There’s more than one way to bring back a classic car. One is to go with a retro design theme, evoking the car people remember as closely as possible with modern safety standards. Another is to throw out tradition and design an entirely new car with the name of an old familiar one. But there’s a third angle that is particularly hard to pull off – designing a new model that honors its ancestry with elegant little touches calling back to the cars fans remember so fondly.
Acura went for the toughest approach in bringing back its most beloved nameplate. And they nailed it.
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Priced Near the $30,000 Mark
Officially, what you see in front of you is a prototype of the 2023 Acura Integra. But we expect the finished product to hew closely to this.
Acura chief John Ikeda told reporters the Integra will be priced “around $30,000” when it arrives in dealerships next year. That’s a fairly low target for Acura and could tempt some Civic Si shoppers to step up to the more luxurious Acura badge.
What an Integra Would Look Like if Acura Had Never Stopped Building Them
The body fits thoroughly into a modern auto showroom. It shares lines with the all-new 2022 Honda Civic hatchback’s Euro-style profile. Acura’s sharp-beaked fascia and pentagon grille transform the look into something sportier. But remove it, and you’d be looking at a more muscular Civic. The headlights integrate daytime running LEDs in a chicane shape – a particularly stylish touch.
But little flourishes connect it to the beloved Integras of the 1990s. The slightly bulbous liftback mirrors the proportions of the first Integra. The prototype is painted in Indy Yellow – one of the most popular colors offered on the old Integra Type R. Ikeda told reporters the single-piece, wide taillights were an homage to 1990s Integras.
The First Turbocharged Integra
Under the hood sits the 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from the 2022 Honda Civic Si. In that car, it’s good for 200 horsepower. Acura says it is more powerful in the Integra but didn’t give a specific figure. It’s the first Integra to come from the factory with a turbo, though many turbos eventually found their way into older Integras.
The prototype rides on 19-inch wheels with Brembo brakes painted to match the body color.
The Integra will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching throttle blip. The company hasn’t said what other transmissions will be offered. A limited-slip differential should add sporty character in turns.
Acura didn’t let reporters peek inside the car, so the cabin is a mystery for now. We may learn more next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
