The return of top Honda officially confirmed. Will it be the best forerunner of its time again? – HNonline.sk

From the events taking place during the Monterey Car Week in the United States, a lot of photos and information about fantastic news are flowing to us. Supersport alternates with hypersport, hundreds of thousands and millions of price tags fly through the air. Are you a little overwhelmed?

Then there’s the great news for everyone living in a normal world: Honda has announced that it will return to the road the legendary Integra, a machine that was considered the best front-wheel drive car in the world at the turn of the millennium.

This information comes just days after we learned of the end of the NSX. Before that happens, Honda will produce a limited series of a reworked, more powerful version of the Type S, but the car as such has definitely counted. Of course, we are not happy, but for one bad news from the Japanese camp, we at least got one good one. Or rather … excellent.

Under the front hood, the original Integra had only an atmospheric “one-eight”, but was tuned to 190 horsepower, spun more than eight thousand revolutions per minute, the gearbox with a titanium head fit into individual speeds as a ball cap and goose-skin-like noise transmitted to the front wheels self-locking differential.

That performance today will seem ridiculous to many, perhaps even embarrassing, but the small agile Honda also had an ace up its sleeve. Standby weight 1,200 kilograms. The Integra was fantastic, and in Japan they had an engine tuned to 200 horsepower at 8000 rpm and, for example, a version of the 98 Type R or 98spec with a weight reduced to only an excellent 1,060 kilograms.

2001 Acura Integra Type R

Not for nothing is the Integra Type R in Japan considered one of the best cars of the 90s and was able to compete with ATVs such as the Nissan Skyline GTR R32 or Subaru WRX STi. The renowned British magazine Evo named the Integra Type R “The best front-wheel drive sports car ever” and he was certainly not the only one.

Unfortunately, the last fourth generation of Integra, introduced in 2001, has not reached us. It could be purchased in the USA as an Acura and also on the domestic market. It is a pity. Under the front hood, it mounted the now legendary two-liter four-cylinder K20A, which offered 220 horses in Japan at a weight of 1,170 kilograms.

Also, because Honda’s offer today in Europe is based on small hybrids, electric cars, crossovers, and the only exception is the Civic Type R, we prefer not to place bets yet that the new Integra could appear in Europe. We don’t believe it very much. Still, it’s still great news.

“I’m thrilled that Integra will be back with the same DNA and sense of driving fun,” revealed in a short interview Jon Ikeda, vice president of the Acura brand. “It will fulfill our commitment to create a precise car in all its aspects – design, performance and overall driving experience.” he added.

And that’s all for now. Honda / Acura will release more information about the car gradually with the upcoming premiere, which is scheduled for 2022. We will just hope that the Japanese will not take a new generation of Integra, similarly as Ford did in the case of the Puma model.

Because if the expected two-door coupe really arrives, we could have a Toyota GR 86 competitor without exaggeration, just front-wheel drive.

Prepared in cooperation with TopSpeed.sk.