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Honda protective of Type R name; NSX Type R not in the works

During a roundtable during a recent event hosted by Honda, we joined in on a roundtable interview with Honda Technical Consultant Ko Yamamoto and Honda Civic Type R Project Leader Hideki Kakinuma. Questions were asked about the Type R brand broadly, as well as the potential for some new projects. The answers were both good news and disappointing news for Honda fans. The good news is that Honda takes the Type R name and brand very seriously. Yamamoto and Kakinuma explained that the name and its associated red "H" badge are only for vehicles with a racing connection, such as the Honda Civic Type R that has a couple of racing variants. As such, you won't be seeing a CR-V, Odyssey or Insight with the Type R name. Furthermore, the Type R name is only for Honda-badged vehicles, despite the existence of the Acura Integra Type R a couple decades ago. We also asked about the potential of an NSX Type R, which certainly meets the performance and racing credentials mentioned, but is much more of an Acura product and is badged as such in the U.S. Kakinuma and Yamamoto couldn't go into deep detail, but they said that there aren't plans for one at the moment, and the chances of one for the U.S. are unlikely. They noted that the previous NSX Type R was a Japanese-market exclusive, and if such a car did come to fruition, that might be the case yet again. Kakinuma did say that if he was the one in charge of NSX, he would have already had it in the works. So it's not impossible that there could be an NSX Type R in the future, but don't look for one anytime soon. Related Video:

2024 Acura Integra Type S revealed as the luxurious foil to the Type R

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is exactly what we imagined it might be. Acura took all the Civic Type R go-fast parts and shoved them into the Integra, but then added luxuries the Type R is missing and fettled with a few performance bits. Just as was teased ahead of time, the Integra Type S is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque — thatÂ’s up five horses over the Type R. ItÂ’s fitted with a six-speed manual transmission (no auto available) and sends its power through the front wheels via a helical-type limited-slip differential. The same dual-axis front suspension design pioneered by the Type R to quell torque steer is on display here, so you should expect little to no torque steer from the Integra. Of course, all that extra power meant Acura needed much more cooling capability, leading them to design a much more aggressive and air-hungry front end for the Integra. In fact, every single body panel from the A-pillars forward is unique to the Type S. The larger top and lower grilles and vented hood improve airflow by 170% versus a standard Integra, Acura says. Look to the sides, and youÂ’ll see dramatic fender flares both in front and rear that accommodate the massive 265-section-width Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires that wrap around 19-inch wheels — the Type S is 2.8 inches wider than a standard Integra. For those wondering, yes, itÂ’s the same tire package as youÂ’ll find on a Type R. Out back, youÂ’ll notice substantial diffusers flanking a new triple-tipped center-mounted exhaust. Said exhaust is less restrictive than the Type R, features an active exhaust valve and adjusts depending on the drive mode. Acura says a special “pops and bangs” auditory experience presents itself in “Sport+” mode. The suspension tuning is another differentiator between the Integra Type S and Civic Type R. It uses the same adaptive damper system as the Civic, but Acura adjusted the tune for the Type S in its Comfort, Sport and Sport+ driving modes, presumably to be more street-friendly. Acura emphasizes that this car delivers “ultimate street performance” numerous times in its press release, suggesting that the Integra is set up as more of a daily driver, while the Civic Type R is very much designed to excel on the racetrack.

Acura rejoins with Seinfeld, sponsors Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee [w/videos]

We enjoyed the opening season of Seinfeld's offbeat Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee web series, a video serial where Jerry Seinfeld picked up his friends in some of his classic cars and... chatted. It was a simple premise that offered some genuinely enjoyable moments, even if the 'cars' connection was often a bit incidental. In any case, Acura must have felt the same way, as it has just inked a deal to be the sole sponsor for the series' next season.
Acura, you may recall, already enjoys a relationship with the comedian - Seinfeld starred in the company's 2012 Super Bowl ad alongside the NSX supercar concept. So perhaps it's no surprise that it has signed on to sponsor 24 episodes of the series, due to roll out this year and next. Naturally, with any title sponsorship these days, you can expect to see some integration of the sponsor - in this case, Acura says such measures will involve its new 2014 MDX crossover, integrating "short, contextually relevant ads at the beginning and end of the episode."
Will you watch? For a refresher on Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, check out a couple of our favorite first season episodes with Michael Richards and Alec Baldwin by scrolling below.