1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Car and Drivers Into Cars, a 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: podcast from iHeartMedia is Ruby Studio, brought to you by 3 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: eBay Motors. I'm Tony ki Roger, the editor in chief 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: of Car and Driver, and I'm joined by my co host, 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: former editor in chief and current Chief Brand and Content Officer, 6 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: Eddie Alterman, and together we're Into Cars. 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 2: Each episode of this podcast covers a new car that 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 2: we think is worthy of your attention. The cars we 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: select may feature a novel design, cutting edge engineering, or 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: something entirely new. We'll cover the stories behind the cars, 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: answering the whys and exploring the whats to bring you 12 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: into the experience. We'll drive the things and let you 13 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: listen in, and then we'll sit down with the people 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: who made the cars to answer your questions about them. 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 2: Come along for the ride and you'll hear it all 16 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,319 Speaker 2: the good, the bad, and the ugly in the way 17 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: that only Car and Driver delivers. 18 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: Today, we're examining the state of the affordable sportsdan by 19 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: digging into the Accura Integra type. Closely related to the 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: Honda Civic type are the Integer typees goes its own 21 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: way by offering a more mature approach to performance. It's 22 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: also unique against its competition because it only comes with 23 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: the manual transmission. It follows the classic sport compact formula, 24 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: a powerful turbocharge force cylinder, front wheel drive, a manual transmission, 25 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: and a chansis built to handle. 26 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: Let's dig into this thing. You and I have both 27 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: driven it extensively on a variety of roads, and it's 28 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: really different feeling than the Civic Type R on which 29 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: it's based. And it's funny because when Acer came out 30 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 2: in the mid eighties with cars like the Legend that 31 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 2: was the first one, and then they did the NSX, 32 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: it was more than just Honda Plus, right, you know, 33 00:01:55,120 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: longitudinal front drive layouts. The Accura Vigor had the five 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 2: cylinder to go up against Audi. The NSX was obviously 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: everybody knows that's like the godhead supercar. 36 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it was a luxury and performance brand. 37 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 3: Right exactly. 38 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: And there was so much value and content in these 39 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: things because the end was so strong. But now we 40 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: have an Accura with perfectly nice cars TLX, MDX, RDX 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: and this Integra Type S, but they're alsort of Honda Plus. 42 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: However, Yeah, this one's pretty special, and you could think 43 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: of it as being a Honda Plus almost because it's 44 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: so closely related to the Civic type bar. But it 45 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: really goes its own way. Like you said, as soon 46 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: as you get into it, you realize it's just a 47 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: more mature car. The Civic type bars for under forty 48 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: and the Integra is for people over forty. So I mean, 49 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: if you've got hair growing out of your ears and 50 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: it's falling out of your head, that's exactly the one 51 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: you'll pick. And if you have hair on your head 52 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: and none in your ears, you all for the Civic typear. 53 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 2: Right. The Civic type bar is a hot hatch. The 54 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: Integret type is a sport sedan, right that happens to 55 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: have a hatchback. But yeah, it's not the same thing. 56 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: It doesn't have the ridiculous wing, it doesn't look as crazy. 57 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 2: Yes it has fender flares, but it's something only somebody 58 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: in the know would necessarily notice, so you fly under 59 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: the radar. And it also makes a really lovely daily driver. 60 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 2: Accurate tuned it so that the suspension is just a 61 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 2: little bit softer on rebound, so you don't feel those 62 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: impacts as hard as frenetic. Yeah, it's not as like 63 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 2: high strung as the CTR. 64 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: But then you don't lose any of the great stuff. 65 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: You don't lose any of the fun of the powertrain. 66 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: You still have that same wonderful manual transmission, which is 67 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: one of the best since like the S two thousand. 68 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,119 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a spectacular manual transmission and you get 69 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: five bonus horsepower. Oh nice, and it sounds better. I 70 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: think it does. It does sound better. 71 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, But you know the Civic type are the interior 72 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: is so gautty. I mean it looks like a vape 73 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: shop in there. And this is really pretty refined and 74 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: nice and you know, great metallic surfaces and handles. And 75 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 2: the one I think real improvement on the INTI is 76 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: they went from the all titanium shift knob on the 77 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: Civic type bar to a leather rapped one so you 78 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 2: don't burn your hand. 79 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: That's right, Yeah, I mean, because Accur is a luxury brand, 80 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: so you want to have that little strip. That little 81 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: ring of leather makes all the difference. But it really 82 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: actually does, because when it's incredibly hot out and the 83 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: sun's been beating down on your shifter, you get like 84 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: the Raiders of the Lost Arc style print in your hand. 85 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 2: It's sort of the kind of car that isn't made 86 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 2: a lot these days. There is a competitive set for it, 87 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: which is like the BMW M two thirty five Grand 88 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: coupe and the Audi S three, which is around the 89 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: same horse power. 90 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: And there is a cluster of these like three hundred 91 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: horsepower small sedans, but crucially, none of them have manual transmissions, 92 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: and they're all a lot heavier than the Accura as well. 93 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: They're all three to four to five hundre pounds heavier 94 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: because they're all have all wheel drive systems, which do 95 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: enable them to put up some pretty impressive performance numbers 96 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to acceleration. But acceleration in everything. I 97 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: know that sounds crazy coming carent driver. You know, we 98 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: test everything in zero to sixty is so important to us, 99 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: but it's not everything. And the Accurate does a lot 100 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: of things that these other cars don't do because of 101 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: driver involvement. And it's just a lighter car, so it 102 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: feels more playful and it just feels like a slightly 103 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: less serious car. 104 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 2: And I think that's the whole point of this thing. 