Skip advert
Advertisement

McLaren F1 v Ferrari F40 v Pagani Zonda C12S v Lancia Delta Integrale v Bugatti Veyron v Honda NSX-R v Porsche 997 GT3 v Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R - Honda Integra: Honda Integra Type-R

A simple premise, brilliantly executed, makes the ITR arguably the best front-wheel-drive car ever

The Honda Integra? An unlikely hero to be sure. But its job description was clear enough. All it had to do was be strong, light, taut, responsive, grippy and controlled enough not to impede the driver’s enjoyment of that four-pot Type-R. And what an engine: 187bhp at 8000rpm, 8400rpm red line, scalp-prickling noise.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The requirement, then, was for a front-drive chassis of exceptional talent. It had one. The Integra R was one of those rare cars that didn’t have to sacrifice control for comfort. Its firmness kept its sticky Bridgestone Potenzas planted to the tarmac but didn’t allow sharp inputs to upset the body’s composure. The Civic Type-R that followed kept the spirit of the Integra alive but not the brilliance of its chassis. Which is why the Integra is the true cult classic.

Back in issue 095, we brought together the 15 greatest front-drive cars of recent times. The Integra was the overall winner. As Meaden concluded, ‘It’s a car as sweet and all-consuming as any I’ve experienced at any price, and as pure and focused in its own way as any Porsche RS. Forget the accolade of greatest front-wheel-drive car. The Integra Type-R ranks as one of the truly great drivers’ cars of any kind.’

>Find a used Honda Integra for sale on the Classic and Performance Car site here<

Specifications

EngineIn-line 4cyl, 1797cc
Max power187bhp @ 8000rpm
Max torque131lb ft @ 7300rpm
Power to weight173bhp/ton
Top speed145mph
0-60mph6.2sec
Price new£19,500 (1996)
Price nowc£8000
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025
Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025