Honda is a company you can thank for a whole load of well-built, reliable, and stylish cars. Its ever-popular Civic, for example, or the much-desired S2000, to name another. It's a company that's responsible for many great feats of automotive engineering, and you only need to look at its VTEC variable valve timing to confirm that.
At the core of all of this, though, is Honda's high-revving range of performance cars: Type R. And while the current car to wave the flag for the range, the FK8 Civic Type R, has out-there styling and blistering performance that few can compete with, all of this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for those brilliant, grail-worthy cars developed in the range's formative years.
And one of those is, of course, the Acura Integra Type R DC2. It was an important car for a number of reasons, chief among them being that it was one of the first cars — and only, for a period of time — to make it over to the US, not to mention the fact it drove and looked great, too.
So, given how important the car is for Honda's iconic Type R line, let's take a look at what a 1995 Acura Integra Type R costs today.
The History Behind The 1995 Acura Integra Type R
Honda's history in motorsport is one that's long and successful. Honda's involvement in Formula One began in 1964, albeit briefly for four years, though it was in 1983 when Honda really came into its stride. According to Evo, Honda began supplying engines to Formula 1 that year, eventually going on to power Williams and McLaren onto six consecutive constructor's championships.
In 1988, though, Honda really began to dominate, creating what is often regarded as the benchmark for all other engines of its era: the RA168E. Honda, in engine-supplier capacity, dominated the final year of the turbocharged era in Formula 1, with the McLaren MP4/4 driven to wins in every race but one.
So, Honda clearly knew what it was doing when it came to performance engineering, and in 1992, it decided to channel this knowledge for the roads with its Type R line. The initial car was a stripped-down, performance-focused version of an already very quick car, the NSX, and was suitably named the NSX R. According to Drive Tribe, it had improved brakes, carbon bucket seats, forged wheels, and unassisted steering. It did, in many ways, establish what the priority of Honda's R line was: performance.
Here's Why The 1995 Acura Integra Type R Can Rev To A Screaming 9,000 RPM
And the approach taken with the NSX R was much the same as with the Acura Integra Type R, as well. Despite not officially being the first car in the range, it was the first to be fully badged as a Type R. It launched in 1995 — with the chassis code of DC2 — and was essentially an evolution beyond the sporty GSR model.
It had the same 1.8-liter, four-pot engine as the Type R, though developed 170 HP. The Type R, on the other hand, pumped out 17 more horsepower, thanks to some clever tweaking from Honda. According to Evo, this included revised inlet valves, lighter conrods, a larger throttle body, molybdenum-coated pistons, and a bigger bore exhaust.
And, because it's a Honda — and a Type R, no less — that means it can rev happily to insane numbers. Try 9,000 rpm, with peak power being reached at 8,000. Of course, the higher the revs, the more alive the car becomes — around 6,000, to be precise — thanks to Honda's famous VTEC variable valve timing doing its work. As such, the 1995 Acura Integra Type R can hit sixty in 6.2 seconds and max out at 145 MPH — figures which are impressive today, never mind 1995.
But it isn't just straight-line performance that's the Acura Integra Type R's forte, as it also has brilliant balance and cornering capablities too. According to Car Magazine, Honda decided to beef up the Type R's chassis, giving it extra spot welds, stronger rear suspension, and reinforced subframes.
It also came with a helical limited slip differential, which meant the car came with brilliant levels of grip despite its front-wheel-drive setup. Really, it's not difficult to see why this ride was — and still is — regarded as the finest front-wheel-drive car ever made.
How Much Does The '95 Acura Integra Type R Cost Today?
Prices for 1995 Acura Integra Type Rs have increased massively over the past few years, largely due to the fact that the car is a proper collector's item. You can, however, have one for as little as around $17,000, though admittedly, this will be one with higher mileage, or in many cases, one that has been modified in some way.
For a better example, you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of $20,000 to $40,000, depending on how mint the condition is you are looking for.
There are also more options available if you're looking to import an Integra Type R, given that fewer examples made it over to the US than Japan.
The 1995 Acura Integra Type R, then, is one of the most sought-after Honda's ever made. And one that is only likely to increase in value as time goes on and examples become fewer.