105 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: It's not about the numbers. It truly returns great driver 106 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 2: feel great chansis feel great engine sounds, whereas the other 107 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 2: heavier cars feel a little dead and remote. By comparison, 108 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 2: I think only the Audi S three in that competitive 109 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 2: set has some of that playfulness. Maybe CT four V, 110 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 2: but as you said, those are more sort of grown up, 111 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:39,559 Speaker 2: big boy cars. 112 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, those cars all sort of want to be the 113 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: bigger cars in their lineup in some way. But the 114 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: Integra Type S doesn't at all. It doesn't want to 115 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: be a TLX. It's real happy being an Integra Type S. 116 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. And you know, there are a lot of fanboys, 117 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 2: Accura lovers, and if you go and bring a trailer, 118 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 2: you see crazy money being paid for old Integra and 119 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 2: they don't necessarily like that this thing has four doors 120 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: and that it's so expensive relative to the Civic type BR. 121 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 2: But man, it's really worth it. You have to drive it, 122 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: and it's what seven seventy one dollars more expensive than. 123 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: It's not an insurmountable amount of money, And considering Civic 124 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,559 Speaker 1: type bars all had a huge price gouging basically happening 125 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: at the dealer level. Maybe there's price parody. I don't know, 126 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: Maybe it's cheaper, yeah, exactly. You might find an accurate 127 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: dealer that's willing to sell it to you at sticker 128 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: versus a Honda dealer. 129 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, Like the accurate dealer is trying to 130 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: get rid of this thing because it's you know, it's 131 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 2: kind of manal trans and like the MDX fires going 132 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 2: in there to the dealership going what what is this? Right? 133 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: What is this crazy little thing? So it doesn't really 134 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: quite fit into the lineup, but it would have fit 135 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: into the lineup beautifully, as you pointed out in the nineties. 136 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: But I think Accurate sort of moving in that direction. 137 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: They brought the NSX out and that lasted until a 138 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: couple of years ago. So they do want performance, and 139 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: they really they seem to understand that performance is really part. 140 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: Of the Should we go drive it? 141 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, let's go see what it's all about. 142 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, here we are. You know now that we're 143 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 2: in the Integra type s to the earlier point about 144 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: Acura's just being hot. The plus now, the Hondas are 145 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: so good that if you plus them up a little bit, 146 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: they become sort of incredible. 147 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And I mean one of the first seas you 148 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: noticed is it's just easier to get into because of 149 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: the seats over seas. Yeah, the bolsters aren't as big. 150 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: And then there's no red carpet. You can get different 151 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: interior colors in this car rather than than just the 152 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: red carpet and the red front seats. 153 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 2: But the level of fit and finish is extraordinarily high, 154 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 2: and it's also true of the Honda. But it really 155 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: feels at home here. 156 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: And the nice thing I mean ergonomically, you get a 157 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: volume knob, which is something Honda made a mistake of 158 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: getting away from for a while. You get automatic climate control, 159 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: you get a lot of luxury car bits to this. 160 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: You get heated seats, which I don't think you can 161 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: get in the Civic type Bar. 162 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: Well, I don't have a power seat on my side, 163 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: Oh you don't. 164 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: A lot of Porsches don't have that. It's weight saving, 165 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: that's exactly right. And we got the hot audio in 166 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: this thing. Yeah, it's got the ELS system. 167 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,119 Speaker 2: Do you know what ELS means? 168 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's Elliott Shiner El's he was the Steely Dan engineer. 169 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: Oh is that right? Yeah? The standard system in the 170 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: Civic Type Bar is a Bose system, So it also 171 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: has a good a pretty good sound system. Should we 172 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: get driving. 173 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's get going, all right. See what this thing is? 174 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: All of us shifters so sweet? It is sweet. I 175 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 2: put on the rev match for you. Oh nice, because 176 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 2: you're an old man. 177 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: Yeah exactly, And I'm an old man. That's why I 178 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: prefer the type s have I told you about the 179 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: law of conservation of hair, the law of conservation of mass, right, Okay, 180 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: So any hair you lose on your body ends up 181 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: growing somewhere else. So I've lost a lot of hair 182 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: on the top of my head, and I've noticed it's 183 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: really coming into my ears. So this is really the type, 184 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: as I think, is the car for guys who have 185 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: some ear hair. 186 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, mine has migrated from the top of my head 187 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: to my back. 188 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: Exactly. Love conservation of hair. 189 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: I like that. Love conservators there you can either create 190 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 2: nor destroy hair. 191 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 1: Right, Yes, it just comes out somewhere else. 192 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. 193 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: The ride doesn't beat you up. 194 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: No, it's immediately apparent that it's not the jittery, taffeinated ride. 195 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, pacific type of like I'm a sports car. I'm exciting. 196 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: I'm going to show you. 197 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: Yeah exactly, that's that's not what's happening here at all. 198 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: And they did that by relaxing the rebound damping. 199 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it has it has multi mode, so you 200 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: can still kick it up to a pretty stiff ride. 201 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: But in the Honda on Track, when I drove that 202 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: at VIR at Virginia International Raceway, I dialed it back 203 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: because any rode and he like bumps on the track 204 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: like unsettled the car, and I just wanted that much 205 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: more compliance. But with this car, they were actually able 206 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: to run it in the stiffer modes because the stiffer 207 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: modes sort of align with the softer modes in the 208 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: Civic Wild. 209 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 2: But that said, the Civic is, Oh that sounds great now, 210 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 2: I noticed a little torque steer. 211 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's definitely from wheel drive. This isn't the most 212 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: like even surface, so you'll get a little bit of 213 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: a tug. But I mean it does have three hundred 214 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: twenty horsepower, so there's a lot of power going through 215 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: the front wheels. And it has the dual access struts 216 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: which are sort of like GM's hyperstrut. 