In a classic corporate tease, Honda’s premium brand in North America, Acura, has confirmed development of an Type S version of its recently released Integra.
Having been in hibernation for a decade and a half, the much-loved Integra nameplate has been applied to a five-door fastback, based on the 11th-generation Civic hatch.
Powered by a 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, it pushes 149kW/260Nm to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
Now, to appease those underwhelmed by such relatively modest outputs, Acura says a Type S version is in final pre-production testing, and scheduled for launch in mid-2023.
The Integra Type S will be powered by a 2.0-litre VTEC turbo engine producing over 300 horsepower (224kW), again paired exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox, this time working in concert with a limited slip differential.
Wrapped in ‘S’-themed camouflage and shot at what appears to be Honda’s US proving ground near Cantil, California, the new model flagship boasts an aggressive front splitter below a divided lower air intake, with larger cooling vents either side.
But the biggest clues for car-spotters are at the back with a lip spoiler on the trailing edge of the hatch door, and three exhaust outlets grouped together between dramatic diffuser sections.
Could an even more hardcore Type R variant follow? Who knows? But sadly for Aussie Integra enthusiasts, this latest generation version steadfastly remains a North America-only proposition.