NS 2023 Integration have mostly failed to create a stir among longtime enthusiasts Acura was hoping it would. However, all is not lost; Acura could perhaps regain some street credibility if they entered the Integra race, like they did with the Integras of the ’80s and ’90s. Brand head Jon Ikeda wants to put ‘Teg’ on the track, but it all depends on whether the leadership of the Americans Honda’s motobike Motherhood allows it.
“We want to race this, but maybe Honda’s PR and marketing people might have different ideas,” said Ikeda. Sugar & Sugar. That’s because Integration is mostly 2022 Civic Si with a new metal and hatchback form factor. Honda has CHEAP Civic Type race car for sale in several tunes for different classes in TC America’s touring car series. That’s based on the previous generation civic, but most likely will continue the show with the latest generation. Therefore, a Racing Integration seems superfluous.
On the other hand, Acura is very active in sports car racing, from 24 hours won Daytona Prototype IMSA DPi come Race car NSX GT3 come Pikes Peak hill climber. Even Honda’s F1 cars were rebranded with Acura livery in the US last month grand opening in Austin.
And it’s not like the Integra doesn’t have a long history in motorsport. The nameplate has competed in various North American series from the SCCA Pro Rally to the IMSA sedan to the Import Drag Racing Championships. Perhaps the most famous Acura Integras to race, however, are Peter Cunningham’s neon white and orange RealTime Racing Type Rs that dominated the SpeedVision World Challenge championships around the Y2K.
Ikeda has said before that he wanted Acura to be Honda’s performance brand and rumor Integrated Type S is working with a more powerful motor, possibly a version of the Civic Type R’s Millstone. “We are the performance division of Honda,” Ikeda emphasized with R&T“So we’re not going to shy away from Honda, you know? We’re going to have a little more fun.”
While an admirable goal, the brand would struggle if it were merely Honda’s performance arm. It has to be about performance cars, period. It was part of Acura’s magic in the ’90s; it offers products that, while sharing components with Honda, are distinct and have their own personality. The integration is based on the Civic, but it has better handling, more power, and a unique design. With NSX driving to dusk, the Integra would be required to carry a heavy load, but if Acura could find a way to bring the Integra into battle without stepping on the Civic’s toe, it would probably have been shot.
Related Videos