217 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: Or forty knuckle separating the steering end the. 218 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: Steering from the strut, and it just it just improves 219 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: the wheel geometry and eliminates some of that torque steer. 220 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 2: And this has a front limited slip. 221 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: To yeah, it's got a helical front limited slip, so 222 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: that basically allows power to go to the wheel that 223 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: needs it most. I didn't get to drive this car 224 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: on track, but I drove the Civic type bar on track, 225 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: and unlike most front wheel drive cars where you have 226 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: to be patient and wait and wait and wait to 227 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: put the power down, you could just stop it and 228 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: then the magical dift like just figured it out, no worries, 229 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: no problem. It was really, really, really an amazing thing. 230 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: And there's so much higher. It's two sixty five's all 231 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: the way around, so it's like a ridiculous I mean, 232 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: that was like a rear tire size on a nine 233 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: to eleven not that long, and you get four of 234 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: them here. 235 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: That's amazing. 236 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: So it's I think it pulls over a G, like 237 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: just over a G on the skid pad. So our 238 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: skid pad test is a large circle and we basically 239 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: test how long the car hangs onto the ground and 240 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: it pulls over a G. So it's basically your weight 241 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: being pulled left or to the right. It's pretty amazing 242 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: that a car does. 243 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 2: That one gravity. Oh nice maneuver, sir, that was a 244 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 2: good piece of driving. 245 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: We're driving on public roads. 246 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: Yes, and love being Annaburm, Michigan. I also have a theory, 247 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 2: not unlike your hair conservation theory, which is the more 248 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 2: intellectuals you have in a city, the worse the driving 249 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: will be. Yes, and Boston is my kind of proof 250 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 2: of interest there. Oh yeah, that shifter is so sweet. 251 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 2: It's so good. 252 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: We talked about it before. But just this little piece 253 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: of leather here makes all the difference. 254 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 2: Look, it's got this little ultra suede booty, this Alcantara 255 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 2: style booty. That's a cool little touch. And I'm not 256 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: feeling like I'm in a Honda. 257 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: No, it's much quieter just going down the road. And 258 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: in our testing the sound level meter didn't really pick 259 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: up a difference. It's seventy miles an hour. They were 260 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: both the same amount of sound. They were both seventy 261 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,839 Speaker 1: three decibels. It's just the quality of sound character so 262 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: much better. You don't get all the tire noise, you 263 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: don't get very much wind rush, you don't get any 264 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: engine drone. Really, it's really it's the adult version of 265 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: the platform. 266 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 2: There's a lot more sound deadening for sure. 267 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: And it doesn't really weigh that much more either. It 268 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: weighs like thirty or forty or fifty pounds more than 269 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: the Civic Type bar, so it's not like you're putting 270 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: on this huge weight gain. It's not like a Lincoln 271 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: town Car style sound deadening experience either. 272 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, how much does the Civic Type are wing way? 273 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, the lightweight of this car is really what 274 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: makes I mean, to me, what makes it and the 275 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: Civic Type are really special. 276 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: It's got sort of, I don't want to say, a 277 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: retro feel, but it does feel unlike a lot of 278 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 2: cars now that feel very heavy and plodding and sort 279 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 2: of clamp over the road. This thing is just light 280 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 2: on its feet. It dances around. 281 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: And there aren't a lot of cars left like that, 282 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 1: I know. I mean, even it's competition, they all weigh 283 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: a lot more because of their all wheel drive systems, 284 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: and they all sort of aspire to be a car 285 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: that they a larger car or a more refined car. 286 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: This car sort of is happy being the kind of 287 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: car that it is. 288 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's it's playful and it's not I mean, 289 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: I just find myself gravitating towards smaller cars nowadays because 290 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 2: everything has you know, so much extra mass, and the 291 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 2: steering is so dead on so many cars now with 292 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 2: you know, electric power assist instead of hydraulic assists, and 293 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 2: there's a numbing effect that's happened on a lot of cars. 294 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 2: And this is a rare sort of car that's both 295 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 2: very alive but also subdued when it needs to be. 296 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 2: It's not always a band faced totally totally of like 297 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: being a great daily driver and not being annoying. You 298 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: can put people in the car and they don't like 299 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: sort of like look at you strangely because your car's 300 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 2: really noisier, rides terribly. So we're going to go on 301 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 2: a highway on ramp right now, all right, Tony is 302 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 2: a master. 303 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: There's some bumpy too, yeah, I mean, there's just no 304 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: lack of grip. And what's funny is there's you know, 305 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: two thirds, almost two thirds of the weight of the 306 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: car is in the front and you just don't notice it. 307 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: The car just grips and grips and grips and grips, 308 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: and that's the beauty of a sports It can do 309 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: almost everything that a sports car can do, but you 310 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: get all this comfort, and I think as if you 311 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: define sports dan in that way, this is a better 312 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: sports sedan than say the Civic type bar, which, like 313 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: you said, is more of a hot hatch. 314 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 315 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: So if we've toggled through the modes in the Civic 316 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: type bar, you get sort of a different gauge cluster. 317 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: You get like a track gauge cluster, and this one 318 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: you just get the two gauges, and they're virtual gauges. 319 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: I should mention it's when I'm looking at a display 320 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: of a tachometer and a spinometer. They could have made 321 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: real gauges, which I kind of prefer, but I'm getting 322 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: used to these digital gauges. 