Many Japanese car enthusiasts are well aware of Honda's revival of the Integra name for Acura's latest North American lineup. Among fans, it's almost unanimous that the new Integra will not live up to the legendary status of the original. Yet, some Honda enthusiasts understand what it takes to honor the Integra legacy at its full potential.
While the US Market never received any version of the Honda Integra, we did get the Acura version of the Integra that eventually became the RSX. The sportiest of that new name came in the form of the Acura Type-S from 2002 to 2006.
However, some enthusiasts consider the RSX a downgrade to the Integra Type-R since it had less hp and performance than its JDM counterpart. With that in mind, the YouTuber Officially Gassed - OG shows American Honda fans the Integra that we never got. Not only that, but this one has some heavy modifications that nearly quadruple the horsepower and adds an all-wheel drive system.
The Road To Building A 770-HP Honda Integra Type R
Much like modifying any car, tuning the Integra was not an easy task. The car's 2.0-liter Inline-4 engine was never meant to handle so much power. As such, the initial attempts to increase horsepower to 775 risked causing head lift issues. Luckily, Josh inspected the head gasket rings early and was able to resolve the problem.
He disclosed how difficult it was to decipher the issue because the head gaskets were only slightly lifted. While Honda has a reputation for notable reliability standards in engines, that can essentially go out the window when adding high levels of turbocharger boost.
Nonetheless, Josh added in stronger L19 head studs. This strengthened the Integra's ARP with 2,000 head studs to allow for a final 770 hp. In addition, the Integra Type R retained all the necessary safeties for the road.
The 770-HP Honda Integra Type R Experience
Behind the wheel, Officially Gassed set out on his first driving experience in the 770-hp Honda Integra Type-R. In contrast, it was Josh's first time in the passenger seat. With the modifications, it was no surprise the transmission proved louder and more dramatic.
Instead of normal gasoline, ethanol fuels the car's performance. Shifting gears through its sequential gearbox then revealed its aggressive power. Whenever Officially Gassed sprinted from second gear, he was immediately astonished and terrified by the volatile acceleration that forced him to shift quickly.
It became clear that the Integra was not meant to have this much power. However, Officially Gassed did address that the all-wheel-drive system provides much more stability than a front-wheel drive Integra.
Yet, the fact that such a car of this class possesses so much power at all remains much more impressive than the 2023 Integra. Much like how Officially Gassed states, fans are likely to find a 770-hp Honda Integra Type R like this one "exquisite".