Three exhaust tips gives me hope that this is the CTR version of the K20 and not the TLX/RDX/Accord version.

 

this is exciting, i wonder when we'll see this in production?

 

Agreed!

 

Interested in when and price. My Tail of the Dragon car is a 2013 Miata with the PRHT which I love, but with the proliferation of SUVs, each year it starts to feel smaller and smaller.

 

Similar issue with my TSX. I am now dwarfed when parking and at red lights and it's getting frustrating to hardly ever be able to see around things.

 

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/the-20...at-fans-think/

Ok. I am tired of posts like the one above saying that the new Acura Integra S should not be based on the Civic Type R, and how Honda is not listening to is fans....

1st - I am just happy to see that a Type S will be coming, especially seeing the move to electric vehicles seems to be the way Acura will be going next. Why in the world would Honda make an Integra Type R with less features and more raw amenities when there is a Honda Civic Type R? Acura is the higher luxury brand and no longer carries a Type R, this is why the Type S exists. Just for nostalgia and to offer it with a hatch back??? Sorry that makes poor business sense.
2nd - The Civic Type R is a widely coveted vehicle with a huge fan base/following. I am glad to see that the new Type S will be similar to it. I really like the new 2023 Civic Type R, however it is extremely hard to get a hold of as the numbers are extremely limited, and is too harsh of a vehicle for a daily driver for someone like me. I have kids and can only have one vehicle. The extra refinement, slightly softer touches, and 5 seats will be a welcome approach for me.
3rd - Just what the heck kind of powerplant do you think they would put in an Integra Type S? Of course it would be the 2 liter turbo engine. Instead Honda could have muted it down some, similar to the RDX or Accord just not to steal sales away from the Civic Type R, thankfully this is not the case. Yes it will not likely be an AWD version, but I don't actually care that much (and my previous vehicle was a modded manual 2015 Audi S4). The Civic Type R (previous gen and current) are awesome handling FWD vehicles - I will just pick up a decent set of winter tread and be happy with it, enjoying the fuel economy savings of not having an AWD platform. Don't get me wrong Honda's AWD is awesome and I would gladly take it, but I'm not gonna whine about it.

I do suspect there could be an automatic (likely a dual clutch) version of the Integra Type S, sadly for those that can not appreciate a true stick/manual experience. Obviously that will not be my choice of transmission, but Acura may do this to gain more sales on the Type S Teg.

 

https://acuranews.com/en-US/releases...al-next-summer

 

This could get me to trade my TL. Interested to hear more details, including price.

We love our new Integra A Spec 6MT. With 50% more HP? Should be a great driving car, assuming they get the suspension tuning dialed. I suspect it will be a bit softer than the CTR, which would suit me fine for a DD.

 

What I'm most surprised about is that Motortrend mentioned the car had very little wind or road noise. As I'm sure you already realized, I don't think Acura added any additional sound deadening to the Integra, since at speed there's quite a bit of road noise and wind noise is nothing to write home about. I suspect it's because they couldn't afford to make the car any heavier due to the relatively low power output, but the Type S has a much beefier motor and as such they can pack on a few more pounds in the interest of reducing noise.

 

Finally, as promised not available until 2023. Summer sounds really late into the game, why everything Type-S has to be late? Let's hope this stays just below 50k pre-destination.

 

Summer 2023 would be about 1 year after the regular model, which is about right for a high-performance model.

 

The ITS just makes the Acura lineup so much more interesting!

MDX/TYPE S
RDX
TLX/TYPE S
Integra/TYPE S
ZDX/TYPE S

Finally! Acura is making some big decisions and heading the right direction.

Wishlist:
Smaller SUV than RDX - CDX/HRV size
RDX - TYPE S
Of course, the next gen NSX - Fully Electric

 

That's right, I totally forgot about this. Perhaps the info I heard made me think spring, and since ITS shares many components with CTR I thought it would be a quick one than other Type-S.

 

Acura needs to make money off of fools like me who buy the regular car only to sell it and buy the Type S a year later when it comes out

 

Sure you won’t be the only one. On down the line I wonder what percent end up doing the same.

 

Hmmmm...would make for a decent daily driver, doubt it will have more ponies than my Focus RS, but thats getting close to 100k, so its time for a change.

 

I am not as enthusiastic about the Acura lineup even though I cheer for Acura in my heart. Type-S are nice, but only nice so far. I hope ITS will break the mold and take Type-S to the great level. It has to because it should be the most organic yet sporty car in the Acura lineup.

