Jamie Whitfield

When I first drove the Impreza Turbo back in 1998 I was impressed as are the majority of people in the know, I really didn't think it could be even equalled by anything. How wrong I was!

Not wishing to get into any heated debates but last thursday I took delivery of a brand new Hoda Integra Type -R, and the smile is still on my face.

The car grips where my 98my would be heading for the ditch, I sounds amazing, looks the part in Championship White and red trim, goes like a brown stuff off a shovel and and generally kicks ***! I can see my self being able to drive the car much quicker than in the Scoob, because of the engines flexibility and the cars character. (Also the fact that I have always had fwd cars (Corrado 16v, Fiesta Si (oops!), 205 1.9 GTi, Focus, 620 Gsi)) makes it easy to get used to. I love it!

I still love the Scooby of course, but isn't it good when you have something new to play with?

Does anyone know of any usefull type-r pages please. Are there any other Scooby owners lucky enough to have access to two of the all time greatest Jap vehicles ever?

Kevin2000

Is the car really that good? I thought with the v-tec engine it wouldnt be a flexible as the Subaru?Never driven a Type R Integra.I am fairly sure recently that I was passed by a Civic that also had a Type R badge on it,is there such a car?

NITO

Hi Jamie,

My friend has a type R and after coming along to the pre Barretts rally breakfast meet and seeing all the scoobs is desperately trying to find some integra owners clubs. Perhaps you guys could set something up! The only thing he's managed to find is some American pure Honda site but it's not up to much. If he does find any sites I'll let you know!

Nito

Kevin2000

You going to the RAC Nito?

jjones

jamie,

glad you are enjoying the Honda experience.

I bought an accord type r after 3 years of scoob ownership because some scum took her. I think that the scoob was easier to drive - in that you could achieve much with very little skill (bearing in mind my skill is very limited!). The accord has to be driven harder to match the scoob which may suit many people but i did prefer the lazier approach to power that you have with the scoob. However, saying that there are many areas where the honda excels - build quality, solid feel to every aspect of the car. Oh and i get two exhausts and gorgeous Recaros and thrash it thru to the rev limiter in every gear and the engine will still be good for 300K.

compromise is the name of the game.

j jones

Kevin2000

I suppose the vast majority of people wouldnt know as much about the Integra Type R which is probably why you have had better luck holding on to it.How many revs does it pull in top at say 60mph?

AWD

I remember my first ride in a Honda NSX. The VTEC noise is quite astounding, and hearing it eminating from just behind you was ... well awesome.

Great handling, loads of power and it looked pretty good too (and all this in 1990)

If the Integra Type R is anything like that then you'll have a great time.

Mark Pattison

It is that good!

I went from a honda integra typer to a 4 door sti (sti felt very floppy in comparison). Just remedied that with a new 2 door sti - best of both worlds! now there is no need to think about the honda anymore, having far too much fun in the sti

With you a safe road ahead in the honda mate (it really does egg you on!) They are awesome machines as you have just found out

Kevin, yes honda do a civic typer aswell but its not upto much..

PS. if you want to sound like a f355 just say the word (simple free modification needed)

PPS. can i drive your typer when i get back to england ?? lol

ChrisG

I had an Integra Type R before my Sccob, really enjoyed it and only really changed after my son was born as I felt I needed rear doors.

I think the Integras are very much an under rated car.

Although the Honda was down on power, it would be quicker down a twisty road. One of the things I miss with the Scoob is the front end "feel" on the Integra, you always knew exactly what was going on.

Jamie, the engine will rev and feel a great deal faster after 4-5k miles.

Still love the Impreza though!

Chris

ric

I have a MY98.
I could drive the Integra Type R a few times and I have to say, it is a marvellous car!
Very fast (not as fast as the Scoob) and the Suspension and grip is very good!
...overall the Scoob is faster and better to drive on the road, but on the racetrack I think a Integra would beat my MY98 (in standard trim).

ric

Jamie Whitfield

Nice to see so many ppl who feel the way I do!

I've nearly completed the mandatory 600miles after only putting my foot down a couple of times, the V-tec is a glorious noise!! So let the fun begin!

PeteC

Both Type R's are very good cars ( - the Integra is a little too "in your face" for my taste though, but I was thinking about getting the Accord before finally deciding on the Scoob). Build quality, interior, handling, reliability, etc, are all excellent.

Perhaps I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, but I found that the fact that you needed to keep the revs above 6000 all the time to get them to go was a bit of a pain.

Very nice cars, and very quick as long as you keep the revs up, but a bit too frantic for me.

Nico

I had a Civic vti before my scoob. 158 bhp out of a 1.6 is rather impressive for a non turbo car . Integras are even better! Was tempted to get an Accord type-r but wanted something faster, hence the scoob.

Jamie / Nito,
I used to belong to a Honda club a couple of years ago but it wasn't too hot as there weren't many members. I think they re-launched a while back saying it would be much better, but I wasn't interested as I was getting an Impreza.
They've got a web site:

Andrew Timmins

Jamie,
The Integra is a fantastic car. I went round Silverstone with a race instructer driving at top gear live a few years ago. He easily caught up with a Jaguar XK8 and the slides he could do were amazing. Brakes are much better than a Scoob, same ones as the NSX I believe.