323 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: I prefer analog. Now we're back of mugs the UH. 324 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: And the power builds pretty linearly. There's not like a 325 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: big there's not a lot of turbo lag. It doesn't 326 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: you're not waiting for the turbo necessarily. It builds like 327 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: not quite like a naturally aspirated car, but certainly like. 328 00:15:59,120 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 2: It's pretty linear. 329 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean it pulls pretty strong throughout. There's 330 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: no like surges, there's no like waiting for the power. 331 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 2: And it sounds good. It sounds refined. For you know, 332 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 2: turbocharge two liter four sounds pretty pretty ready and willing. 333 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: If somebody said there's a two and a half liter 334 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: under the hood or the turbocharger, I would have no 335 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: reason to doubt them. It did turn out to be 336 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: a little bit slower than the. 337 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 2: Civic type AR. 338 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: I think the Civic type AR did sixty and four 339 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: to nine and this one did five to one. But 340 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone's going to notice that different. Who 341 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: can tell no one, you know. 342 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 2: And also, just generally speaking, acceleration is a war that's 343 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: been won, you know, by electrics, and acceleration is not 344 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 2: the achievement it used to be. It's more about to 345 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 2: me at least, and I think a lot of enthusiasts 346 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 2: more about the kind of feedback it car gives you. 347 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 2: You were talking about sports sedans and sports cars earlier. 348 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 2: To me, the definition of a sports sidan is a 349 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 2: vehicle that gives you a good deal of feedback and 350 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 2: feel sensitive and gives you information about what's happening at 351 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 2: the tires, gives you information about what's happening under the hood, 352 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: at the break calibers. 353 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: They should be fun at every speed that's right. That 354 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: feedback makes the car entertaining and fun at every speed. 355 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: But you don't want so much feedback because race cars 356 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 1: have a lot of feedback. You don't want so much 357 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: feedback that it's annoying. You want just the right amount 358 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: and then in balance. And this car does the balance 359 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: thing really well. 360 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 361 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: The way the steering feels, the way the brakes feel, 362 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: the way they accelerate, it's all in harmony, and it all. 363 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 2: Works really really well. I couldn't agree more. And I 364 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 2: think they really really nailed it. And all of those 365 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: little subtle refinements that are happening throughout this car, it's 366 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 2: down to somebody caring about them and somebody spending the 367 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 2: time and honing and tuning and getting those inputs harmonious. 368 00:17:57,760 --> 00:17:59,479 Speaker 1: It takes a long time to dial a car in 369 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:01,360 Speaker 1: like this and to get it this right. 370 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 2: And at this price. I know, people say, well, you know, 371 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 2: it's fifty three thousand dollars, and that is it's a 372 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 2: lot of money. I mean it was a lot of money. 373 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 2: I mean the average price of. 374 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: A new car was like, there's not much less than this. 375 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, I think there's a tremendous amount of 376 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 2: value here relative to the Germans. 377 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: You know what I'm noticing is you can see really 378 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: well out of this car. Yes, Like the A pillars 379 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: aren't that big, small, that thick. The side glass is big. 380 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: A lot of car companies like to chase building a 381 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: car that looks like a concept car. That's sort of 382 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: the Camaro's curse. It's a great look at car, but 383 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: then when you get in it, you can't see out 384 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: of it. This you can see everything. I can see 385 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: down the hood perfectly. The windshield is somewhat upright. It 386 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: feels like not an old car, like you said, but 387 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: it has touchstones of the past. 388 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,199 Speaker 2: Well, you know, there's that whole Honda philosophy of person 389 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 2: maximum machine minimum. These cars sort of disappear a little bit. 390 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 2: A court does that too. There's a lot of space inside, 391 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 2: there's great visibility out. That's always been a hon to Hallmark, 392 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 2: and it extends to the Accura here too, for sure, 393 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 2: no one. 394 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: It makes it just so wonderful and livable when you're 395 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: just commuting, when you're just driving around. But then you 396 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: throw this thing on a racetrack and it'll do it well. 397 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 2: I think this drive really sort of encapsulates this car's 398 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 2: capabilities because we're driving around town and we're keeping out 399 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,199 Speaker 2: of harm's way, and then you throw it into a 400 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 2: corner and it's like, oh my god, that preob. 401 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: And then if you're bored, you just do what I've 402 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: been doing and just play with the shifter endlessly, just 403 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 1: going up and down the gears and having it. 404 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: Why can they do this and nobody else can do 405 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 2: shifters as well? 406 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: I don't know, nobody cares about manuals anymore. Yeah, And 407 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: this is just magic, and it's short throws and it's 408 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: just I would never miss a gear. 409 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 2: It's so perfectly damped. It never goes into the wrong slot. 410 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 2: It just feels so honed and tuned and right. 411 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,919 Speaker 1: And the clutch take up is predict yes, it's like 412 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: not heavy, it's not light. It catches predictably. It's just wonderful. 413 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 2: The best shifter I ever experienced was in the hot 414 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 2: S two thousand exactly. This is not too far off 415 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 2: far off. 416 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's also delicate at the same time, like 417 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: it's happy to you drive it, you know, with a 418 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: delicate hand. The Integra really manages the wheel spin like 419 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: you get basically no wheel spin because it's just maximizing 420 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: the amount of traction that the car has converts all 421 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: of that energy to the road instead of having a 422 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 1: bunch of like time robbing wheel spin. Yeah oh yeah, Yeah, 423 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: it just tucks up really nicely. And that's not easy 424 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: to do with a front wheel drive car with three 425 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: and twenty horsepower to get that magic right. 426 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 2: Cool, Well, here we are back at base. Okay, let's 427 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:12,679 Speaker 2: take it in visually. Yeah, it's beefy looking. It is. 428 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: The fender flares. I think everything a pillar forward, so 429 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: that's the windshield. Pillar forward is unique to the type S. 430 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 2: Yes, but that's it. Yeah, And it's wide. It looks 431 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 2: wide up front. The wheels are great. I mean it's 432 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 2: splitspoke wheels. Yeah, it's a wide wheel. 