Considered one of the greatest examples of a front-wheel drive car ever made, the Acura Integra Type R is a 90’s icon that delivered the quintessential VTEC experience. With a redline set at 8,500 rpm in the US, the Type R’s 1.8L inline 4 engine was rev happy and eager to please. The VTEC implementation was raw and gave the engine a dual personality of quiet and subdued around town, and loud and rambunctious in the upper rev range.
It wasn’t just the engine that made the DC2 Type R so good. The chassis was strengthened with extra spot welds and thicker metal, weight was removed with thinner glass, less sound deadening and lighter wheels, and a Helical limited slip differential helped apply the power better. As a result, the handling was significantly improved and became a benchmark for what a front-wheel drive setup could do.
