I believe you have reached some sort of logical paradox.

 

I keep seeing people cite the Integra for being a super mass produced car. The ‘60s Mustang was made in droves too…why do people care so much about the ‘60s GT350 then? The ubiquitous nature of the base car has no bearing on the desirability or performance of the special model. If anything, that makes the special model stand out even more.

I think we should probably move on from the ITR discussion, but some of my fellow FD RX-7 owners would do well by reading up on the history of our Japanese car contemporaries and their influence on the global market.

I love the FD as much as the next guy, but the world doesn’t revolve around it. My study of other brands and the history/development of their most respected models has only increased my appreciation of our special car. The FD should be considered in the context of this impressive pantheon of special cars.

 

Hold on, I'm headed over to NSX prime to tell 'em they need to read up on the FD3S. Renn Tech watch out, you're on deck.

 

They can watch the movie.

 

Peak Honda as in representative of Honda at its peak. NSX, ITR, S2000, Civic Si. All sold during the same period. I put you in the wrinkle brain category with the comment about wrinkle brains but maybe I got ahead of myself.

 

Too each there own but for me the integra or any fwd car is not worthy to be in the same conversation as the Fd. Fd is a well balanced rwd no non sense car with plenty of racing history. Add the rotary engine and it is just in a legue of it's own. This is my view and I am not trying to disrespect others with different views. Brap on

 

The volvo 850r was the pinnacle of automobile and the rest of you are in denial

 

What the heck is a wrinkle brain?

 

Found the smooth brain.

 

I sold my 33k-mile-from-new 2000 ITR in 2004 to fund the purchase of my FD.

While the FD objectively handled better and was massively faster (the ITR was not even a fast car for its time), I was immediately disappointed with the lower level of driver feedback and involvement that the FD provided. It felt somewhat numb in comparison.

And I am talking in relative terms here - both cars are incredibly involving, especially in comparison to modern cars. Driving an FD today I would never even consider using the word numb - but immediately after 4 years of driving an ITR the word came to mind.

While Honda fandom circa the year 2000 was not an inspiring place and has bad associations for many, the ITR is an amazing piece of kit. I can easily understand the prices these cars are now fetching.

 

Are you sure you aren't confusion driver feedback with the side effect of driving a light weight tin can around on like 15"x7" rims?

 

Yes, and the owner's name is mazderati...

 

I try to keep an open mind and understand the type r hype, but just don't get it. Must be a JDM yo thang. 20 years ago when I was dating my wife, she needed a car, and we found a nice used manual integra gsr. I think I had read somewhere about the "best handling fwd" bit. It was ok. Somewhat fun, economical, reliable. Almost as good as the mazda3 manual we bought new a few years later, if that says anything. Can't imagine how adding 20 more horsepower and stiffer suspension to a gsr, makes it $100k car in todays money, rarity be damned. Adding a plastic chrome A and some R decals to a 90s honda civic doesn't do much for me these days. To each his own.

 

Yup - that must be it.

Very surprised to see this level of cluelessness about iconic Japanese cars on an FD forum. Many of the recent comments on this thread would be embarrassing to see on a Mustang forum.

 

But is the mustang stitch welded with titanium pistons?

 

What is iconic about it? It's literally built on the same platform as other Hondas.

FD, NSX, etc are the iconic cars. The integra has a following, mainly people that had one and wished they had a Supra, NSX, FD, etc... but now have some nostalgia. Often times the relative pricing isn't all that logical, so I can get past the price difference in this case. But to say it has better driving feedback is laughable. Maybe it feels that way on the street because it's got tiny wheels, light weight, stiff suspension, etc. But drive it 10/10 on a track in a real sports car setting and I guarantee the FD is the one with better feedback for the driver.

I've driven both, also had a CRX, and late 80s and 90s civics, and we had a POS prelude with active rear steering. None of that stuff is even close to an FD.

So yeah, I bet if someone tried to say an integra had better feel than a mustang GT500, you'd get a similar response.

 

The Realtime Racing Hondas are really well known, and they won a lot. https://dinnerwithracers.com/ep-54-peter-cunningham/

 

they have the 850 race car in the museum and it is just awesome. for the smooth brains the SAAB Viggen is in the Volvo museum because it uses a Volvo engine...

 

The rx7 has been racing since the 70s and have won a few championships on the way not to mention Daytona a few times.

 

The 850 T-5R is an iconic car for sure. Cool to see one of the wagon race cars was preserved.

 

^actual footage of every teenager in their family's turbo volvo

 

LOL ain’t that the truth.

 

I have a 1994 Integra GS-R alongside my FD and don't find it better or worse, just different.

I do think RWD provides an element that is missing in a front-wheel drive car, but that is only one aspect of the experience. There is a lot to like about the classic VTEC Hondas. Revving to 8,300 rpm and hitting the next gear with that oh-so-slick Honda shifter is a sublime experience.

 

FWD gives you a lot more grip feedback though the steering wheel, no question.

The ITR also benefits from being a higher-spec version of a mass produced car. That means everyone who owned the lower spec car dreamed of the higher spec car, and everyone knew the basic car existed because they saw them all the time. Same thing in BMW land with 3 series cars, we all wanted E30 M3s instead of the 325/318 cars we already had. The FD pretty much came in one basic spec for most of the world... and now we all want those Spirit R and RZ cars. The ITR is simply the Spirit R of the Honda FWD world, and that's a big big world with lots of money.

I would never spend real money on a FWD Honda, but plenty of people out there would. My EG hatch gave me plenty of laughs before I moved on to RWD platforms, I'm sure an ITR is a riot

 

Who, are these guys....;.