I drive a UK 95 Turbo and the 0-100 time is 18.9 seconds, the time for the Integra is 16.8. So the Integra is not as fast as the newer Scoobs but is still pretty close.

Steve_Yeowart

Yes there is a Civic Type R jap import, driven one not as quick as the scoob but an absolute hoot!!!!

Kussimurran

After a MY97 UK scoob and an EVO 6, I now have also gone and bought an Integra, and I'm thrilled to bits with it. A friend of mine has a MY99 scoob, and having had a play on a quiet road, we found that there was no difference whatsoever in the straight line performance bw the two cars. Fantastic handling and brakes. The Subaru is MUCH quicker powering out of bends, especialy in the wet, but I think the ITR has the better brakes.

With regards to clubs, there is a mailing list and indeed a club, called the Honda-R club.

Martin Cook

Andrew Timmins
Are you sure those 0-100 times are correct??
I'm sure mines a little quicker than that!!

Martin

AWD

I'm looking forward to seeing the new NSX which should come out in a year or two. It is meant to have well over 500BHP, and if it is as revolutionary as the original NSX was when it came out, it should be pretty amazing. They've been working on it for a few years already - but no Aayrton Senna to advise them this time.

Probably be very expensive though.

Andrew Timmins

Martin Cook,
18.7 to 100 is the time I've seen for the earlier Impreza. The later cars with smaller turbo are around 15 second to 100. I think the times were from an old copy of Performance Car.

0 - 60 5.8
0 -100 18.7
Top speed 137

Figures do vary a lot from magazine to magazine, if you've seen different ones then they are just as valid as the ones I read. What published times have you seen?

SimonM

mmmmm... 18.7 seconds does seem slow.

Are the newer cars really that much quicker?

If so....... Cool... 'cos I've got one!

SimonM




[This message has been edited by SimonM (edited 19 October 2000).]

P1 WR

hi.i read comparisons between integra type-r vs impreza and accord type-r vs impreza.impreza beats two honda eeasily.it kicked integra type-r's *** on a track by 2.4 seconds and on wet test if kicked again.it kicked accord's *** in a comparison on road.
thanks
P1 WR

Daryl

My wife's got an MR2 Roadster and I have to say that in many ways it's just as much fun as my 276BHP 4WD Jap rally thingy (which might not be a Scooby, but I don't want to get told off for being on the wrong BB! ). And with our nanny state trying to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink driving (:mad you can have your fun at lower speeds with less risk to your licence.........anyone want to buy an Evo 6, one careful owner?!

Jamie Whitfield

Ok to all the type r boys and girls is it really ok to rev the nackers off the thing all the time?

I've found after having my itr for just over a week that it and the scooby are totally different animals each bettering each other in different ways.

Imagine the combination of the two though....

A sleek racy body

A 2 litre turbo that revved to 9000rpm, the burble and the scream!

No understeer

Body as stiff as a racer

Steering that is communicative and direct

Seats and interior to set the pulse racing from the off

A car you'd always want to keep standard.

Hey maybe this is the Impreza, Subaru should have made instead of that new Sprite-like thing!!! LOL


Whatever they both rock!

Mark Pattison

Jamie, great minds think alike

Suggest you try a sti 5/6 typer, always thought my old sti 4 door scooby was missing something after the intega-r.

About the revs - yea always went to redline on a daily basis and it seemed to like every second of it! Wouldn't fancy doing that to the subaru

H

The Palmer sport days now include the Accord Type-R (Replaces the roapy Passat v6 shopping cart challenge!!!) - plus a UK model scooby (and Lotus Elise, Caterham Superlight, Formula whatever it was, etc, etc)

I found the Accord to be one of the best driving cars I have ever been in - handles like an angel on crack! - loved every moment...HOWEVER, after my last Palmer day I bought a Scooby Sti...so that kind of says it all!!!

Out of interest the 996 round the Leyland test track (Near Preston), p***ed on them both (slight cost difference I suppose!)

[This message has been edited by H (edited 07 November 2000).]

jeremy

ChrisG,

When you say you liked the "front end feel" and that you the driver had a better feel for the posture of the car, what do you mean?

I always thought that with 4WD cars, especially like the Impreza, you had more options as to how to manipulate your car on the road making them safer to drive fast, down unknown roads?

Are you saying that actually there is something to front-wheel drive done right- aka type R? That with the type R you can more gradually and predicably lose control of the car- and then be in a better posistion to regain control once lost?

Is there now a new agument for the on-road safety benefits of front-wheel drive? Or are we really not talking about front-wheel drive so much as front-weight bias combined with late/safe slight understeer on the limit as being optimal for safe on-road progress? Because I'm pretty sure that some Impreza have been set up in that way not to mention the latter torsion diff Quattro's-which many beleive are the safest of on-road tools.

Any body else care to chime in on this concept?

Mark Pattison

I think I know what ChrisG means.

Honda typer felt like a gokart basically, very light and a stiff body shell spec'ed with racing in mind. It would change direction VERY quickly without body roll and generally felt very well composed.

On the limit handling though it's a different matter...the rear end was far too light for my preference. Once the back end is out you have to be very carefull - powering out may not be enough to straighten the car. Don't ask me how i know lol

rsquire

I'm looking for a good clean Ford RS 200.. If anyone knows of one please drop me an email

Richard