Acura Cars
JDM · 17 models
Honda luxury arm. The NSX, Integra Type R, and original Legend coupe are some of the best Japanese cars ever made.
JDMAcura launched in 1986, the first Japanese luxury brand in North America (predating Lexus and Infiniti by three years). The Legend sedan and Integra hatchback debuted simultaneously. The Legend was Acura attempt at a 5-Series competitor; the Integra was effectively a Civic Si with luxury touches. The brand defining moment came in 1990 with the NSX. Honda built the first NSX as a response to the Ferrari 348 and 328, and to prove Japanese makers could build a true mid-engine supercar. The NSX used an aluminum chassis and body, a transverse 3.0 liter VTEC V6 making 270 horsepower, and a chassis tuned with input from Ayrton Senna. It was lighter, more reliable, and easier to drive at the limit than the Ferraris of its era. Production ran from 1990 to 2005. The Integra Type R (1997-2001 in North America, longer in JDM) is the other Acura legend. A B18C5 engine making 195 horsepower in a 2,600 pound chassis with a six-speed manual, helical limited slip differential, and a chassis stiffening package. It is widely considered the best front-wheel drive driver car ever made. In the modern era, the second-generation NSX (2016-2022) used a hybrid twin-turbo V6 in a more complex package. Critical reception was mixed; commercial reception was modest. The TLX Type S and Integra Type S keep the Acura performance name alive in the current lineup. On WhipJury, Acura submissions are dominated by Integra GS-Rs and Type Rs, NSXs (across both generations), TL Type S, RSX (especially Type S K20A2), and the new Integra Type S.
Acura models we cover
The first NSX
The original NSX was developed under code name HP-X starting in 1984. The chassis is all-aluminum, the first production car to use that construction extensively. The C30A V6 used VTEC variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust cams, an industry first at the time. The chassis was tuned at the Suzuka circuit and refined with input from Senna in his role as a McLaren-Honda F1 driver.
The NSX was groundbreaking for proving that a mid-engine supercar could be reliable, comfortable, and easy to drive at the limit. Ferrari 348 owners famously needed extensive maintenance; NSX owners could daily drive theirs without drama. That accessibility, combined with the clean design (the original NSX is widely considered one of the most beautifully designed cars of its era), is why values have appreciated significantly.
The Integra Type R
The DC2 chassis Integra Type R is the model that taught the world how good front-wheel drive can be. Honda built it by stripping weight, stiffening the chassis with extra bracing, fitting a hand-ported B18C5 head making 195 horsepower from 1.8 liters naturally aspirated, adding a helical LSD, and tuning the suspension specifically for the chassis. The result laps tracks faster than many rear-drive sports cars of the era. Stock examples in good condition now sell well into six figures.
Acura on WhipJury
Integra GS-R and Type R submissions are the most numerous, followed by RSX Type S K20A2 builds. NSX submissions are rare but always do well in voting. The TLX Type S has built a small following among modern Acura fans. The community here treats Acura as effectively a sub-brand of Honda performance, which is fair.
