Honda's hustler

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Nissan has its 200 SX, Toyota its Celica - both similarly priced coupes with a proven sporty signature. Now they are about to be challenged by the Honda Integra R, a lightweight and rev-hungry hustler with a race-bred engine.

"It's a very special car," Honda New Zealand director Rob Elliot says of the $40,000 coupe. "It gives the enthusiast the opportunity to drive to the office on Friday and race on Saturday."

The Integra R is a heavily reworked and lighter version of the 1.8-litre $30,000 standard model. Gone are some of the cosmetic bells and whistles in favour of a reinforced body. There are bigger brakes, recalibrated suspension, limited-slip differential and handmade engine.

Honda technicians gave the VTEC engine a complete spit and polish, among other things reprogramming the computer management system and replacing the conrods and crankshaft with lightweight designs.

The result is a four-cylinder motor that develops 141kW at a screaming 7900 rpm and 178Nm of pulling power at 6300 rpm - and a car said to be among the very best of front-drive handlers.

Elliot says Honda didn't set out to target the Nissan 200 SX and Celica. "The company's policy with the Integra R is similar to what we did with the S2000 and that is to bring Honda technology to the widest possible audience.

"We really don't know what the potential market is for the Integra R. It's been quite popular as a used import and we had customers asking us why we didn't bring in the new one. So we bought it in for the coterie of enthusiasts who want that sort of car. If we can sell 50 a year it will be good."

The Integra R adds a competitive edge to the coupe segment. The rear-drive Nissan 200SX, at $43,495, is the most expensive and most powerful, its 184kW and 275Nm being delivered at 6400 and 6000 rpm from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Motorcycle giant Yamaha helped to develop the Celica engine and the variable-valve technology in the 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit is similar in function to that of the Integra's high-revving powerplant. The front-drive Celica develops 140kW at 7600 rpm and 180Nm at 6800 rpm and also costs $40,000. From Honda's point of view the price of the Integra R and its hand-finished race engine is "wonderful," Elliot says.

"We want to present the best we can at the best price. The factory has taken so much care with the hand-finishing of the race engine. Where else can you buy such an engine in that sort of a package for 40 grand?

"You might say it's an aggressive price but on the other hand it's a value package - you get an awful lot of Honda technology in that engine."

Honda has also uprated another of its engines, the VTi-R four-cylinder unit under the bonnet of the Prelude. Power is up from 142kW to 147kW and the Prelude range now includes a limited model with an all-leather interior.