Honda Integra

Honda Integra Pressures

History of the Honda Integra

The Integra debuted in Japan in the February of 1985 as the Honda Quint Integra, predating the Acura luxury line of Honda vehicles by a year. The following year however, the Integra was released in the states as the Acura Integra. The Integra was rather successful in the states scoring 140,532 sales from 1986 to 1989, especially since it was only sold in the liftback version at in said years. These US models were equipped with a 1.6L Double Overhead Cam-Shaft, 16 valve inline-4 engine. The original "Browntop" engine was revised in 1988 and replaced with the "Blacktop" (These names came from the color of the valve tops). This engine kept the same engine code but featured an electric advance distributor, domed pistons for slightly higher compression, and lighter con rods. The success of the Integra in the US contrasted greatly to its performance in the European market, which suffered quite a hit due to lacking features like electric windows and central locking alongside strong European competitors such as the Renault 11 Turbo and Peugeot 309. Regardless of the poorer sales in Europe the MK1 Integra received decent overall praise.

The Mk2 Integra was released in April 1989 without the inclusion of the 5 door liftback seen in previous generations which had been discontinued, however, now the four-door sedan which was previously a JDM exclusive car was now available outside Japan. These Integras were the first Honda cars to feature a VTEC engine which was now known as the B-series of Honda engines. The JDM versions of these cars were slightly smaller in an effort to keep in the "compact" tax class.

The third generation of Integra was introduced in 1993 in Japan featuring a 1.8L Inline 4 engine, although in the states there was a reduction in compression ratio in this engine, resulting in lower power to meet emission standards. The Mk3 Integra was not available in Europe for the most part, partly due to poor sales in Europe in prior models although in recent years, these have been popular as import cars.

In 1995 the Integra type R was brought to the Japanese Domestic Market, a significantly improved performance model compared to the GS-R Integras. These were fitted with hand-built, factory tuned, VTEC variants of the B18C engine, strengthened chassis, weight reduction, and higher rev limiter settings (8,600 for JDM models, 8,500 for USDM models, and 8,700 for UKDM models). The DC2 Type R Integra was sold in US markets as an Acura, whilst in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand it was badged as a Honda. In 1998 the JDM Integra Type R was facelifted to feature a redesigned rear bumper, 5-lug nut wheel hubs and bigger brakes, it also featured 16-inch wheels with 215/45 R 16 tyres which, unfortunately, no classic tyre manufacturers make a tyre in this size. The last revision to the JDM DC2 Integra Type R came in 2000, and is known as the '00 Spec R. This featured a revised intake camshaft and finer balanced drive shafts too. This Type R is considered one of the finest cars of the 90's from reviewers, owners, and enthusiasts alike, with its incredible performance and handling, it is a modern classic in all senses of the word, and nowadays they sell for at least twice its dealership price in good condition and low mileage.

The fourth generation of Integra was introduced in April 2001 as the Acura RSX in North America and as the Honda Integra in Japan and Australia. These cars were relatively short-lived, seeing sales drop alongside most of the coupe market due to the rise of the SUV across the global market. Honda announced in March 2006 that they were discontinuing the RSX in June 2006, although, consumers pushed for an extension to the production of the vehicles, and managed to gain an extra month of production to buy the last 150 RSXs.