Our Cars--1994 Acura Integra GS-R
I was such a jerk as a teenager. I didn't really rebel in the normal teenage ways--though my parents might disagree--but I was a total know-it-all when it came to their cars. I'd do things like mock their Buick and then go through the classifieds to find Audis and Saabs that they should own instead. I'd recommend they liquidate all of their investments to buy a Porsche 928S4. And, worst of all, I'd mercilessly ridicule every car they bought.
All of this is a great point of shame for me now that I'm at least somewhat more mature, and was totally unjust anyway considering my Dad knows more about cars than I do. Mom and Dad, mea culpa.
Happily, I gave them some sweet revenge when I fell completely in love with a car that I had previously spurned.
My parents, selfless as usual, were preparing for the financial rigors of my sister and I reaching college by selling their Acura Legend. We had owned a few solid but unexciting sedans previous to the Legend (a 1976 Chevy Nova and a 1987 Buick LeSabre), and in that context the Legend was a thoroughbred. Smooth V-6, creamy leather, rock solid at triple-digit velocities (not that I'd know, of course)--the Legend was the first car we owned that car magazines had deigned to test. Selling the Legend was a bitter pill to swallow.
Worse, my parents were downgrading to a Acura Integra. This was 1994, the first year of the third-generation Integra that made the marque's performance reputation. The first two generations had been solid little runabouts, decent coupes but nothing exciting. When my parents drove up in a gray four-door Integra, I was underwhelmed and quickly made my opinion clear.
"It's just a rebodied Civic," I sniffed. The bugeyed front was garish, the organic lines uninspired. The VTEC engine was technically interesting but didn't have any torque. It was small and tinny, and the interior was bare-bones. And because it was a four-door, it didn't even have a hatchback's utility.
I was so superior, so aloof. And then I fell--hard.
The Integra was the absolute opposite of my '83 Malibu--while the Malibu put me in a slow, easy state of mind, the Integra was a live wire. Everything about it was frenetic, hyper-caffeinated; begging to be wrung out. And unlike the Malibu, which was a dynamic nightmare, the Integra was dynamically perfect--the closest thing to a go-kart that I've ever driven.
The Integra had fantastically quick reflexes. The engine, so docile when babied, didn't rev as much as it exploded to redline. The manual transmission was so quick, so silky, with such a direct, short throw that it became a mechanical extension of my will. The Integra was incredibly agile; it changed direction in an instant, without softness or wasted effort, and at the same time could stick at remarkable speeds through tight corners.
The Integra was about a 7-second car to 60 mph, which is quick but, in today's climate, not extraordinarily so. But, more importantly, it felt like a Formula 1 car. There were moments when I'd have the windows down and the sunroof open, accelerating hard up through the gears, with that fierce, heart-rending engine note rising hard into its primal yowl and reverberating gloriously in a tunnel or under an overpass, that I'd feel just like Alain Prost blasting through the Monaco tunnel.
The Integra was also a fantastic economy car. In the rare weeks when I hadn't been racing around, the Integra returned better than 30 MPG. Unlike most performance cars, the outside visibility was great, and it was drivable enough to serve perfectly happily as a grocery getter.
Other parts of the experience, specifically highway driving, weren't so sweet. For one thing, the gearing was shockingly short. I'd reach cruising speed in fifth, then the engine noise would prompt me to reach for an overdrive gear that wasn't there. At 60 mph in fifth, the engine would turn 3,000 RPM; at 70 mph, 3,500 RPM; at 80 mph, 4,000 RPM. I'm sure you can see the pattern.
Combined with the incredibly light construction, the lack of sound deadening, and the fact that the engine was transitioning into howling performance mode at 3,500-4,000 RPM, cross-country drives were pretty draining. I drove the Integra across America in a week; at the end of that week, I felt as if I'd flown around the world at low altitude in a tiny Cessna, complete with residual body vibrations and a slight sense of vertigo.
Like any kid with access to a hot car, I behaved like a complete idiot. I'd drive my friends around and offer them what I called "The Taste of 8"--a hugely visceral full-throttle blast up to the 8,000-RPM redline. There was a very short stretch of canyon road near our house that always put me into a red mist. On either side of a valley, the road in question was just a typical sleepy suburban road. But in the valley, the road wasn't so much a road as a hugely demanding suspension proving ground. A steep downhill right-hander flattened out at the bottom just in time for a decreasing-radius left-hander, followed by an uphill climb with a long right-hander. The combination of elevation change with increasing and decreasing radii in the corners made it very challenging to take at speed. It was my own personal Eau Rouge, and I never failed to take the challenge. The road was supposed to be taken at 25 mph; I frequently took it at 70. My passengers often felt that I was way past the limit; I felt that I was right at the limit; I'm sure the Integra was completely bored. Its handling was so fantastic, so direct, so instinctive, that it shrugged off anything I threw at it.
