Acura has also elected to use the same suspension setup as the Civic Type R. The dual-axis front strut suspension (a suspension system that Honda debuted on the previous-generation FK8 Type R) does its best to mimic the benefits of a double wishbone setup by maintaining traction midcorner while limiting torque steer. The reason Honda/Acura don’t use a double-wishbone setup is due both to its complexity and more compact packaging. (A typical strut design is smaller and is easier to fit in front-wheel-drive cars.) The tracks for the Type S are wider than in lesser Integras at both the front and rear, up 1.9 inches and 3.5 inches, respectively, and the Type S features a slightly thicker anti-roll bar.
That aforementioned engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 320 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. For those counting, that’s 5 (count ’em) more hp than the current Civic Type R — it probably won’t make that much of a difference in the real world, but at the end of the day more is more. The Integra Type S sends its power to the front wheels alone through a six-speed manual gearbox that features automatic rev matching for those who haven’t quite mastered the art of the heel-and-toe downshift. It can, however, be disabled via the car’s interior screen.
Putting that power to the ground are 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The tires themselves are just over an inch wider than the wheels on the Integra A Spec and, perhaps not surprisingly, identical to the tire specs on the current Civic Type R. Hidden behind those new 19-inch wheels are brakes by Brembo that measure 13.8 inches up front and 12 inches at the rear. The Type S also features adaptive dampers and has three modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) to help give the Type S a split personality — comfortable when you want it to be and hunkered down when you don’t.