Acura today revealed one of the most anticipated new cars of 2023 and one that flashes back to some beloved almost-classics. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S will have 320 horsepower on tap, plus a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission and enough visual tweaks to signal that there’s something special in the parking lot.
A Reborn Integra, a Reborn Juiced Integra
Acura brought the Integra name back for the 2023 model year.
It’s a badge that evoked memories for anyone who drove or longed to drive in the 1980s or ’90s. The original Integra models built the foundation of the Acura brand. Essentially a modified Honda Civic with sportier road manners and a more luxurious cabin, the Integra was Acura’s first real hit. It brought sport sedan manners into a more affordable price range from 1986 to 2001.
Acura retired the name then. But a succession of nice compact Acura sedans under different names never reflected its light fully.
So, two years ago, Acura announced a new one was coming. Today’s Integra is a lot like yesterday’s — it rides on a Civic platform but brings tighter handling and more refinement. It’s affordable for a car from a luxury marque (starting at $31,300).
But, in the Integra’s first golden age, Acura had a secret menu item available for buyers who wanted extra spice. Back then, it was called the Integra Type R.
Since then, for reasons that escape us, they’ve changed the name of their high-power models to Type S. They build Type S models of several cars, from the midsize TLX to the 3-row MDX SUV. But what everyone wants is an Integra Type S.
And what everyone wants is here. Acura today revealed everything but the price.
320 Horsepower, Wider Stance, Stickier Tires
The 2024 Integra Type S features a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine cranking out 320 horsepower. Yes, it’s a tuned version of the 315-horsepower model in the Civic Type R. Would you honestly want it to be anything else?
Power goes to the front wheels through a helical-type limited-slip differential to help it corner more precisely than other Integra models. That power goes through a 6-speed stick-shift transmission. Oh, you wanted an automatic? Learn to drive stick or buy another car, Acura says.
It also borrows the Civic Type R’s dual-axis front suspension to limit torque steer. Four-piston Brembo front brakes and 12-inch rear rotors (not Brembo) bring it to a stop.
Lots of Showy Bits, None of Them for Show
Normally, we tell you about a car’s performance and its looks as two separate characteristics. But so much of the Integra’s body performs actual functions that we must blend the two discussions.
The Type S obviously looks like other Integra vehicles but has so many unique body panels that it’s almost an entirely different car. Acura says every piece from the windshield forward is unique.
The grille is enlarged, as is the air vent beneath it. But they don’t let in enough air to feed the aggressive turbos, so there’s a wide hood vent, too. Both front and rear fenders are flared out to accommodate wider tires — Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 265s that you’ll need to swap out for winter in many states.
In the back, aggressive-looking diffusers flank a 3-tipped exhaust so low we cringe to think of speed bumps.
That exhaust, Acura says, allows for “show stopping pops and bangs” in Sport+ mode.
When an automaker has put thought into how a sporty car sounds, you know you’re dealing with real passion.
The Inside Emphasizes the Drive
Inside, the cabin isn’t as dramatically different from the typical Integra’s cockpit. Power-adjustable and heated front seats are standard, as is a 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D sound system. Acura resisted the luxury car builder’s impulse to put a movie screen on the dashboard. A 9-inch central touchscreen runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while you entertain yourself with your hands and feet.
The Type S does get firmer seat bolsters, an anodized aluminum shift knob, and Type S logos on the seats and steering wheel.
There’s one exclusive exterior color. It’s the lovely gold you see in the photos above. Acura calls it Tiger Eye Pearl.
