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This Integra Type R Is Exactly What We Want From Honda

It’s fair to say that the return of the Honda Integra didn’t go down as well as the Japanese brand expected, with fans of the original car not being won over by the obvious marketing move of using the moniker on a fancy Civic. Yes, it’s fair to say us here at GTN weren’t won over, either.

Just like Toyota reviving the Supra by paying someone at BMW to change the badging on the Z4, this seems like a bit of a lazy move. The Integra could have fought with the likes of the Hyundai i30N and Golf GTI, but instead, it’s just another Honda.

This didn’t stop talented renderers from doing their thing, however.

Rain Prisk, a favourite amongst GTN staff, showed us his vision for what the new Integra should have been, which meant moving its design away from that of the Civic and giving it its entirely own identity. By dragging the original design into the modern era, Prisk has created one of the greatest looking Hondas yet – even if it is entirely unofficial.

The front-end is interesting, looking like a mix of the delightful Peugeot 406 Coupe and Nissan Skyline r32. It features slashes of daytime running lights either side of the front bumper, and a black diffusor frames its lines. The bonnet rises quite steeply from the bumper before hitting a raked windscreen. A cutout ahead of the doors adds to the aggression, and the rear resembles that of an R35 GT-R.

It has similar proportions to the Integra DC2, but the cabin is pushed further forward giving the overall design a more balanced look.

I’ll admit, it isn’t perfect in my eyes, but it’s a damn site better than what Honda pulled off. And while it doesn’t completely fulfil it on a design level, this way of thinking is exactly what we want from Honda. Let me know if you feel the same way in the comments below.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: alex@grandtournation.com
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