SOME OF HONDA'S MOST ICONIC CARS DRAG RACE IT OUT - INCLUDING A 1991 ACURA NSX. PLACE YOUR BETS!
The crew from Hagery have put together a cracker of a video that will have V-tec fans the world over simultaneously drooling and trying to hide excited man bits. These guys always have good content, but we like this video in particular because it features all of our favourite Hondas, which just happen to be some of the most iconic cars to ever come from the JDM side of the world. While all the cars in this lineup are technically Hondas, three of the five wear the Acura badge, which makes sense as the Hagerty chaps are based in the States and that’s what Hondas are called on over the pond. Three of the five are also normally aspirated and rely on high-revving V-tec powerplants coupled to a body that doesn’t break the scales. The two turbocharged competitors are the modern Hondas in the mix, using boost is the way modern Hondas perform as well as they do, but one thing does stay the same no matter the age of the car, and that’s that iconic V-Tec system. If you’re unfamiliar with what V-Tec is, here’s a basic explanation: V-Tec is Honda’s proprietary system that moves the camshaft over from a more economical camshaft profile to a more aggressive one that provides more lift and duration to allow more air into the combustion process. More air equals more fuel and that equals more power. The system uses oil pressure to control this process, and there are ways to manipulate how it works too, on the aftermarket side of things. Other automakers use similar systems, but none can match what Honda’s V-tec version can do. When V-tec kicks in (cue a million and one memes) and the engine note changes, it can be very addictive.
This race of iconic Japanese cars starts off with a 1991 Acura NSX, and back then this was classed as a Japanese supercar, it still is. The legendary car came from the factory with a normally aspirated 3.0-litre V6 with just 210 kW of power and 285 Nm of torque available. A light weight is the car’s saving grace, despite how long and wide it looks it tips the scales at a mere 1,365 kg. The next old banger in the mix is the 2001 Acura Integra Type R, and this one is fitted with a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder rated to produce 145.5 kW and 176 Nm of torque, the latter lack of torque also being the butt of many a joke. Again, being lighter than its counterparts at the time, it tips the scales at just 1,197 kg. Jumping a slightly bit forward we have a car that’s widely regarded as the best open-top roadster ever created and it’s represented by the 2009 S2000 CR. In this guise, it’s a normally aspirated 2.2-litre 4-cylinder that’s rated at a particularly healthy 176.5 kW with 220 Nm of torque, a setup that held the record for the most power per cylinder for many years. It’s also light at 1,254 kg. The modern competitors in this comparison come in the form of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R and the 2024 Acura Integra Type S, which are pretty much the same cars under the skin. The former is rated at 235 kW with 420 Nm of torque, and the latter is rated at 239 kW with the same torque figure. It seems quite unfair to pitch these modern marvels up against old-tech normally aspirated cars, but they really can hold their own. Check out the shenanigans from the Hagerty team including Randy Probst who’s always great in these race videos.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Hagerty crew that shows just what happens when you assemble some of the best and most-revered Hondas of all time and it them up against each other in a drag race. The oldest V-tec car in the mix is the iconic NSX, and you'll surely be as surprised as we were to see how it fares against it's modern turbocharged counterparts: 2024 Integra Type S vs Civic Type R, Acura NSX, Honda S2K, ITR — Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race Replay | Hagerty
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