433 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: It's a nine and a half inch wheel on a 434 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 1: with a two sixty five tire. That's a lot more 435 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:37,360 Speaker 1: tire than they put on the regular Integra. 436 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's why it hooks up so great. 437 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: It hooks up amazingly well. And the same in the back. 438 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: It's got a square set up and then they've got 439 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: the fender flaring back too. 440 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 2: And so you can kind of see the bones of 441 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 2: the Civic under here, but it's pretty well masked it is. 442 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: It looks like a different car, and you don't have 443 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: the giant spoiler of the Type R. The Type S 444 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: just as a small carbon fiber lips spoiler. People that 445 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: know will not, but people that don't know aren't. It's 446 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: not going to get a second glance probably, but right 447 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: for people in the know, I mean, the fender flares 448 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: mean a lot, the three exhaust pipes mean a lot. 449 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 2: And that's beefy from the back with that diffuser, and 450 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 2: I love a hatch, you know. It just increases the 451 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 2: utility of. 452 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: The car, oh totally, and the practicality just goes up, 453 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: goes up, goes up. 454 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 2: We're back at our desks after that drive. That was 455 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 2: a fun one and I feel like I know a 456 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 2: lot more about the Integra Type best than I do 457 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,479 Speaker 2: before we set out. Do you have any other questions 458 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 2: about it? I think I do, Eddie. 459 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:37,919 Speaker 1: But there are some things that only those on the 460 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: inside can tell us about a car. So let's reach 461 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: out to accurate product planner Jonathan Rivers and maybe find 462 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: out what a product planner does too. 463 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 2: Okay, great, after the break, we'll talk to Jonathan. Welcome 464 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 2: back to car and drivers into cars. Thanks for being 465 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: with us, Jonathan. We're excited to talk about the integritypees today, 466 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 2: or as you call it, the its. I thought you 467 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 2: said IBS and I was like, I have that, yeah, 468 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 2: But before we get into the car, your job is 469 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 2: really cool. So what does a product planner do? Can 470 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 2: you explain that to our audience? 471 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. 472 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 4: You know, it's a question I get asked quite a lot, 473 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 4: because you know, if you're not in the know or 474 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 4: in the industry, you actually don't know what we do. 475 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 4: And so I think the best way to kind of 476 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 4: dumb it down a little bit is we kind of 477 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 4: come up with the recipe for what a future vehicle 478 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 4: will be, and once we can get that approved, then 479 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 4: we're working together with the designers, the engineers, the production associates, 480 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 4: and ultimately like the sales and marketing folks to get 481 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 4: that in the customer's hands. 482 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 2: So you kind of scope out the mark and say 483 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 2: we need a vehicle here. 484 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 3: At a high level. 485 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 4: Yes, I mean it's quite detailed, right, because we're working 486 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 4: from the original concept of the vehicle all the way 487 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 4: through mass production, and so along the way we're looking 488 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 4: at like you said, market trends, you know, doing customer clinics, 489 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 4: focus groups, talking to the dealers, the media, trying to 490 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 4: get all kinds of insights as to, like you said, 491 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 4: what would be the best positioning for a new product, 492 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 4: but then really starting to get into the weeds with 493 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 4: what are the features, the technologies, what does it look like, 494 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 4: what are the colors? 495 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 3: All these things. 496 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 2: Tony and I were talking earlier about kind of the 497 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 2: history of Accura and how it went from very sort 498 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:38,120 Speaker 2: of bespoke engineering, high feature stuff to sort of Honda 499 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 2: plus in a way, you know, I mean to cast 500 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 2: no aspersions by saying that, in a sense, the Honda 501 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: stuff has gotten so good, where does Accura go from there? 502 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: But did you plan this alongside the civic type? Are 503 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 2: was there a crossing of the streams, if you will, 504 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 2: between Honda and Accura when it came time to you know, 505 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 2: plan civic the highest expression of civic, then a level 506 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 2: above it with Akira. 507 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 4: So to maybe take a quick step back, I came 508 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 4: into the planning role back in twenty fifteen for Acura, 509 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 4: and yeah, I mean back then, Hey, I'll give you 510 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 4: a fair point. I mean the lineup was quite different. 511 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 4: I think the brand direction was quite different, and so 512 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 4: that was around when Essex was getting close to launch 513 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 4: and the brand kind of went back to its roots, 514 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 4: right with precision craft to performance and for all the 515 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 4: reasons you just mentioned, so that we weren't just viewed 516 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 4: as a Honda plus and that we did offer a 517 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 4: true alternative to Honda. So internally, it's not about being 518 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 4: better than Honda, but it's about just offering a different alternative. 519 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 4: In our case, it really is about leveraging the performance. 520 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 4: Because if you go back to eighty six when the 521 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 4: brand launched, when an Integra was there and obviously the 522 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 4: legend and then eventually INSX and things like that, that's 523 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 4: what Accura was known for. And so by us pivoting 524 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 4: back there, it really changed the entire brand, the marketing, 525 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 4: and then ultimately the product lineup. Different designers, different engineers, 526 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 4: They're built in different locations, so there's different production associates, 527 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 4: different product planners. I'm not the product planning pacific type are. 528 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 4: We had our own vision of what we wanted it 529 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 4: to be, all the while being aware of what this 530 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 4: other product was going to be too. 531 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: Jonathan, thank you for saving the manuals with this car, 532 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: By the way, how hard was it to convince people 533 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: within the company to only offer this car with a 534 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: manual transmission? 