Many of us yearn for the simple but well-built cars of the 80s or 90s, or early 2000s. And when a manufacturer like Honda decides to launch a new model that brings back the essence of old-school, old-school engineering, we admire that new model with all our passion. Such is the case with the Honda Civic Si, a model we wrote about a while back with equal enthusiasm. In the U.S., the model is sold as the Acura Integra. The Si version corresponds to the A-Specs version, with the same 1.5-liter, 200bhp turbocharged engine under the bonnet. The transmission can also be a CVT automatic, but the 6-speed manual is a much tastier choice.
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Well, the car is undoubtedly admirable, and the rear multilink suspension and relatively low weight and low center of gravity make it superb in the driving spirit. But there’s a problem, though. The world has changed too much in the intervening 20 years. So much so that all cars, in all segments, have become much faster.
And that puts the new Honda Civic Si, also an Acura Integra A-Spec, in an underdog light. In 2001, for example, Acura had the Integra Type-R in the U.S., which delivered 195 hp from a 1.8-liter engine. And compared in a head-to-head duel with that Type-R from 21 years ago, the new Integra A-Spec is faster. The 402-meter distance is done in 15.0 seconds, compared to 15.2 seconds for the car of two decades ago. Old-school engineering in the most immediate sense, then.
But there are two other turbo sedans in the U.S., with front-wheel drive and a manual transmission. The VW Jetta GLI has 228 hp, squeezed out of a 2.0-liter engine. And the Hyundai Elantra N gets 276 hp out of another 2.0-liter machine. So, a huge difference in power. And the Acura Integra A-Spec is beaten hands down by the two competing models. In fact, by the time Hyundai gets to the finish, Acura is still nearly 50 yards behind the finish line! That’s how much the world has changed.
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And the final paradox is that even a Ford Bronco Raptor, a sporty offroader, is faster on asphalt and if it goes sideways on the tarmac!
Starting at $30,800
So we live in a very different world, and Acura feels like an outsider in this world. That might definitely put some people off the idea of buying it. But at the same time, there still seems to be something special about that Japanese engineering put into the Integra, so simple and classic, with all its less-than-numbing sportiness. See it all in the video below.
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How much will the 2023 Acura Integra cost?
The Acura Integra ranges in price from $30,800 to $36,700. The starting price of the A-Spec version is $31,300 while the version with the Technology Package starts at $35,700.
How much hp will the 2023 Integra have?
A standard Acura Integra isn’t lacking in power with a potent 1.5-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine that generates 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque.
Is the 2023 Integra available?
The new 2023 Acura Integra will start arriving in dealerships in June for a starting price of $31,895. The standard transmission is a continuously variable automatic, but you can upgrade to the six-speed manual for an extra $1,000.
Is the 2023 Acura Integra fast?
We’ve driven and tested the automatic-transmission Integra, too. It performs slightly worse than the manual version, going from 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, and it takes 15.5 seconds at 95 mph to run a quarter mile.
The Acura Integra A-Spec 2023 is a futuristic sports car designed to be the best driving experience in the world. It is meant to combine the acrobatics of a motorcycle and control of a jet fighter.
It is being built with materials such as titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber in order to create an ultralight frame for superior handling and performance capabilities. The engine has been replaced with hydrogen fuel cells, which emit only water vapor as exhaust.
In addition, the A-Spec 2023 features a unique magnetic suspension that can adjust each wheel’s height and stiffness on demand.