2024 Acura Integra Type S - unwrapped!

Behold – the Acura Integra Type S, in production form, without any wraps or disguises. As I’m sure you remember, when the new Acura Integra first hit social media… it was the biggest disappointment of the decade. Nay… century. Uglier than corona virus. Honda/Acura enthusiasts were not just disappointed… they were furious. Betrayed! And borderline violent. Hell I was one of them. But now that I’m looking at the real-deal Acura Integra Type S… I’ve done a total 180. I’m eating my words. Honestly, I’m not sure if we (as auto enthusiasts) just didn’t give Acura enough credit from the get-go. OR MORE LIKELY – we gave Acura so much relentless sh¡t… that they had no choice but to prove us wrong. To go back & give it everything it needed to make us STFU lol.

For the record, I STILL think there should be a coupe. That’s not opinion, it’s fact: There should be a coupe. But… I’m also ready to STOP talking about what the 2024 Integra Type S is NOT. And START talking about what it IS…

Integra Type S – ENGINE

The engine is a 320hp / 310tq turbocharged 4-cylinder (K20C1). To put it in perspective, that is 120hp MORE than the regular 2023 Integra. We’re talking about a MASSIVE boost in power over the base Integra. A whole different animal. In the 90s & early 2000s, the GSR Integra only got you about 30hp over the GS model.

Next, the Integra Type S is EXCLUSIVELY offered with a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission with factory limited slip. No automatic available! If you want b¡tch sticks… go to Volkswagen/Audi (and hurry before they all go electric). But if you want the Integra Type S, you’re gonna have to stop being a weenie & learn how to drive stick. This is absolutely the way a driver’s car should be. You drive a sports car, not the other way around. If you want to be driven… I think Tesla has an option for that.

Integra Type S – Chassis

The Integra Type S has a 3.5” wider track in front, and a 1.9” wider track in the rear… over the base Integra. It’s got all that fancy adaptive suspension (that you’re gonna rip out for coilovers anyway). And it’s got 13.8” front rotors with Brembo 4-piston calipers. Like the Civic Type R, the chassis has been reenforced in strategic ways to virtually eliminate torque steer & other FWD deficiencies.

Integra Type S – Aesthetics

The Acura Integra Type S has front & rear flares that add 2.8-inches to the overall width of the car. It’s a total attitude adjustment, that totally changes the Integra’s presence compared to the puny looking base model (sorry, but true). And can I just mention the 19x9.5 wheels & 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sports that tuck under those flares?

The hood is aluminum & vented. And the front fascia of the Integra Type S has enhanced cooling capabilities for 1) the higher horsepower engine, 2) the intercooler, and 3) the larger front brakes. Between the hood & front fascia, Acura claims that the Type S has 170% more cooling capability than the regular Integra.

The Integra Type S’s rear bumper comes diffused… and has an outlet for the 3-pipe center exhaust. Both the front & rear bumpers have INTEGRA embossed in the polyurethane like the DC2 models of yesteryear. I appreciate that.

Acura opted to NOT go the big-wing route on the Type S, and chose a more subtle gloss black rear spoiler, which is also available in carbon (along with side-mirror caps). The Integra Type S will be offered in 7 colors, including a Type S exclusive Tiger Eye Pearl. As long as 4 of those 7 colors aren’t some shade of gray, I’m psyched lol.

Integra Type S – Interior

The Integra Type S is equipped with bolstered/better Ultrasuede front seats. It’s got a Type S-specific steering wheel & shift knob, along with an Ultrasuede shift boot. And some screens that I couldn’t care less about. Can we get a sunroof? I didn’t see anything about a sunroof.

What is important to note, is the class-leading 37.4-inches of rear seat legroom. A lot of us have graduated to a demographic where we’re searching for a ‘family car’ with a manual transmission… and that segment is getting about as rare as free guac. But here it is! The Integra Type S seems like a true (reliable) sports sedan with a manual transmission. Except it’s NOT a sedan actually… it’s a low-key 5-door hatchback. Which means: when you drop the backseats flat, you’re able to get cargo, gear, and ‘active lifestyle’ stuff (like a mountain bike) in the back. And that’s a game changer.

Honda & Acura created their fanbase in the golden era…

The fans came because Honda & Acura always had a way of creating cars that were more than the sum of their parts. Cars that rose to the top, despite how the specs read. I think with the Integra Type S, Acura has FINALLY tapped back into that. The 2024 Integra Type S will go on sale in June.