535 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 4: Well, it's funny because I have a car and driver 536 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 4: hashtag save the Manual's coffee cup. 537 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 3: It's actually on my desk. 538 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: So we get to do some stickers too. 539 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 4: If you'd like some, please, I'll put them on my 540 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 4: laptop at work. So no, I mean, honestly, that question 541 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 4: is actually more relevant to the regular Integer, right, because 542 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 4: you know, once the regular Integra was developed and we 543 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 4: had already decided to put the six speed manual in 544 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 4: that car, putting it on something like a Type S 545 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 4: was a no brainer. And then kind of to Eddie's point, 546 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 4: you know, the fact that we were leverage some hardware 547 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 4: from Civic Type Are, well, we already had one of 548 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 4: the best manuals in the business. So yeah, no reason 549 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 4: not to put it into this car. And of course 550 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 4: we get asked questions all the time, why didn't you 551 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,679 Speaker 4: make a DCT this or auto this? 552 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: But that was my next question. 553 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 4: Well, I mean, to me, the answer is super easy. 554 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,880 Speaker 4: We wanted the ultimate driver's car. We wanted a true enthusiast, 555 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 4: engaging driver's car, and not that you can't get that 556 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 4: with a DCT. But fundamentally, what we were trying to 557 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 4: do was create a very fun, engaging and really a 558 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 4: unique product in the marketplace. 559 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 2: And some manufacturers offer manual, but the manual isn't that great. 560 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 2: And in this case, this is like one of the 561 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 2: greatest shifting cars. And this is consistent across Honda and 562 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 2: Accura from back in the sex days. So how do 563 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 2: you do it in like one hundred words or less? 564 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, what's the secret? Sauce? 565 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 4: I was gonna say, you go make me give up 566 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:58,640 Speaker 4: that recipe, right, And look, I'm not here to take 567 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 4: credit for everything. I'm clearly not the engineers that work 568 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 4: the magic and make these things happen. But what I 569 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 4: can say as being you know, someone I've been at 570 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 4: the company fourteen years, I've been here a while, and 571 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 4: I can say it's really just in our DNA and 572 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 4: like how we want the man machine to not just 573 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 4: be equal, it's got to be about the person that's 574 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 4: controlling the vehicle. And so when that's at the forefront 575 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 4: of how you engineer and how you think, it comes 576 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,959 Speaker 4: through in the product itself. Because like you said, anybody 577 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 4: can make a transmission and you know, we can use 578 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 4: the same components and hardware, but it's the tuning and 579 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 4: the feeling. It's almost this kind of like raw notchiness 580 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 4: in the car that just it feels so good every 581 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 4: time you switch gears. 582 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: Right, But you also have to know, I mean the 583 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: engineers also have to know what's good. And with a 584 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: history like S two thousand, you've set the bar pretty high. 585 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: I've driven a lot of manuals, and it's like, what 586 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: other manuals have these engineers driven. 587 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 4: Well, it's funny because you know, as I sit here 588 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 4: and say, you know, I worked here for fourteen years, 589 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 4: many of our development engineers and other chief engineers they've 590 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 4: been here twenty five thirty years. So they are the 591 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,479 Speaker 4: same guy that did the S two thousand transmission, right like, 592 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 4: or they were involved in that project. So a lot 593 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 4: of that prowess and that knowledge and that knowhow has 594 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 4: has stayed within the company and continues to trickle down today. 595 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 2: So other vehicles in this competitive set, like the OLDS 596 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 2: three or the bmw M two thirty five Grand Coupe, 597 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 2: they don't offer manuals. What were you benchmarking in this segment? 598 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 2: Maybe it was outside the segment. What sort of cars 599 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 2: were you driving and saying we need to beat that? 600 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 3: So and this is true. 601 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 4: I think for any product planner, right when we talk 602 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 4: about competitive sets, there can be different competitive sets depending 603 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 4: on where you're trying to benchmark. So I think when 604 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 4: you look at a total vehicle, like, okay, what's the 605 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 4: price point where it is in the segment? You know, 606 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 4: the cars that you just mentioned, the S three, the 607 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 4: M two thirty five I, the CLA thirty five, those 608 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 4: types of small premium sedan performance vehicles are a clear 609 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 4: kind of competitive set for this car. But yeah, I'll 610 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 4: be honest to say that we're obviously aware of, you know, 611 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 4: things like the golf are and other products that could 612 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 4: be cross shopped in that type of segment. With that said, 613 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 4: kind of going full circle back to you know why 614 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 4: we did the manual only is because again that makes 615 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 4: this car stand out in that segment. Again, there's clearly 616 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 4: people that want DCT, but you know, if they're looking 617 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 4: for a manual, they kind of have to come to us. 618 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: I have a question about the sound in the Type 619 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: S versus the Type R. Our sound level meter finds 620 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: virtually no difference between a Type S and a Type R. 621 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: But the human ear is not a sound level meters. 622 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 1: You know, why are they so different to our ears? 623 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 3: Really good question. 624 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 4: I own an Integrat Type S and so I've now 625 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 4: obviously outside of the development, like I live with it now, 626 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 4: and so what I can say is that in the 627 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 4: Civic Type R, I feel like you get a lot 628 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 4: more induction noise, a lot more noise from the intake. 629 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 3: It almost feels like. 630 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 4: It's coming from the front of the vehicle. And I 631 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 4: love that because that's also just total Honda, right. It 632 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 4: just you know, rips and screams like the Hondas of 633 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 4: the eighties and the nineties exactly. 