At the time I felt that I was taking every safety precaution; in retrospect, that was incredibly, incredibly stupid. And incredibly fun.
Unfortunately, as you might guess, the Integra's fantastic reflexes gave me an unfortunate feeling of invincibility. One of my friends (the Nissan Maxima driver) once asked me why I was following other cars so closely. My reply? "I have good brakes."
Of course, pride goeth before the fall.
Within the space of several months, I discovered that good brakes weren't in fact a good substitute for paying proper attention. I twice rear-ended other cars with such force that I was amazed the airbags didn't go off. Both times, the fault was clearly mine, and after the second crash, our insurance carrier tired of my shenanigans and declined to cover me for the next two years.
I didn't drive at all during that two-year period--perhaps the most agonizing period of my life. The Integra had been beautifully rebuilt. It was right there, begging to be driven, and I couldn't drive it. Yet that period was the wake-up call that I needed to be a touch more responsible. The next time I was in an accident, when my Celica was totaled, I wasn't even mad. I was so happy that the accident wasn't my fault that I did a little jig once it was obvious everybody was okay.
About eight years after my bitter parting from the Integra, it came back into my life. My parents were buying a new car, were looking to sell the Integra, and sold it to me for an incredible discount. Once again, the Integra was mine (and, to close the loop from last Thursday, eventually resulted in my selling the Malibu).
The reunion was sweet, and in the short time I kept the Integra, my relationship with it was more mature than it previously had been. For one thing, the car was mine, and had 80,000 miles on it. For another, I had recently had the last remaining vestiges of automotive innocence ripped out of me by our Saturn. I treated the Integra much more gently this time around.
Unfortunately, I had only owned the Integra for just over a year when it was stolen from an airport parking lot. I'm sure anybody who has had a car stolen can relate to the disbelief I felt when I returned to my empty parking spot. On the one hand I knew that's where I parked my car, but on the other hand my brain tried to rationalize the seeming impossibility. I looked around that lot for an hour before I admitted to myself that it was gone. Five days later, the police found my Integra completely stripped of everything but sheetmetal and glass. Engine, transmission, seats, interior pieces, the 200 CDs I kept under the seat--all gone.
The police said that, based on where the car was recovered, they guessed the car was stolen by a gang that sells parts to Russia. That seems odd to me, but I can at least console myself that maybe that VTEC sweetheart of an engine is now sprinting to redline under the hood of a Wartburg or Zil. I realize that's unlikely, but for some reason it makes me smile.
I still see Integras around, even once in awhile a rare GS-R four-door, but it's been a long time since I've seen a nice, pristine, stock one like mine. The third-gen Integra helped trigger the import street racing craze, and so virtually every one out there has some sort of body kit, has been lowered, has lots of stickers on it, etc. When done nicely, it's not a bad look, but it's not my taste. Besides, very few of those projects seem to actually be finished.
In retrospect, it worked out for the best--my daughter's car seat wouldn't have fit well into the Integra, and insurance was very generous in reimbursing my loss. But I still miss that Integra. It deserved far, far better than the wrecks and eventual theft that I gave it.
I'm horrified to find I can't find my own photos of my car, so I've had to find similar photos online. The pictures above are of identical 1994 Acura Integra GS-R sedans in Stealth Gray Pearl. The top photo is from RalphB.net; besides owning a similarly specced car, his Integra was also sadly totaled. The next three photos are from JeffsSite.com; the last is a press photo.
--Chris H.
RalphB on March 31, 2008 at 05:18 PM
Thanks for the attribution for the picture from my web site! I was quite surprised to see it there in your blog post. I really did love that car.
Mochi Mochi on March 31, 2008 at 11:18 PM
I don't know whether to be offended by the Civic comment or complimented:) I tend to think of the Integra as a bigger sexier civic - or source for civic parts. Please don't get me wrong or mistake this for some kind of intra-honda rivalry. I have complete respect and admiration for the Integra. I think of the Civic and Integra as the equivalent of the Lotus 78 and 79, or the Lotus 49 and Lotus 72.
