GT5 Transcripts/Honda Integra Type R DC2

The Honda Integra was sold as Acura Integra in the US.

People didn't call the third-generation Acura Integra the "100 meter eye catcher" for no reason. This term meant that it was instantly recognizable from as far away as 100 meters, a testament to the car's unusual four rounded headlights. The new-look Integra proved to be a hit in the U.S. when it arrived in May 1993, but it proved too radical for the Japanese public. So in response to its less-than-stellar sales in Japan, the Japan-market version returned to more conventional-looking trapezoidal headlights two years later.

The second most noteworthy thing about the new Integra was the inclusion of a Type R model. By this time, sports car enthusiasts were already familiar with the "Type R" moniker, thanks to the emergence of the NSX Type R in 1992. In the Integra's case, the engine was based on the Si's 1.8-liter VTEC B18. This high-compression motor featured high-pressure piston heads, special control rods and two-fold valve springs. Each component of this inline-4 was meticulously tuned, resulting in 197 HP, or 109 HP per liter. Honda chassis engineers refortified the Integra's chassis, at the same time making it lighter by removing sound insulation and installing a smaller battery. Switching to lightweight aluminum wheels also shaved off 40 kg. The Type R became the poster child for the ultimate front-wheel-drive sports machine, and spurned the 98 spec R in 1998 that came with equal-length exhausts and 16-in. wheels.