634 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: That's like an NSX thing. You just hear it inside 635 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 1: the car. 636 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 3: Right, Whereas Integra Type BEST. 637 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 4: Not that you don't get some of those noises, but 638 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 4: one of the key development areas for the car was 639 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 4: the exhaust, and we wanted it to sound raw and aggressive, 640 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:23,719 Speaker 4: and you know that's why it's got those you know, 641 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 4: berbals and pops and things like that. And so I 642 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 4: feel like you're getting a lot more of that coming 643 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 4: from the rear of the vehicle versus the intake and 644 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 4: induction noise from the front of the vehicle, and like 645 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 4: to your point, from maybe a pure decibel standpoint, they're 646 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 4: not different, but where the sounds coming from and what 647 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 4: you're hearing is quite different between the two. 648 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 2: Cars, Jonathan, I wanted to get back to something you 649 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 2: were saying. In evaluating and putting together the competitive set 650 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 2: for this car, most of those cars are all wheel drive, 651 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 2: and Accura has a great and evolving super handling all 652 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,719 Speaker 2: wheel drive system. Was there any thought given to making 653 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 2: this at least optionally all wheel. 654 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:09,959 Speaker 4: Drive from a development standpoint, No, But your point is valid. 655 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 4: You know, as we look across the segment, we recognize 656 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:16,040 Speaker 4: that it's either optional its standard, and we also recognize 657 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 4: again there's a lot of people that just want it 658 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 4: because you know, if you're in inclement weather you've got 659 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 4: a ton of snow, that's obviously a thing. But at 660 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 4: the same time, knowing what our chassis was capable of, 661 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 4: knowing the platform that we were utilizing, it wouldn't have 662 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 4: made a lot of sense to try to tear that 663 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 4: up just to add an all will drive. Look, I 664 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 4: tell people, they'll go, hey, you know, because they say, oh, 665 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 4: the Integra type I should have been a manual and 666 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 4: should have been all will drive I go. 667 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 3: We got a car like that. It's called the TLX it. 668 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: Rips Jonathan, you own an integer type S when you're 669 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: in it, is there one particular part of the car 670 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: that you're proud of that you worked on, that you 671 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: fought for. 672 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 3: Oof, that's a tough one. 673 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 4: There's a lot, you know, I think, because you know, 674 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 4: the vehicle development is several years, right, so there's there's 675 00:32:58,000 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 4: a lot of ways. 676 00:32:58,840 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 3: A lot of losses. 677 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, blood, sweat and tears. But yeah, when 678 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 4: I drive it, I'm just happy it exists. And you know, 679 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 4: the acceleration is really strong. But this car is about 680 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 4: so much more than just sort of numbers or raw performance. 681 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 4: It's a little Miata like in that sense where it's 682 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 4: about driver feel and driver feedback. 683 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 2: And did you have to fight for that? Did you 684 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 2: have to say, you know what, the numbers aren't important here? Absolutely? 685 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 4: And again I feel like, you know, some customers are 686 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 4: enthusiasts in general. 687 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 3: They're so quick to write off cars. 688 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,400 Speaker 4: If de Zerto sixty is not three suconds and you know, 689 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 4: that's just not what this car is about. I tell 690 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 4: people all the time, I'm like, just get in it 691 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 4: and drive it and then come back and let me 692 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 4: know what you think. And there's just this joy, right, 693 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 4: there's this joy with like the connected feel. The steering 694 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 4: is a great way. The ergonomics are good, Like that's 695 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 4: very important. I think that gets overlooked a lot, Like 696 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 4: you know, are you sitting in the right position? Can 697 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 4: you heal and tow All these things kind of come 698 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 4: together with like the position, the steering way, the chassis balance, 699 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 4: The power's good, the sounds good. 700 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 3: The audio is really good. 701 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 4: Like there's there's just all these things that kind of 702 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 4: accumulate together to create this really like awesome driving experience 703 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 4: that again, it just doesn't come through inspects and numbers. 704 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 4: And I know, moving forward, every va in the world 705 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 4: is going to be faster than this car in a 706 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 4: straight line, but it won't matter, Like this car will 707 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 4: still be special, right, And that's what we tried to create. 708 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: So you mentioned a little bit about the exhaust system. 709 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: Are the Honda folks envious of the Accura's exhaust And 710 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: is that because the Accura is basically just for our 711 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: market and so you could get away with a little 712 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: bit larder exhaust. 713 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, you nailed it on the head. So the Civic 714 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 4: Type are being a global product and having to adhere 715 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:49,239 Speaker 4: to other stricter sound regulations, particular in Europe, and that 716 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 4: did at some level limit maybe what they could do. 717 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 4: But at the same time, you know, here's a little 718 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 4: side story. Early on in development, I actually owned a 719 00:34:57,800 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 4: Focus RS. 720 00:34:59,040 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 2: Oh great car. 721 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it was fun. It was a good car. 722 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: Did you swap out the dampers? 723 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 3: I wanted to? 724 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 1: That was way too So that's one of the stiffest 725 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:08,959 Speaker 1: cars ever. 726 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:11,480 Speaker 4: And then it had a button to make it even stifferent, right, 727 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 4: Like it was like, who does that? 728 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 1: Right? 729 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 4: So, but I tell you what I bought that car. 730 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 4: Admittedly I had a very ulterior motive, right, and it 731 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 4: was to push our development engineers. I actually gave the 732 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 4: chief engineer the Integra type ass. He came out to 733 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 4: La We're early on in development. I said, hey, take 734 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 4: this car for a spin, you know, I just got this. 735 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,879 Speaker 4: And he came back and he's like laughing. He goes, 736 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:33,839 Speaker 4: he goes, what kind of exhaust did you put on this? 737 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 4: I go, nope, that's factory I go, this is what 738 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:41,240 Speaker 4: it's He was in complete disbelief, but that really changed 739 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 4: some things. He went back to Japan, and you know, 740 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 4: then they started benchmarking that and like the M two 741 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 4: and all these cars that have these burbos and crackles, 742 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 4: and they're like, this is what people like. 743 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,400 Speaker 2: And I'm like, yes to me, there's such a great 744 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 2: refinement in the ride on the its and that's a 745 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 2: dark art And how did you figure that out? 746 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 3: Well? 747 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,880 Speaker 4: It was funny because you know, like I said about 748 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 4: just the overall planning of this versus something like the 749 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,239 Speaker 4: civic type bar, we knew what direction they were going in, 750 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 4: and not that it's a bad direction at all, Like 751 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 4: that car is what it is. It's meant for track. 