k on a vehicle as they near retirement

c) Care about Acura?

I predict very sluggish sales for the Type S. The folks that want this type of car are going to scratch the itch with the cheaper CTR long before the Acura ever drops. Acura dealers will impose significant markups, likely sell very few, and ultimately offer discounts once these things stink up the showroom long enough.

 

 

In reply to Datsun310guy:

 

The Camaro is the lightest/smallest of the modern muscle cars. That being said,  it forces a lot of ergonomic/visibility compromises. The SS in particular seems engineered as a track day weapon, but most folks who have cross shopped them seem to vastly prefer the Mustang on the street.

 

 

 

 

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
12/6/22 10:11 a.m.

In reply to calteg :

I test drove an SS 1LE a few years back. Blind spot visibility is terrible. A 455 hp V8 and a stab at the throttle means anything that was in your blind spot, no longer is. devil

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter)
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
12/6/22 11:24 a.m.

I'm actually surprised at the lack of positive comments here. My bet is the price won't be quite as high as some are expecting, I bet Honda/Acura do not see it as a direct competitor to the civic type R so I doubt it will be priced massively higher. Also, one of the biggest complaints about the CTR is that it looks like an eighth graders wet dream. People who want that car without looking ridiculous will probably be attracted to it.  I doubt very many people in the real world would be cross shopping an Integra of any form with a Camaro. Totally different driving experiences. It's not my thing, as I prefer hatchbacks or wagons, but other than that I like it. Yes I realize it's a lift back, but designed to look like a 4 door. Finally the biggest turn off for me is three pedals, why they don't offer a two pedal version in this day and age is a mystery. Yeah, yeah, take away my enthusiast card. I just think autos have got to the point where manuals are pointless these days in 99% of cases, especially for a car like this. 

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