Acura Builds Itself A 40th Birthday Present To Celebrate Its IMSA-Winning Heritage
Today is Acura's birthday in the United States market! 40 years ag on March 27, 1986, Honda introduced its luxury brand with now-beloved models, the Legend and the Integra. To celebrate, Acura has recreated its very first race car, the number 48 Comptech Integra that was a back-to-back IMSA International Sedan series winner in 1987 and '88. Called the Acura Integra 40 Racer, it will debut at the 51st Acura Grand Prix in Long Beach, California, next month.
Mike Langel, Acura's assistant vice president of sales, said, "As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Acura brand, we're not just honoring our history, we're accelerating toward a future that will continue to be defined by daring innovation, a deep commitment to Acura customers and our Precision Crafted Performance brand DNA." The Integra 40 Racer retains its original engine and transmission, though they have been rebuilt, and a few modern touches have been added to liven it up a bit.
Please let me drive it
The original Acura Integra was more than just a fancy version of an economy car, it was a fancy version of the already-brilliant Honda Civic. Improving on the Civic, which has put driving enjoyment higher on its priority list than most of its competitors for decades, produced Integras that were a delightful and rare combination of great to drive, relatively affordable, and easy to live with.
This Integra 40 Racer, though, is a stripped-down, race-ready car. Its rebuilt D16A1 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine originally produced 113 horsepower, but the 40 Racer's features a coil-on-plug conversion, stainless steel 4-2-1 long-tube headers, a Monsoon ECU, a Torsen-type limited slip differential, and a custom Borla exhaust. Other modifications include coilover suspension, a manual brake conversion with performance brake pads and stainless braided brake lines, lightweight wheels with semi-slick tires, and an adjustable panhard bar. The interior is stripped out and features a custom roll cage as well as a pair of OMP racing seats with red six-point safety belts, though the original dashboard remains.
Acura
Finished in Rio Red Metallic paint, I think Honda Racing Corporation USA displayed spectacular restraint when designing this commemorative recreated race car. It looks period correct, and more importantly, it looks like a hoot and a half to drive.