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First Generation
Acura Integra 1986-1989
The vehicle debuted in Japan in 1985 as the Honda
Quint Integra before going on sale a year later in
North America as part of the then-new Acura lineup.
Three and five-door hatchback bodies were available,
with a 1.6 L DOHC 16-valve engine powering all
three. The engine was the vehicle's most publicized
feature, as DOHC, multi-valve engines were anything
but commonplace in entry-level models at the time.
The Integra was based on the less-sporty Civic,
although it featured a small list of key upgrades
over its lesser stablemate to help merit a price
increase over the CRX Si, which was otherwise the
sportiest compact vehicle being offered by
Honda/Acura; enlarged 4-wheel disc brakes replaced
the small front-disc/rear-drum setup used by the
Civic and CRX, suspension calibration was re-worked,
better tires were used and a 113 hp DOHC fuel
injected 16-valve engine was used in place of the
SOHC, 108 hp unit from the CRX Si. Combined with
sleeker styling and a nicer interior, buyers were
effectively convinced that the Integra was worth the
extra money, and nearly 228,000 units were sold
during the four year run of the first generation
model.
The first generation Integra's actually came with
two different engines. Although they shared the same
engine code (D16A1), there were a few differences.
The engine differed in the years 1986 to 1987 and
1988 to 1989. The two engines are commonly called
the "Browntop" and "Blacktop" due to the color of
their valve covers. The "browntop" came in 1986 and
1987 Integra's while the "blacktop" came in 1988 and
1989 models. The improvements in the "blacktop"
engine included lighter rods, domed pistons for
slightly higher compression, and an electric advance
distributor (the "browntop" came with a vacuum
advance distributor). The overall gain in
performance was about 5 hp to 118 horsepower.
The original Integra was not without its
shortcomings though; despite having 113 hp and a
reachable 7000 rpm redline, the new DOHC engine had
little torque and needed to be wound up quite a bit
to make full power, leading to criticism that the
model wasn't well-suited for day to day driving on
surface streets, but was better tuned for spirited
driving down tight, windy roads.
Second Generation Acura Integra 1990-1993
Acura debuted the second generation Integra in 1990,
now powered by a new 1.8 L engine making 130 hp (140
hp 1992-1993) , giving the model a necessary boost
in performance. The three-door hatchback and 4-door
sedan body styles continued to be available, but the
5-door hatchback was discontinued due to poor market
reception.
Trim levels for 1990 and 1991 included the RS (base
model), LS, and GS. The 1991 GS could also be had
with a leather interior, which made it a sort of
"deluxe" model, and featured its own model number.
For 1992, Acura added the GS-R trim level, powered
by a stroked 1.7 L version of the very successful
B16A engine, called the B17A, already in use in the
Japanese-market Integra. It featured a VTEC system,
as found in the then-new NSX, bumping output to 160
hp. Other features exclusive to the GS-R include the
charcoal grey cloth interior (leather as a rare
option), body-colored trim and front lip, and the
third brake light mounted in the spoiler. Sunroof,
power everything, and 14 inch 6-spoke aluminum
wheels came standard as well.
The 92-93 Acura Integra GSR is the rarest Integra to
date (if not one of the rarest Acura/Hondas in
general) because of its B17A engine, low production
numbers, and unavailability in the used car market.
This model Integra holds its retail value extremely
well because of its rarity. The 92-93 USDM GSR was
available in only three colors: red, white and teal.
The Canadian GSR's came in black, red and teal.
Other small updates came on to all trim levels in
1992, namely new front and rear bumpers, a new
steering wheel, new taillights, new ECU, chromed
interior door handles and an change to OBD1 which
increased the power to 140 hp for the non-VTEC
engine.
The second generation was the last Integra to be
sold without airbags in the United States. Motorized
passive seat belts were used instead. Canada and the
rest of the world got regular active seat belts.
This generation also saw Acura make a bit of a
marketing shift. Prior to the 1991 model year, Acura
had made a minor point of the supposed understated
elegance of minimal exterior badging. Therefore,
from 1986 to 1990, the only external clues to any
Integra's identity came at the rear, where badges
for "Acura" "Integra", and the trim level appeared.
For the 1991 model year however, Acura's "A" logo
appeared for the very first time on the front of the
hood, as well as between the taillights. Every
Integra made since then has had the "A" badges.
262,285 units were sold from 1990 to 1993.
Third Generation Acura Integra 1994-2001
Zenki (former) (1994–1997)
Honda debuted the third generation model in 1993 in
Japan. Acura followed in 1994. It had an unusual
four headlight front end design which was dubbed
"bug eyes" by some enthusiasts. Standard power
increased to 142 hp, and the GS-R received a
dual-stage intake manifold and an engine change from
1.7 liters to 1.8 liters of displacement, bringing
power up to a 170 hp.
In 1995, Honda redesigned the Integra when the new
Integra Type-R was released. In Japan the redesign
had two more conventional looking headlights as the
bug eye look had proven unpopular, outside Japan it
had a slightly revised version of the four headlight
front. A Type R model was added for the 1995 model
year in Japan and in 1997 in other markets, powered
by a highly tuned, hand-finished variant of the
GS-R's engine, producing 195 hp, meaning it made
more hp per L than the Ferrari F355's V8. Although
impressive, the Type R was still hampered by some
criticism; its maximum torque output of only 130
ft·lb at 7000 rpm meant that the engine would
perform best from 5700 rpm up to the 8400 rpm
redline. Although the engine's "split personality"
and unusually high capability to rev made it popular
among hardcore enthusiasts, it cost the vehicle
points in comparison tests where drivers noted that
the vehicle was too hard-edged, loud and rev-hungry
to be an easy daily driver.
