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Honda’s Lexus-Fighting ’80s Icon Returns in All Its Retro Glory

Acura celebrates four decades in operation by paying tribute to its most important car.

Red Acura Integra RS hatchback with black rear spoiler and white Borla Exhaust decal in a garage.Acura
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By Chris Chin

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It was just 40 years ago when Honda introduced one of the most influential brands, which took America by storm. On March 27, 1986, the Japanese automaker officially opened Acura’s doors, all in an attempt to meet the stateside demand for more upscale automobiles.

To celebrate the occasion, Acura didn’t just pop the champagne and light 40 candles on a birthday cake. Rather, the brand did the unthinkable. Instead, it recreated the car that really put Acura in the spotlight in the ’80s: a 1986 Integra IMSA racecar.

Heritage rooted in motorsports

White and red Acura Comptech race car number 49 on a curved asphalt race track.
Acura is a common sight and fixture in American motorsports, and there’s a big reason why.
Acura

For those who remember Acura in its early days, models like the Vigor, Legend and NSX often come to mind. So, you probably guessed they found one of those examples to carry out some insane, factory-backed restoration.

However, as groundbreaking and iconic as the three models were, one actually sticks out as the most memorable. And, perhaps, the most important for the brand. That would be the Integra.

Silver vintage Acura Integra coupe and blue modern Acura Integra sedan driving side by side on a highway.
While Acura made some legendary cars in the 1980s, the Integra sticks out as one of the most important.
Acura

Like all automakers in the 1980s, Honda and Acura took to motorsports to prove their cars’ capabilities. Because the premise is simple. If the car can withstand a beating on the racetrack and perform in harsh conditions of motorsports, it should also perform equally as well or better on the road.

With the goal of competing with some of Europe’s best at the time, Acura prioritized performance, quality and durability. And benchmarking it all in racing was proof of concept for its road-going production models.

Dark blue four-door sedan driving on a curved road with headlights on and a person inside.
The Acura Legend is a…well…legend in its own right.
Acura

And the car they chose to do it with was an OG, first-generation Integra coupe. Because Honda originally introduced Acura primarily for the North American market, it entered the country’s most prominent motorsports league, the International Motor Sports Association.

Recreating a racing icon

Red Acura race car with white number 40 and white wheels in a garage with other cars on lifts.
This recreation of an Integra-based IMSA racecar pays tribute to the original No. 48 car raced by Comptech.
Acura

Between 1987 and 1990, a first-gen Integra sponsored by Comptech as No. 48 scored consecutive championship titles in the IMSA International Sedan Series Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships. And the car Acura just built is a recreation of that specific car.

In addition to a full, nut-and-bolt restoration, Acura retained and rebuilt the Integra’s original D16A1 naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual. Engineers converted the ignition system from the original distributor cap and rotor arrangement to an electronically-controlled coil-on-plug setup.

1986 Acura Integra Racer Heritage

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Accompanying the fresh rebuild are custom stainless steel exhaust headers with an equally custom Borla exhaust, and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Tein coilovers, a manual steering rack and brake conversion, performance brakes, 14-inch Mugen lightweight alloys with Yokohama ADVAN racing slicks, and an adjustable panhard bar round out the performance upgrades. While the interior gets a custom-built rollcage and a compliant six-point racing harness.

Red two-door sports car with silver wheels and black roof on a reflective black surface.
The most iconic Acura of the 1980s is undoubtedly the NSX.
Acura

And the result is nothing less than spectacular. While the NSX and other Acura models often get the most attention, the truthis that the automaker wouldn’t be anywhere where it is today without its motorsports efforts.

Even today, Acura remains a common sight and fixture in IMSA racing leagues. And that’s all thanks to this one Integra from 40 years ago.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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