The Integra is a beautiful car. The sport versions are just amazing. The B16 engine is one of the most potent and awesome powerplants ever built. It's like half a Cosworth. Happily I look to the B16 as my next engine rebuild. Fortunately careful and consistent design from Honda means that these wonderful engines are easily swapped throughout the chassis family. I also understand that my Civic Si will accept the rear trailing arms and disc brakes from an Integra - another interesting future project.
I think it is interesting how innocuous and "under the radar" these cars can be. The ubiquitous Integras and Civics can seem so ordinary until you get to know them and experience the amazing chassis, suspension, engine, and close ratio gear box... Chris you really beautifully captured the experience. It really does feel like a formula car. It's been said that the suspension update that Honda designed into their post 1988 cars was inspired by their experience in F1 racing. It's hard to be certain of this... until you drive one of these cars. Stock they are amazing. With a few simple tweaks they are like razors built to carve tarmac.
With the Si, the XSi, and the GSR, Honda/Acura established a truly formidable lineage of cars. I am including a link to a wonderful comparison of the Lotus 49 and 72 because it actually seems emblematic of the Civic-Integra family. And it's just really inspiring and lovely to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV4E79_kxSs&feature=related
I'm not going to comment about crashes or playing the game of triple the speed limit except to say that I am really glad to know that I am not alone. It eases my troubled conscience - thank you.
hunter in CLT on March 31, 2008 at 11:44 PM
I've owned a 1995 LS sedan for a couple years now, and even without the extra power and sound of the VTEC engine, it really is fantastic. It's one of those cars that doesn't do a whole lot-- it's not particularly light, handsome, or luxurious, and certainly not powerful. Yet it's so good at what it was designed for, just running about with a decent payload or a couple passengers... The steering is direct, the chassis perfectly balanced, the engine a workhorse. Since I bought the car I've been using it daily to run computer parts around town and do repairs, and I know of nothing else that would be better suited for the task or more of a joy to do it in.
Well, maybe a GS-R...
Chris Hafner on April 01, 2008 at 12:02 AM
Mochi Mochi: "I don't know whether to be offended by the Civic comment or complimented:)"
I thought about putting a quick "no offense, Mochi!" in there.
Remember, this was in the context of my teenage automotive snobbiness. My folks could have brought home an F-16 Falcon and I would've criticized the drab gray paint and uninspired nose detailing.
"I'm not going to comment about crashes or playing the game of triple the speed limit except to say that I am really glad to know that I am not alone."
Yeah, I took a lot of abuse from friends and family on that score. Certainly not my finest day, but at least I learned my lesson without getting injured or killed--not all kids who were as stupid as I was can count themselves as fortunate.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on April 01, 2008 at 05:26 AM
Your description of the Integra is very close to how I would describe my old '85 CRX: "dynamically perfect."
Face on April 01, 2008 at 07:40 AM
The Integra was a fantastic car. There was no better car to learn on and no better teacher! Although I remember how frustrated you'd get at my snail pace around the jr high parking lot and how you'd get in and whip around the spaces several times. I love the comment about flying cross-country in a cessna, that just about describes the engine noise. For some reason I blocked out that you didn't drive for two years. What? I'm sure you were different with your friends but all I remember is going down the long hill with you driving while doing some face melting air guitar to SRV.
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on April 01, 2008 at 11:52 AM
The comments on this post really confirm for me what I had been suspecting more and more recently: I can't keep up with the company when it comes to car knowledge.
...and I make things worse by submitting a Ford Courier car lust! [wails in anguish]
Be patient with me, guys! I'll try to not say anything really stupid...
Cookie the Dog's Owner on April 01, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Nathan: your Ford Courier post was a loving tribute to a beloved vehicle. Small pickups aren't my cup of motor oil, but I still enjoyed reading it. Nothing "stupid" about it.
Chris Hafner on April 01, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Cookie the Dog's Owner: "Nothing "stupid" about it."
Definitely. I posted the Courier on a Friday because I wanted to give it a weekend's worth of exposure. The most important thing about your Courier, Nathan, is that it's interesting. It's unique and fun. Your Courier is exactly what this blog is all about.