Kouki (latter) (1998–2001)
Despite some popular demand for an Integra re-design
for 1998, Honda chose to give the third generation
model a slight facelift and re-release it. The 1998
Integra had slightly larger headlights, a more
aggressive front bumper, all-red taillights, and a
revised rear bumper. There were also some minor
cosmetic changes to the interior, and small
revisions to the electrical and mechanical
components. The GS-R edition received 6-spoke
"blade" style wheels as a stylistic change. Once
again, the Type-R saw a limited release in the US.
During this facelift, the sedan was not sold in
Canada after 1997, replaced by the Acura EL, a re-badged
Honda Civic.
It is easy to quickly differentiate a 1998-2001
Integra from an older model in which the headlights
are set slightly deeper within their respective
cavities. With the 1998 model, the headlights became
flush with the shape of the bumper, completely
filling the cavities. These models are still popular
among racing enthusiasts all around the continental
US and Puerto Rico. For 1999, Acura also
manufactured the more affordable GS,LS,SE and the
RS. All 4 models, (Excluding the GSR and Type R)
came out sporting a B18B1 Honda engine with a five
speed manual transmission or its automatic version.
SE was made as a Special Edition Integra, with a
distinctive rectangular sticker on the interior
right side of the car's rear that said special
edition. These SE had power windows, power locks and
ABS.
As far as the Integra engine goes, the high reving
VTEC powered engines like the B16, B18C1 and the
B18C5 (USDM Type-R), are respected in the street car
enthusiasts circle. Most Honda enthusiasts prefer
the VTEC engines but in an increasing race
sub-culture, the Non-VTEC engines are getting noted.
The Non-VTEC engines like B18B1 or the B18A1 are
1.8L, 1834. They are a popular choice for forced
induction not only because they are reliable, but
also because they are not as popular with mainstream
enthusiasts and have lower compression making them
cheaper than their VTEC counterparts.
The Acura Integra was recently catalogued as one of
the most thief-friendly cars in America. The Acura
Integra featured six times in the top ten list, the
1998 model being the thieves favourite.
Type R generation (1994–2001)
Type R
The Type R was the pinnacle of the Integra line. It
had many exclusive features found on no other
Integra.
The Type R's B18C5 engine contained more key
differences than just some manual assembly steps and
an increased redline. The B16A's cylinder head
returned, with differently shaped combustion
chambers and intake ports compared to the regular
B18C in the GS-R. Molybdenum-coated, high
compression pistons and stronger-but-lighter
connecting rods strengthened the reciprocating
assembly. Extra counter weighting on the crankshaft
altered its vibration modes to enhance durability at
high RPM. The intake valves were reshaped with a
thinner stem and crown that reduced weight and
improved flow. The intake ports were given a minor
port and polish. Stiffer valve springs resisted
float on more aggressive camshafts. Intake air was
now drawn from inside the fender well, for a colder,
denser charge. That intake fed a short-runner intake
manifold with a larger throttle body for better
breathing. An improved stainless steel exhaust
collector with more gentle merge angles, a change to
a larger, consistent piping diameter, flared
internal piping in the muffler allowed easier exit
of gases. A retuned engine computer also contributed
to improve power output, which allowed the Type R to
accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in 6.5 seconds.
The transmission was upgraded with lower and closer
gear ratios in second through fifth gears, in order
to take advantage of the additional rev range. The
North American version retained the same 4.4 final
drive throughout the Type R's production run, unlike
the Japanese version, which in 1998 changed to a
4.785 final drive along with revised gearing. The
GS-R's open differential was replaced with a
torque-sensing limited slip type.
The chassis received enhancements in the form of
reinforcements to the rear wheel wells, roof rail,
and other key areas. "Performance rods", chassis
braces that were bolted in place, were added to the
rear trunk wall and rear sub frame. The front strut
tower bar was replaced with a stronger aluminum
piece. Camber rigidity was improved at the rear by
increasing wheel bearing span by 10 mm. The Type R's
body also received a new functional rear spoiler,
body-colored rocker panels, and 5-bolt hubs with
special lightweight Type-R wheels. Under those
wheels was a much larger set of disc brakes, front
and back. The tires were upgraded to Bridgestone
RE010 "summer" tires.
The Type R received very aggressive tuning in its
suspension settings. All soft rubber bushings were
replaced with much stiffer versions, as much as 5.3
times higher in durometer readings. The springs and
dampers were much stiffer, with a 10 mm reduction in
ride height. The rear anti-roll bar diameter was
increased to 22 mm in diameter. The front anti-roll
bar retained the same size, although the end links
were changed to a more responsive sealed ball joint
as opposed to a rubber bushing on the lesser models.
The result was a chassis with very responsive,
racetrack-ready handling that ably absorbed
mid-corner bumps. Mild over steer was easy to induce
with a lift of the throttle, and during steady-state
cornering the car maintained a slight tail-out
stance.
The interior was stripped down to reduce weight. The
air conditioning system was removed in early models
and nearly all the sound-dampening material was
eliminated. This provided for a much noisier ride,
but since the Type-R was marketed as a race car for
the street, most owners didn't mind.
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Acura
Integra Performance & Modifications
