In 1986, Honda introduced the Acura line into the U.S. domestic market. Already established for reliability and frugality, the Acura line was established to appeal to a higher market with more upscale sedans and racier performance-oriented coupes. The 1986 Acura Integra, while showcasing the technology of the times and anchoring Acura's entry into the sport coupe market, did little more than whet the appetites of lead-footed import drivers who wanted more.
Fast forward to 2001. Three distinct body changes, five powerplant upgrades, 15 years on U.S. soil and exponential leaps in performance technology have finally caught up with the Integra's motivated spirit. Now, the car has been not so much retired as it has been rebuilt, re-named, and repositioned to take it's rightful place at the top of the sport compact coupe hierarchy. Enter - the 2001 Acura RSX.
What's New
The "Integra" nameplate has disappeared and been replaced by the alphanumeric coding assumed by all the other vehicles in the Acura stable. Along with the name change comes a host of design changes; pod-style headlights and multi-reflective taillights, a backlit, red-on-metallic racing-inspired instrument cluster, standard 16-inch alloy rims and a larger, more aerodynamic body. The overall footprint hasn't changed much with the wheelbase increasing unnoticeably and the curb weight bumping up about 100 pounds, but the new exterior shell gives an air of "high class" - grace under pressure. The disappearance of the multiple trim levels and chassis also adds to the "either you've got it or you don't" ethic.
The Engine
We, as performance enthusiasts, are probably more biased to ask one thing - "What's under the hood?" In it's normal state, the RSX holsters a 16-valve, DOHC four-cylinder motor that pushes 9.8:1 pistons, all while keeping an LEV-II (Low Emissions Vehicle) rating. Running power is produced with an aluminum alloy block that stays square with a 3.38in x 3.38in bore and stroke, while the cast-in iron cylinder liners keep the explosions in the cylinder chamber. The benchmark VTEC technology gets an upgrade with the introduction of i-VTEC - Honda's proprietary version of continuously-adjusted camshaft phasing controlled by dynamic oil pressure. When used in conjunction with the familiar Variable Valve Timing Control, the RSX outruns 160 stampeding horses while muscling out 141 lbs-ft of torque. Velocity controls are mated to a five-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed SportShift automatic. The real beauty, however, lies in the fine print, or rather the fine type - the Type S. The RSX flagship ups the performance ante by bumping the compression up to 11.0:1, a screaming 7900-rpm redline (versus the base 6800 rpm), and a six-speed manual transmission with a factory incorporated short-throw, short-clutch travel for aggressive driving. Add leather bucket seats and feel for yourself how 200 hp feels as you crash through the gears.
Dyno Testing
Seeing is believing so, while the Honda/Acura camp hasn't failed to deliver the goods before, we wanted to see just how much more the RSX Type S could impress us. We got our hands on a showroom fresh car and, after a couple of spins around the block, strapped it to Dynamic Autosport's Dynojet to see what kind of numbers we could turn. At the time of our test the car had been available for two days.
As you can tell from the graph, the RSX Type S puts down an honest 162.5 hp to the front wheels. The power band is silky smooth until the variably timed valvetrain kicks into high gear, jumping almost 25 hp within 200 rpm. The powerband then continues it's smooth upward ascent until it levels out just below redline. Thanks to the variable timing technology, low-end torque remains stable, predictable, and most of all, usable. After VTEC and its ever-present power spike, torque falls minimally to the end of the powerband.
Being psychotically inquisitive when it comes to power, we thought it would be a good idea to forecast what the aftermarket is going to get out of the RSX. To do this we suggested the airbox be removed to "simulate" a open-element filter and the exhaust to be removed at the cat to give us an idea of how many horse are hiding in the pipes. The airbox trick netted 171.4, an increase of 8.9 over baseline. With the exhaust disconnected the RSX generated 179.0 horsepower, a jump of 7.6 hp. The total increase comes to 16.5 horsepower. While a filter and upgraded exhaust will not generate this big of a jump, our experiment illustrates that the potential to make power is there.
Conclusion
The Integra is gone, and the RSX is here - in a big way. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding says 162.5 horses on tap - in stock trim. It should be noted that our test vehicle, like all the other RSX's hot off the showroom floor, was recalled for an ECU change, reportedly due to incompatibility with JDM versus American market electronics. These tests were run with the American ECU. What good things are going to happen in the future as manufacturers and tuners lift the hood and start tinkering around in the RSX engine bay? One guess is that while the new Civic has been criticized as sour in some tuning circles, the RSX will only get sweeter.