For the other cars you mentioned, RDX-S is confirmed to be arriving for the next-gen. 2024 maybe?

I have been following GM's Utium products closely, and ZDX is based on Lyriq and Type-S is based on the sports version with around 500hp. I have no doubt it will drive great - the question mark is how extensive Acura will rework the interior.

The small SUV if exists, I assume executives in dealerships should know by now. There is a product gap in the 2nd half of 2023 before ZDX, would this be the launch window for the small SUV?

 

Also, I saw some talks about ITS not having SH-AWD. IMHO, this is a blessing in disguise. I have seen first hand as an owner the progression of SH-AWD from the 2nd gen system to the 4th gen. The latest version has much quicker response compared to the older ones, but SH-AWD can be bad in terms of driver feedback at the limit because it takes away the human-machine connection that is the hallmark of 90-00 Honda/Acura. It has its own brain, and when you are at the grip limit, SH-AWD can be the one driving the car instead of the driver. Integra should have a little pureness, even the modern day muted version would be better than computerized feedback.

 

I'm bullish on the ITS because unlike other Acura products, the Integra is (for better or for worse, but mostly better) really a reskinned existing Honda product. There's no secret that I hold a fair amount of contempt for Acura designers and product planners, but I very much appreciate and respect those on the Honda side of the business. People criticize the Integra for being based on the Civic, but given what we've seen with the TLX I for one am glad they didn't try to reinvent the wheel and waste money building it on a bespoke platform and throwing away all the Honda goodness.

 

Same, and once I saw an Integra in person I immediately liked it because it was more Honda-ish.

 

I also agree - while sh awd is great, it also has its drawbacks like the one mentioned, plus the added weight of about 300lb. That 300lb is always there when you are cornering, braking, and accelerating. It also hurts fuel economy. And like it or not, sh awd only works when you are on the gas.

Given how highly praised the ctr is, I'm perfectly fine the ITS is based in that car.

 

I'm a big fan of (and believer in) SH-AWD. It is still a thrilling experience on my '10 TL. But I have to agree regarding the new ITS that I don't think it's necessary, and actually would be detrimental given the packaging limitations, weight and MPG penalty and the already high-capability of the underlying CTR chassis. If the ITS is remotely close to the CTR in its handling prowess, it will be all most of us could realistically hope for in a street-oriented car.

 

Agree. Love the SH-AWD on our 2019 TLX, but the ITS is a different animal. I would not buy one to replace our TLX, but I will consider it to replace my Miata. Something for taking a trip to western NC or eastern TN for roads like the Tail of the Dragon. Having taken both the Miata and TLX there, the TLX is a tad too large and the response and feedback isn’t what I prefer on those type roads. Even though I am retired, I am sure the ITS would make a much better daily than the Miata.

 

We've actually found ours to be fairly quiet so far at highway speeds. Maybe because I was pre-conditioned from reading some reports of highway noise, it's exceeded my expectations, and I think it's quite decent at highway speeds. Maybe we just got lucky, but there's no significantly noticeable road or wind noise, and so far (about 400 miles in) no rattles/squeaks. Hope this trend continues.

 

Honestly this will be one of the best Acura four door cars. Peak Acura had the 3G TL with 258hp, 6MT, LSD, and 3400lb curb weight. There's also the Type S with 286hp.

This ITS will be similarly sized with lsd and 6mt but with 300+ hp and some 300lb lighter.

The K20C1 also has good aftermarket support. Reaching 400whp reliably doesn't take much.

 

Agree, this is the formula many old timers wanted to see. The comparison between S3 and ITS is going to be interesting, since this car is devoped by Honda JP not Acura, I am hoping it will lean on the sporty side more than TLX-S.

 

If all they did was drop the K20C1 and beefed up 6MT into the existing Integra, it would be trounce the S3 in terms of handling and fun-to-drive. Yeah it's not going to be as fast in a straight line on account of the manual and FWD, but I would be shocked if it wasn't faster around a track and much more engaging to drive. The S3 is a nice car, but it's not even as engaging as the Golf R, which itself isn't a particularly engaging car to drive either.

 

Love the lack of racer rear spoiler on the ITS as compared to the CTR.
Would Acura have a Type R saved for the SH-AWD?
Wonder what the markup would be on this beauty.

 

I haven’t had the pleasure of driving a car with SH-AWD. This makes me relieved to hear that the Integra Type S will not be missing something major. I was not aware how much the system weighs either. The current 6MT car does plenty of thinking for me as it is. My name remains on an interest list at the dealer.