The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is hitting showrooms. Integra’s base model didn’t necessarily deliver on the name, but the Type S has a few tricks up its sleeve. Stay tuned as we get into it now!
The new Type S is powered by a 320 horsepower, turbocharged 2-point zero liter engine and is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. While it’s refreshing to see a manufacturer still offer a stick-shift transmission, we can’t help but wonder if this may turn some prospective buyers away.
Stopping power is provided by two different brands of brakes. The front uses four-piston Brembo brakes with a 2 piece floating rotor. The rear brakes are factory brakes. Indeed, this gets the job done, but it does indicate that cost-cutting was high on the list.
Allowing the force-fed 4 cylinders to be heard is a high-performance exhaust that ends at the rear bumper with triple four-inch exhaust tips. This is undoubtedly a nod to the Civic Type R. The middle exhaust tip is equipped with a bypass valve that can be opened and closed depending on which of the four driving modes you’re in, but more on that later.
Two things grabbed our attention on the exterior; The first is the factory-wide-body panels that house the impressive 265/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sports tires. The second feature that jumped out at us is that it is a four-door! We expected something else on a performance-oriented Integra.
That makes this a four-door, manual transmission, luxury sport model? It’s almost like seeing a Chupacabra. Evening if you saw it, you wouldn’t believe it.
Other more subtle exterior features include a large opening in the bumper for the front mount intercooler and two smaller functional openings to assist with brake cooling. A vetted hood opening has been added to extract under-hood heat, and the rear fascia has been equipped with a race-inspired diffuser.
A sunroof is unavailable on the Type S and has likely been removed to lower cost and cut some weight. Probably costs, if we are being honest.
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Heading inside the car; is a pair of bolstered sports seats wrapped in leather with the Type S logo embossed on the headrests and ultra suede inserts. Occupants will have a view of the 9-inch center display equipped with Apple car play, and the 10-point 2-inch dash display puts all of the car’s vital signs right in front of the driver.
The middle portion of the back seat has two cup holders and is not meant to seat a third person. The 6-speed shifter is the centerpiece of the console and its brushed aluminum bezel and leather shift boot work well with the rest of the interior. Next to the shifter are the dynamic drive mode buttons.
The 2024 Type S provides the driver with 4 different modes. Three of the modes are factory set. They are comfort, sport, and sport plus. Each setting offers a different driving experience with changes to steering and suspension stiffness, throttle response, and that exhaust valve we mentioned earlier.
The fourth driving mode is individual, which will allow you to customize a variety of settings. Automatic rev-matching is also standard equipment to further improve the drive, but it can be disabled if you’re after that raw driving experience only a manual transmission can provide.
Though the interior appears comfortable and is easy on the eyes, we have to point out a few things we think were overlooked. No power seat option is available, even for the driver. The rear passengers do not have climate control, and none of the seats are heated or cooled.
Underneath the new Type S, the dual-axis front suspension eliminates any torque steer or wheel hop you’d likely encounter with a higher horsepower front-wheel drive car. The electronically controlled adaptive suspension allows for a different driving experience with the touch of a button.
Another cool design feature of the new Integra Type S; is that the underside is almost entirely flat. The smoothed bottom helps aid in both vehicle protection, as well as increased fuel economy.
This is an interesting offering from Acura. The Type S starts at $51,995, and at that price, you only get a manual, four-door car with no power seats and no comfort bells and whistles. The increased horsepower, tuned suspension, and increased fuel economy are nice, but that is a hard pill to swallow in this market.
The BMW M240I coupe is less money, with more power and features. Even the Civic Type R, which is a similar car, will save you more than 10 grand. Only time will tell if Acura figured something out; the rest of us don’t know, or if there were too many trade-offs during development, and this Type S won’t go anywhere. What are your thoughts?