Rob the SVX guy on April 01, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Yeah, when I was looking for a second car, I scoured the internet for a 4 door GSR, that wasn't all riced out with stupid modifications. Unfortunately, I don't think they exist. I'd love a 4 door GSR in 95% stock condition with a few subtle tweaks for a good daily driver. It would be fantastic. It's good to know about the transmission ratios though... our 89 Prelude SI with 4ws is an amazing car, but if I had to name one fault, it would be the cruising RPMS while on the highway. I'm sure some honda-tech guys would know, but I know on the prelude you can swap the 5th gear from the accord transmissions into the existing close ratio speed, giving you enough rapid acceleration to easily have your license revoked, while maintaining a fairly low cruising RPM. I'm not sure why more enthusiast cars don't do this. Top gear is rarely used as a performance gear on the street, I'd rather have 4 short gears and one really long one. :)
Mochi Mochi on April 01, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Nathan: The Ford Courier post was awesome and inspiring. It triggered a lot of thinking and consideration in regards to design theory, and as mentioned it was a loving tribute to a great truck.
Nathan on April 02, 2008 at 12:35 AM
Hmmm...I guess I am over-sensitive. Or hyper-self-critical.
I was sitting there comparing the number of comments it got compared to the average 10-15, and thinking: "There. I managed to come up with the least comment-worthy Car Lust ever. It's even one of the few that Glennstapundit wouldn't link...which probably explains why I've never gotten an insta-lanche for my blogging either. ;)
So I'm reading about this Integra, and Rob and Mochi and Chris and Dog's Owner are all talking gearing and acceleration and engine rebuilds and driving on the edge...and about all I can say is "I like Japanese cars for their fuel efficiency and pep!" Sort of like Ralph getting to hang with the smart kids and saying, "My cat's breath smells like cat food!"
But clearly I spoke too soon. There are others who loved their old Couriers as much as I loved mine, and I even touched the hearts of these gearheads with my love for that old...well, I'd say "beast" except I can't think of word less appropriate for a Courier than that! Let's say: Puppy.
Zarba on April 02, 2008 at 06:20 AM
Thanks for the memories.
I had a 1991 Integra GS sedan. Black on black, 5 speed. The little 1.8L engine would only do 0-60 in about 8 seconds, but those were great seconds. Handling was sublime. It had lots of glass and a very low cowl, so you really felt like you were piloting a race car. Great sight lines. Because of the low weight, it was supremely tossable and light on its feet. A revelation in front-wheel drive handling. I loved that car.
Yes, I also felt the need to reach for a 6th gear that wasn't there, but eventually I got used to the revs on the highway.
The Integra was a Japanese Lotus. Hold on, don't flame me yet!
Acura "added lightness" to the car, so it handled and drove beautifully, got 30+ mpg regularly, and the 5-speed was a wonderful gearbox to row. Unlike a Lotus, the Integra was absolutely bulletproof. It NEVER broke.
When I decided to sell it, it had 187K miles ON THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH. I had purchased an Alfa Romeo 164 Quadrifoglio, and the Integra had to go.
Like yours, mine was stolen. Right out of my driveway. The police never found it. In fact, there's a whole story about how they never even looked for it. In Atlanta, car theft is so common tyhey won't even come to your house to take a report.
I'd love to find a nice GS-R sedan as a commuter car.
Chris Hafner on April 04, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Rob the SVX Guy: "Yeah, when I was looking for a second car, I scoured the internet for a 4 door GSR, that wasn't all riced out with stupid modifications. Unfortunately, I don't think they exist."
Unfortunately, yeah. They weren't that common to begin with, and now virtually all of them have been turned into charicatures.
Rob the SVX Guy: "Top gear is rarely used as a performance gear on the street, I'd rather have 4 short gears and one really long one. :)"
Absolutely. I love keeping my revs low on the freeway. Like you, I wouldn't mind operating with tight gears when I'm racing through the twisties, and then shifting into an incredibly high 1990s Corvette-like overdrive when I cruise home on the freeway. At that point, a yawning chasm between fourth and fifth doesn't really matter that much.
The Other JD on April 06, 2008 at 01:19 PM
I really miss my 4 door GS-R. My problem was the reverse of yours. I came up to a light that was changing in the rain, and stopped in time. Unfortunately, the old Chevy Blazer behind me didn't, and I lost everything behind the rear wheels. It was never the same after that.
djl4570 on April 06, 2008 at 02:03 PM
I bought one of the two door models in 1994. It was fun to drive, 34MPG if I drove with a light foot, 28MPG after they put the MTBE in the fuel. Darn thing could go over eighty in third gear and the engine seemed to sing to you while doing it. Closest thing to a motorcycle on four wheels but ultimately too small a car for me. I kind of regret trading my 1990 Legend in on it.
