{"id":461598,"date":"2023-09-29T20:32:55","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T20:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=461598"},"modified":"2024-12-27T03:38:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T03:38:11","slug":"honda-civic-type-r-or-acura-integra-type-s-who-does-it-better-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/honda-civic-type-r-or-acura-integra-type-s-who-does-it-better-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"Honda Civic Type R or Acura Integra Type S: Who Does It Better On Track?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Feature Image credit: Steven Siovan (Instagram: @_siovan)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As an automotive journalist, I\u2019ve taken every opportunity to talk about the <\/span>Honda Civic Type R<\/span><\/a>\u2014and by extension, the <\/span>Acura Integra Type S<\/span><\/a>\u2014even on more exotic based forums such as this one. But here, they have relevance.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because they\u2019re such great cars. I\u2019ve always found it remarkable how consistently they punch above their weight in meaningful settings like the racetrack, where I\u2019ve had many first hand accounts of this taking place.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never go as far as stating that the latest CTR or ITS are going to be the benchmark car at <\/span>your typical HPDE<\/span><\/a> or competitive time trial event, likely dominated by a healthy variety of Cayman<\/a>, 911<\/a>, and all manner of race car. However, they will surprise\u2014and probably humble\u2014a lot of people driving much more capable and expensive sports cars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just a couple of days ago, I had the chance to compare both cars at our local motorsports circuit. More on that, below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More Than Words<\/span><\/h2>\n

Perhaps all this talk and admiration, for the CTR in particular, was also a self-fulfilling prophecy for myself becoming an owner of this impressive hot hatch. Well, here we are today, and there\u2019s an \u201c<\/span>FL5<\/span><\/i>\u201d sitting in my garage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Said Civic inside said garage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My friend, Chris, also happened to have picked up a brand new Acura Integra Type S recently. Chris has owned his Type S for almost 3 months now and has completed a couple of track days with it, including the one we did for our comparison.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the date of our track day, I had owned my Type R for a little over a week, racking up a solid 150 km of street driving in the process. This would also be my first day with it at the circuit, so it\u2019s safe to say that my becoming acquainted with the car is being fast-tracked (<\/span>pun intended<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Match In The Making<\/span><\/h2>\n

Surely, Honda and Acura are targeting two different types of customers, as there is the expectation that they will be choosing one or the other, and not both. Even though these cars can play multiple roles with almost indistinguishable versatility, they still have to be different <\/span>somehow<\/span><\/i>. We set out to find out at what levels this was the case, at a racetrack.<\/span><\/p>\n

To begin with, neither of us wasted much time doing the bare minimum needed to make the cars more suitable for a track day, which included higher-temp brake fluid and a more aggressive wheel alignment. Safety first, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris told me that he had not<\/em> upgraded to a higher-temp brake fluid for the first track day with his \u201c<\/span>DE5<\/span><\/i>\u201d, and that this would eventually require a midday intervention when severe fade began to set in. Luckily he got that sorted out then, as this meant that our \u201c<\/span>Best Motoring<\/span><\/i><\/a> Canada<\/span><\/i>\u201d episode could go on without a hitch. This also gave me the impetus to get that stuff sorted out sooner than later, for my own sake.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stage<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of what was observed that day, let me preface this with some considerations regarding each car\u2019s settings and the conditions during our comparison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

FL5 Civic Type R<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo credit: Eric Roy (Instagram: @eroyphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n
  • Yokohama Advan A052<\/span><\/a> 265\/35\/18 Tires (200tw)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Endless RF650 Racing Brake Fluid<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  • OEM Brake Pads (Front & Rear)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Max. negative front camber allowed with factory components (close to -1.8\u00b0) w\/ zero toe<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Driven in +R mode w\/ VSA off<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    DE5 Integra Type S<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Photo credit: Eric Roy (Instagram: @eroyphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \n
    • Nankang AR-1<\/span><\/a> 265\/35\/19 Tires (100tw)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Endless RF650 Racing Brake Fluid<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Endless ME20 Brake Pads<\/span><\/a> (Front & Rear)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Max. negative front camber allowed with factory components (close to -1.8\u00b0) w\/ zero toe<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Driven in Sport+ mode w\/ VSA off (\u201c<\/span>Pedal Dance<\/span><\/a>\u201d performed)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Track & Event Details<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Location:<\/b> Rocky Mountain Motorsports Circuit<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a>
      Image credit: Rocky Mountain Motorsports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Event:<\/b> Privately-run HPDE with standard open-lapping format (passing only with point-by or signal, no \u201c<\/span>racing<\/span><\/i>\u201d, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n

