2024 Integra Type-S Proves Acura Doesn’t Care What Fans Think

The Acura Integra has a place in automotive history as one of Japan’s best front-wheel drive cars. The nameplate dates back to 1986 and still mostly continues to impress. For now The 2023 Acura Integra was not what many enthusiasts had hoped it would bethe model is about to get a new dose of performance as The 2024 Integra Type-S is finally confirmed. However, if you were expecting something completely new, prepare to be disappointed 2023 Honda Civic Type-R the genes seem to run strong here.

All indications are that the 2024 Integra Type-S will get the Civic Type-R engine

While the Integra Type S is still heavily camouflaged, there are plenty of hints that give away the powerplant. For now, the Japanese luxury brand is keeping quiet about the Acura Integra Type S’s hardware, but it’s not at all clear that it will come with the K20C turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. in the Honda Civic Type-R.

Hood Scoop

Civic Type R hood scoop shot by Kirk Kreifel

Beyond the logical choice of engine, there is plenty of visual evidence. At the front, you can clearly see the hood scoop, which is very similar to the one you see on the Honda Civic Type-R. To be more specific, the air duct on the current Civic Type-R, and by extension the upcoming 2024 Integra Type-S, is an air outlet, unlike the one featured on the 2017 model, which looks like an air intake.

Triple exhaust

You’ll probably agree that the last few generations of the Honda Civic Type-R are an eyesore. Among the many distinguishing features of the Japanese hot hatch are the triple exhaust tips. It looks like the 2024 Acura Integra Type-S will have the same design element. However, these three “pipes” are there for a reason. The middle leads to the resonator, which at highway speeds hits a certain frequency, which eliminates drowning. At the same time, the car sounds loud when driven at low speeds and high revs, giving off a boy racer vibe that many Honda fans seem to love.

Bigger wheels and brakes…Like a Civic Type-R

As expected from the performance version, the Integra Type-S has larger wheels and bigger Brembo brakes. Since the car is still in pre-production form, Acura didn’t provide any specific details regarding the size of the wheels and brakes, but it looks like we’ll be getting the same 9.5×19-inch wheel design as the 2023 Civic Type-R. The size of the four-piston Brembo brakes also appears to be similar to the Civic Type-R’s, measuring 13.8 inches in the front and 12.0 inches in the rear.

Hope for the best, assume the worst

For now, we know that the 2024 Acura Integra Type-S will have 315 horsepower (235 kilowatts) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) from the Civic Type-R’s 2.0-liter K20C quad-turbo engine. While we also expect the Civic’s six-speed manual to make its way here too, along with a limited-slip differential, there have been rumors of an automatic version.

We really hope Acura isn’t going to put a CVT unit in the Integra Type-S, even though that unit probably isn’t designed for that much power and torque. A 10-speed automatic is an option, but it can cause difficulties with equipment. So far, we’ve only seen it on larger Honda and Acura models like the Accord and TLX (a non-Type-S model).

That leaves the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic as the only viable option for the new Integra Type-S. The DCT unit version is installed on the Acura TLX Type-S. The same powertrain can be found in the smaller Acura ILX, which shares a platform with the Civic and the new Integra, so packaging shouldn’t be a problem.

Another feature fans are hoping for is an all-wheel drive system. The SH-AWD system can be seen on models like the Acura TLX Type-S, where it works alongside the aforementioned eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. A similar setup will make the upcoming Acura Integra Type-S much more competitive against rivals like the Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo and, more importantly, German offerings from Volkswagen, BMW and Audi. It would also make the more luxurious Acura model stand out a bit more against its more modest Honda sibling.

Although any footage of this has been lost, we do know that at one point Honda was testing an all-wheel drive rally car based on the tenth-generation Honda Civic Coupe. At least for now, Honda hasn’t started rallying, which could mean that the car in question was probably a prototype for something in development. We don’t want to get your hopes up, but we hope the 2024 Acura Integra Type-S comes standard with all-wheel drive.