Tim on April 06, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Ahh...the Integra. Mine was a black and red '93 LS and then another '92 White on black LS. The latter was destroyed by a Dodge Ram pickup and since then I've been driving an Accord. It's so boring. The new Acrua TSX is no substitute for the Integra's low, wide chassis. I wish Acura would re-make the Integras! Where can I find its modern replacement? I ask you, WHERE??
Fredrik Nyman on April 06, 2008 at 07:29 PM
Ahh, Integra! I have a '95 Integra LS. Bought it new in '94, and it's still my daily vehicle -- it's still going strong after 14 years and 242,000+ miles! The clutch gave out last month, resulting in a $1,200 bill, but that's the only major thing that's needed replacement so far!
Quite honestly, I should probably have junked the car instead of buying the new clutch; after all, $1,200 is more than the car is worth. But I really do like this car.
And I routinely get 30+ mpg, which is pretty good.
SWBarns on April 07, 2008 at 05:57 AM
I test drove a 95 (?) GS-R 4 door back in 1999. I had read about them for years and decided that it was my dream car. About 5 minutes of test driving disabused me of this notion. It was light, fun and fast but man oh man was it loud and harsh. Maybe the LS or GS had sound damping and a lower strung suspension. I decided to pass on the GS-R.
I currently drive the 2007 Honda Civic Si (4 door) and it is an unbelievably fun ride, with 200 HP, and a tight but not brutal suspension. It even has a sixth gear so you are only at 3500 RPM at 80 MPH.
Josh on April 07, 2008 at 09:07 AM
I have an Acura Legend like you mentioned first. I love it. Still stable and fast with a great interior at 190K. I still get compliments on the way it looks, drives, and how nice it is on the inside. It was stolen (and recovered rather unharmed) 1 week after I got it. Still plenty around if you want, and more kid friendly!
Josh
james on April 07, 2008 at 09:35 AM
Drive a crx you'll like it even more! i made it across the country in less than 3 days in mine...yes i was sore :)
Anthony Cagle on April 07, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Nathan: "There. I managed to come up with the least comment-worthy Car Lust ever. It's even one of the few that Glennstapundit wouldn't link..."
Eh, mine, too ('78 Mustang II). I think the intersection between Honda drivers and Internet users is rather greater than that between our vehicles and Internet users. People like to talk about cars they have driven. I suppose if I were a normal person, I would probably have had something other than my Mustang for the past 18 years and could possibly have owned a Honda at some point. But alas, it was not to be. Thus, I shall continue to read these Honda-related posts and comments with interest, but largely comment on those delicious 1970s vehicles.
Chris Hafner on April 07, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Yeah, you can't really look at comment numbers as an indicator of the quality of the post. Comments aren't always an indicator that people like the post - often, quite the opposite! - and our big comment spikes come when:
a) Instapundit links to us
b) Lots of people have owned/driven the car in question
It doesn't necessarily mean the post is more interesting--more often it means the car is popular. Since we dabble in many unpopular cars here, the comments tend to be all over the place.
Honestly, I thought both the Mustang II and Courier posts were great additions. I couldn't be happier with how Our Cars "week" turned out.
Anthony Cagle on April 07, 2008 at 12:33 PM
I'm really enjoying the Our Cars, too. It's a great addition to read about a lot of these cars from people who actually drove them.
Actually, I kind of lied above; I have driven a Honda, my Spousal Unit's 1996 Civic HX, for several years now. I don't have much to say about it because, well, there's not much to say about it. It's a basic, well-made, practical automobile. Gets almost as good a mileage as a Prius (ca. 43 mpg), handles well, reasonably quiet, and reliable; a perfect commuter car. Which all pretty much explains why I never have much to say about it. . . .
Still, I've threatened on several occasions that, if she ever decides to get something new, I was gonna dump my 'Stang, take over the Civic and tune the crap out of it. Yup, that's me, a 40-something TunerBoy driving a ricer.
rich carbutt on April 08, 2008 at 08:51 AM
I leased 5 integras in a row;all 4 doors all autos . The ist was a 92 LS. At the same time I bought my daughter a 90 GS 4 door which she just traded in last year for a TSX.
I missed some of the integra impact with the auto, but everything else was there.
The 95 and onward were dissapointments in the performance area because with the new body style they put on taller rims and didnt change the gearing. It was noticabilly more sluggish.
My 97 was also stolen out of my underground parking and stripped.