752 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 4: It's got the crazy bucket seats for track. It's got 753 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 4: the very stiff yet compliant, you know, suspension set up 754 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 4: for track duty. And so we knew our concept was 755 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 4: to be this ultimate canyon carving like street performer. So 756 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,480 Speaker 4: for us, it was about how do we like make 757 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,919 Speaker 4: this car livable on a daily basis, but yet still 758 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 4: be totally capable of handling like Mulholland or you know, 759 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 4: the Ortega Highway or just some crazy canyon blast. Right, 760 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 4: Could you take any one of our type best models 761 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:47,000 Speaker 4: to the track? 762 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, you could. 763 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:49,879 Speaker 4: That's why they got big brimbo breaks. You know, they've 764 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,280 Speaker 4: got summer tires, they've got turbo engines and lots of power. 765 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 4: We knew the buyer was going to be maybe a 766 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 4: little bit older, maybe has some kids. Maybe you want 767 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 4: to use it, you know, take real usage of that, 768 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 4: like extra utility, and so we knew you couldn't have 769 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 4: this ultra stiff suspension setting, right. 770 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, we sort of see him as under forty over forty. Well, 771 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 1: I know what camp I'm in, Yeah, exactly. Likewise, thanks 772 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,439 Speaker 1: for giving me away, Tony. Yeah, I'm just a little 773 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,239 Speaker 1: bit about yourself. What was a dreamcar when you were 774 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: growing up. 775 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 4: I'm from Michigan, so I loved like a Dodge Viper 776 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 4: Man those like a Dodge Viper GTS the blue with 777 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,880 Speaker 4: the white racing stripes, like I had that poster on 778 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 4: my wall growing up. But I tell you what for me, 779 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 4: when I was eighteen, that was the first time I 780 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 4: learned to really drive stick shift And it was on 781 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:42,520 Speaker 4: my cousin's nineteen ninety eight accurate Integra GSR Oh wow. 782 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 3: It was total nineties. 783 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 4: That dark green you know what I've talked about, that 784 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 4: dark green with beige interior. But you know, I had 785 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,240 Speaker 4: tried to drive some of my friends like fox Body 786 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,760 Speaker 4: Mustangs and some Camaros that you know, were manuals and Italy. 787 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,880 Speaker 3: I wasn't very good at it. I was stalling. 788 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 4: It was just it wasn't fun, right, And so then finally, I, 789 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 4: you know, my cousin was crazy enough to let me 790 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 4: drive his car. And okay, I struggle at the beginning, 791 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 4: but after five minutes, all of a sudden, it became 792 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 4: fun and I loved it, and yeah, I was. 793 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:11,319 Speaker 3: I was sold after that. 794 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,839 Speaker 2: And then got to ask this question, what was your 795 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:16,319 Speaker 2: first car? Oh? 796 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 4: Does anyone ever want to say that? Let alad on 797 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 4: a podcast with a car and driver. But you can 798 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 4: you decline to answer if you want, no, no, I'll say 799 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 4: it was a Mercury Cougar. 800 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 2: Hey. 801 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 4: I tried to spice it up as much as I 802 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 4: put some wheels on it, whatever else. 803 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 2: But that was my first ride. So hey, there's worse. 804 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: People were excited about that when it came out. 805 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,280 Speaker 1: It was a cool car? Was it was Monday oh coop? 806 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, not a bad Verse car. Thank you so much, Jonathan. 807 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 2: It was so great to be with you and to 808 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 2: get your take on what really was happening behind the scenes. 809 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 2: So thank you for all that you do and thanks 810 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:53,839 Speaker 2: for being with us. 811 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: Yeah or he is a pleasure talking to you. 812 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,400 Speaker 4: Jonathan, Hey, thanks to both of you, thanks for having 813 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 4: us and yeah forward, we'll have to go for a 814 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 4: cruise Sunday, so absolutely we'll take you about that. 815 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,879 Speaker 2: That interview was brought to you by Ebaymotors. Visit ebaymotors 816 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:10,840 Speaker 2: dot com for more. 817 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 1: Car friends. Driving the Integer Type S is a lot 818 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: of fun, and that's exactly what a Sportsidan should be. 819 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 1: It should have a high percentage of amusement, but it 820 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:23,439 Speaker 1: should also be a car that you want to drive 821 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: daily and something that won't make your passengers uncomfortable. For 822 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,320 Speaker 1: our money, the Type S nails the sports Adan brief. 823 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 2: For a front driver with a four cylinder. This thing 824 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 2: is the real deal. It honors the legacy of the 825 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 2: Integral while pushing things forward in a cool and modern way. Hell, 826 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 2: I'd buy one. 827 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:41,759 Speaker 1: For more on the accurate Integra Type S, visit carent 828 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,840 Speaker 1: driver dot com and be sure to pick up the 829 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 1: latest issue of Car and Driver magazine. 830 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 2: Thank you for joining us on this episode of Car 831 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,200 Speaker 2: and Drivers Into Cars. 832 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,239 Speaker 1: And be sure to tune into next week's episode where 833 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: we drive two BMW five series Sedan's the all electric 834 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,279 Speaker 1: I five M sixty and see how it compares to 835 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 1: the gas powered five IX. It's going to be the 836 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: gas versus electric showdown you won't want to miss. Let's 837 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 1: still a quick launch, okay, O hard I love fantastic. 838 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 2: You know humans weren't engineered to go accelerate that gig. 839 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 2: If you enjoy the show, join us every week for 840 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 2: new episodes, and don't forget to rate and review wherever 841 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:24,879 Speaker 2: you listen to podcasts. 842 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: Car and Drivers Into Cars is a production of Car 843 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,840 Speaker 1: and Driver and iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio. Our show is hosted 844 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: by Eddie Alterman and myself Tony Kiroga. Our executive producer 845 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,359 Speaker 1: is Matt Romano. Our EP of Post Production is Matt Stillo. 846 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,960 Speaker 1: Our supervising producer is Sierra Kaiser. This show was edited 847 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:45,280 Speaker 1: by Sierra Spreen special thanks to our location sound recordist 848 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,359 Speaker 1: Matthew Cisco. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.