[Article] Honda Integra Type-RTC.

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As we all know, Honda discontinued the DC5 chassis Integra after the 2006 model year(still, we wish to castrate whoever decided that smart move...). However, what we didn't know, is that they kept the final 1000 for themselves, to be turned into some sort of "Frankenstein" Spec-touring racer. Honda collaborated with Spoon Sports to create this, the Honda Integra Type-RTC.

Honda and Spoon Sports have invited us to the Suzuka East course today, to showcase the new car. It is wonderful here! The temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sun is shining, what a wonderful day to be at a racetrack! The circuit we will be evaluating this car on is the 1.4 mile "East" variant. This layout features 9 corners, 6 right, 3 left, and makes for a quick, yet challenging track.

Now, for the moment you all have been waiting for...(I have always wanted to say that) The unveiling of the Honda Integra Type-RTC, the TC, stands for naturally, Touring Car. Which, in a way, makes the RTC, mean "Race Touring Car," which, is always a good thing. :D. Honda has brought us the first RTC off the block, a Silver DC5, which has 0 miles on the clock. This should be fun.

Spoon has informed us that "The power hasn't been increased by too much, only to about 250bhp." They have achieved this modest power boost, by using their voodoo magic on the ECM, and a free-flowing exhaust system, oh, and that magic GT Auto oil stuff. The real surprises, and stuff that tells you this is a REAL race car, come int he driveline. The flywheel is a racing unit, along with the clutch, a triple-plate design, both from Spoon Sports. Mr. Ichisima also adds, with a smirk on his face, that "we have retained the stock six-speed transmission, as, we feel that racers shouldn't have the aid of a sequential gearbox, as that will not let them miss a shift. The best racers shouldn't miss a shift, so, keeping the stock trans allows mistakes to be made, and then corrected next time they go out on the racetrack." Another, good side effect of this is, that with a stock transmission, you can go to your local Honda dealer, and get a replacement, for the same cost as your street car. Spoon really went to town with the weight cut, carbon doors, fenders, bonnet, bootlid, and front and rear bumpers. The roof is aluminium, and the interior has been stripped, save for a lone racing seat.

Speaking of the interior, there is now an extensive rollcage in there, where you need some contortionist skills to wriggle your way into that racing seat. As I am sitting here, it is very business-like, the gauge cluster replaced with a MoTec LCD dash, quick-release steering wheel, and a lone windscreen wiper, for when things get rainy. Moving from the interior of the car, we go underneath the body, to the full Spoon race suspension, the spring rates have been retained from stock, as have the shock ratings. The vehicle has been lowered, now having only 100mm of ground clearance. There are now some beefy stabilizer bars under here, something Spoon calls "Stage Seven." Full Spoon race brake systems around, make sure that this car can stop as rapidly as it gets going. Moving out to the rolling stock, the RTC has some very nice, 18" Volk CE28N wheels on it, with the Yokohama slicks wrapped around them. Oh, and then, there is that large, carbon wing on the back, looks a lot ricer, but we have been told, that it does work, and quite well at that.

Mr. Ichisima calls us over after we are done taking photographs, and surprisingly, asks us if we would like to drive! My brain says "OMGWTFH4XYES!" but what comes out of my mouth is more like a "Sure Mr. Ichisima, I would love to."

After the car is warmed up, I am strapped in. This is the tightest I have ever been strapped into any car before, even more so than the NSX we had tested from Spoon in the middle of last year. I fire up the car, with the set of aircraft-style toggle then start button sequence, and the uncorked K20 roars to life. This sounds like no other Integra I have ever heard before, something a bit more menacing than all the others, like your older brother after inhaling one two many pixiesticks, then washing it down with Red Bull. As I try and start rolling, I keep thinking "Please don't stall, please don't stall, please don't stall." I start to release some pressure on the clutch and...I stall. Turns out it is a VERY strong clutch, lol. After thorough embarrassment, I re-start the car, and this time, manage to get it right, albeit with some fancy footwork.