      Disclaimer:<\/b> This club also enforces a strict safety policy when taking a passenger\u2014any \u201c<\/span>incidents<\/span><\/i>\u201d, including a spin, and you\u2019ll be sent home for the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Chris and I each took one passenger during our two lead-follow sessions, of which the second had video footage (embedded below) when I was in the lead car. We felt that it was appropriate to take these particular passengers along as they\u2019re both very familiar with Honda\/Acura platforms\u2014especially when it comes to tracking and working on them, making them an invaluable source for information and feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n

      That being said, neither of us were solely focused on lap times, nor did we intend to discover our car\u2019s absolute performance limits on this day. Rather, we both drove at a pace and in a manner which provided ample opportunity to make insightful observations and gather data, while being respectful of the event organizer\u2019s rules.<\/span><\/p>\n

      I think everything mentioned in this section is important as some readers\/viewers may be confused as to why there\u2019s no dive-bombing, actual racing, or anything flamboyant taking place at any point during our sessions. Nothing about what went on that day will be going viral on social media\u2014and frankly, that\u2019s part of the goal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Observations<\/span><\/h2>\n

      Sprinting<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Given that the CTR and ITS share the exact <\/span>same engine<\/span><\/a>\u2014and considering that the latter outputs 5 hp more due to a redesigned exhaust system\u2014you shouldn\u2019t expect a world of difference between the two cars in real world situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

      While this certainly does ring true on the circuit, there were still perceptible differences in acceleration out of corners, particularly when I was following Chris\u2019 Type S. When I was close enough behind, I noted that Chris would gain around \u00be of a car length on my CTR after certain exits.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a>
      Photo credit: Eric Roy (Instagram: @eroyphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      This supports the commonly understood idea that <\/span>the Integra\u2019s K20C1 has been tuned to have better mid-range power<\/span><\/a> compared to that in the Civic, something that manufacturers often tweak on cars when they want to give them a more desirable demeanor on the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Handling & Braking\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      As we were both sporting different brake compounds, it\u2019s much harder to make any determinations from a stock vs. stock perspective here. However, we can still speak about the dynamics of each car under braking (while employing different driving styles), and how these played a factor into how both cars ultimately behaved.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This was my first time tracking a front-wheel-drive car (that I\u2019ve personally owned), and with respect to the OEM brakes on the Civic, I already knew that they lacked the bite and precision that I\u2019m normally used to when driving on the track (or even the street). With this in mind, my strategy throughout the day was to get on the brakes earlier and more gently, but ride them longer\u2014the “safe method<\/em>” for learning a new car at the circuit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Ah yes, trail braking. Anyone who knows me or <\/span>has ridden with me in the Porsche<\/span><\/a>, knows that I am a big proponent of it and those who are attuned to driving on circuits are familiar with what this driving style entails. <\/span>In the videos, you\u2019ll notice during the high speed sector of the course (the first two right handers) that I am scrubbing off too much speed at the end of the long straights. Alternatively, Chris skillfully attacks the corner entries with later braking and a higher entry speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

      However, my strategy of being a bit more gentle on the pedal and employing trail braking during turns, really plays into the FL5\u2019s hands as we enter the more technical sequences of the road course. The first video (below) provides a really good illustration of this, as traffic kept our cars really close together just as we got pointed by\u2014and right as the twisties would begin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n