{"id":451314,"date":"2023-04-21T05:24:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T05:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=451314"},"modified":"2024-01-24T14:02:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:02:36","slug":"the-2023-acura-integra-type-s-ctr-imposter-or-something-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/the-2023-acura-integra-type-s-ctr-imposter-or-something-more\/","title":{"rendered":"VIDEO: The 2023 Acura Integra Type S: CTR Imposter or Something More?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Acura first announced<\/a> that they’d be producing a Type S<\/strong> version of their newly reimagined Integra model, it was hard to picture exactly what that might’ve looked like.<\/p>\n

Honda and Acura enthusiasts know what the Type S badge stands for, and while fanfare was certainly generated from this, there were plenty of groans around the world when it became clear that the Integra Type R wouldn’t be returning.<\/p>\n

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Artist’s rendering of how the top-dog Integra could be imagined<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At least, not yet. Although it looks like the overseeing marketing department has decided to reserve ‘R’ for Honda<\/em> and ‘S’ for Acura<\/em>, so it seems like the aforementioned is highly likely to remain the case.<\/p>\n

The Winning Formula<\/h2>\n

Nevertheless, it was certain that the new Acura Integra Type S would top the model range as the highest performing and most expensive version.<\/p>\n

It was, however, always going to be a question of whether the new ITS would turn out to be a performance version of the base Integra, which has not been particularly well received\u2014or a luxury version of the Honda Civic Type R, which tops many pundits’ car of the year<\/a> lists.<\/p>\n

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2023 Honda Civic Type R<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To almost everyone’s relief, I would say, it turned out to be the latter. At each extreme, both conceptualizations of the car are distinctly different and I’m sure the target demographics for both the ITS and CTR have almost complete overlap. Imposter syndrome is a good thing in this case.<\/p>\n

When Badge Engineering Goes Well<\/h2>\n

If we’re being honest here, Honda\u2014or Acura, depending on which angle you’re looking at it from\u2014has been at the top of the “badge engineering”<\/em> game for a while. Often frustratingly, and almost to disingenuous lengths at times, it has to be said.<\/p>\n

See: Honda Civic\/Acura CSX, Honda Accord\/Acura TSX, Honda Pilot\/Acura MDX. <\/em>The list goes on.<\/p>\n

But if there was a Honda car any enthusiast who would be a-ok<\/em> with slapping an “A”<\/em> badge on and calling it a day\u2014after sprinkling on the quintessential luxury fixtures, of course\u2014it would be the new Honda Civic Type R<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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They’ve done just that, but have gone to great lengths to ensure that the ITS is notably distinguishable from the car it’s based on and can also stand on its own merits.<\/p>\n

Same Philosophy, Slightly Different Tactics<\/h2>\n

This “badge engineering”<\/em> we’ve been speaking of has all been performed in places you wouldn’t be able to see at a cursory glance, and that’s a really good thing. Afterall, it’s the bones of the new Civic Type R which make it such an amazing car, so it would’ve been counterintuitive to make any changes there.<\/p>\n

Recent events (captured below) have confirmed just that.<\/p>\n