As I cruise down pit-lane, with the pit-speed limiter(Did I forget to mention that? Sorry. ;P) set at 50mph, the reality of this car sets in, it's a loud, Japanese alternative to the Porsche GT3 Cup, just, not as fast. I roll into the throttle after pit exit, and the full fury of this car is released, I never thought braking this deep was possible! There is still the bit of understeer you expect with a FWD car, but, it has been greatly eliminated. The mild power upgrade seems amplified, due to the light weight, and the extreme grip the Yoko slicks give. After ten laps, my lap time is an "impressive" according to Mr. Ichisima, 52.117 seconds.

Spoon also came with a stone stock DC5 Type-R, to compare with the RTC. I hopped in this, and man, was the difference immediately apparent. It felt sloppy, and uncoordinated, which eventually led to a paltry 1'03.859 second lap, over eleven seconds slower than the RTC.

Now, I'm sure you are wanting to know the price on all this, right? Well, the stock Type-R will set you back $25,900. The engine parts, add another $2,750, Suspension/Brakes, plus $20,600, Weight-down, and trans. parts put an additional $27,700 to that lofty pricetag, along with a $30,000 interior. The aero devices cost $1,200, which includes a wing(3D Type B, in three colours, white, black, and silver) and splitter. Oh yeah, and $50 for that magic oil. All that stuff adds up to a grand total of $108,200. That price however, includes a custom-made racing suit, and helmet, made specifically for the owner, and admission into the closest Honda Type-RTC championship to them. This championships take place in places such as the USA, Japan, England, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and Australia. At the end of the season, the top 5 drivers from each championship will be transported to the World Final, free of charge, at the Japanese GP, from the Fuji Speedway. The winner of that race, gets a cool one million dollars, to fun their next racing step. Also, they are crowned World Champion.

Now children, what have we learned? I myself, have learned that When you let Honda and Spoon Sports work together, miracles can happen....

SPECIFICATIONS:

Year: 2003.
Car: Honda Integra Type-RTC(DC5).
Drivetrain Config: FF.
Horsepower: 250bhp @ 8,000rpm.
Torque: 169.03 ft.lb @7,000rpm.
Engine Config: I-4.
Engine Code: K20A
Displacement: 1998cc.
Weight: 1029kg.

SETUP
Parts needed:

Sports Exhaust.
Racing Chip.
Racing Brakes.
Triple-Plate Clutch.
Racing Flywheel.
Racing Suspension.
All three stages of Weight-Down.
Rollcage.
3D Type B wing.
Magic Oil.
Slick Tires.(Your choise)


Suspension Settings.

Spring Rate: F-7.4 R-11.0
Ride Height: F-100mm R-100mm
Camber: F-3.0 R-1.0
Stabilizer Bars: F-7 R-7
Shocks: 8 for everything.

Others:
Traction Control: Off/0
Stability Control(Under): Off/0
Stability Control(Over): Off/0

Downforce:
30/30



Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Thanks,
Matt.
 
It was nice! I'm thinking of tuning a Honda Integra myself too. Nice read, though the suspension and settings haven't been changed that much. But it's nice to have a window to improve on, makes for a nice challenge :)

👍
 
stories like that are actually wanted, i think. just create a garage post where you can link your setups, like this one here. look from the first page for few examples.
 
I am still confused. Sorry, I just don't understand what you are trying to say, or how to set it up.
 
Enter Tuner Garage thread and create a post with this car settings and documentation (photos, story, etc..) as you wish. After doing this you can, if you want, create a post that'll be your "garage" (where you'll put the links for all your future setups). When you have another tuned car you create a post for it and place a link to it in the post you created as your garage post.

See my garage post example here.

When I have another tuned car to submit, after posting it I create a link to it in my garage. This way it's easy to find a specific car in a big thread. You search each member garage in the first post of the thread. Check here.


Hope this helps and it's a bit more clear for you to understand. Sorry if my explanation is a bit redundant, but I think you get the point. 👍
 
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