Honda Integra Type-R DC5 Buyers Guide

  Feb 5, 2016     DC5, FWD, Honda, Integra, Type-R, VTEC

The Honda Integra Type R DC5 is one of the finest front wheel drive cars of all time. It combines race car experience with everyday useability on the road. The DC5 is known for it’s reliability, as it has been built and engineered to perfection by Honda. The high revving, natural aspiration i-VTEC engine sounds and performs like it is straight out of a touring car. The Type R brand is still alive and kicking, which drives demand for the older cars too. Prices have been stable for over five years and are expected to rise for the best examples out there.

On a windy road the 220bhp is more than ample to keep up with most other high performance cars.

It was a tough task for Honda to improve on the widely acclaimed DC2 Integra Type R, a car that many crown as the ‘best front wheel drive car of all time’. Rather than try and stick to an identical formula, the DC5 was made to be the slightly more ‘grown-up’ version of the original, still with a four cylinder engine that revs to high heaven, but a larger interior, a motorway friendly sixth gear (DC2 only had five gears) and a bigger boot all made it a realistic everyday prospect. The engine was based on the EP3 Civic Type R but with enhancements that took it above the magic specific output to 108.6bhp/litre, which is an incredible achievement for a car without a turbo or supercharger in sight. Add to this the lack of sound proofing and Recaro seats and you have a Jap icon.

The DC5 has a trick limited slip differential that turns physics on its head, the more you accelerate through a corner, the more it turns in

The DC5 Integra Type R came with just the essentials as standard, in order to keep weight down. Standard equipment included air conditioning, electric windows/mirrors, central locking, Recaro seats, leather wrapped MOMO steering wheel and aluminium gear knob/pedals/foot rest. The optional C package added rear window wiper, remote control folding mirrors and privacy glass on the rear side windows.

There were five colours available for the exterior when new, these were; Championship White, Nighthawk Black Pearl, Arctic Blue Pearl, Milano Red and Satin Silver.

The Recaro seats were covered in suede and could be specified in Black, Red or Blue. The choices available were dependent on the exterior colour. For example Milano Red cars could only be specified in the Black or Red Recaro seats. The carpets and door cards were the same colour as the seats.