Released as a 1987 model, the very very first Acura Integra began what was to turn out to be a strong following of owners who had been drawn in by the car's sports appeal and reasonable prices. Based on the Honda Civic, the Integra successfully brought consumers over to the Acura brand and has been widely credited with spurring Honda's luxury division to its "legendary" success. In 2002, Acura renamed the car the "RSX" to bring the name in line with the alphabet soup designation of each of its models. Whatever you call the vehicle, the Integra has lived up to all of the hype surrounding the model. Let's take a closer look a vehicle that has an fascinating, if not a bit strange, legacy.
From Civic to Acura
Honda's choice to launch a luxury vehicle division was based on two aspects: luxury versions of Honda automobiles were already being sold in its household marketplace, Japan, and the American automotive market was ripe for some competition. Honda felt that the US market would additional readily accept an all-new Acura brand over an upscale Honda, thus the choice was produced to proceed with Acura.
The brand's 1st two models, the Integra and Legend, had been based on existing Honda platforms, the Civic and Accord, respectively. As odd as this could appear currently, the modified platforms created sense in the course of the 1980s allowing Acura to concentrate on marketing and advertising and dealer network development though introducing variations of two highly profitable Honda models.
True Entry Level Luxury
While most luxury brands use the $25,000 figure as the cost point for their base models, Acura has held down the cost of the Integra/RSX various thousand dollars less than that threshold. Really, the Integra was never a luxury automobile, instead it was and is a properly equipped, easy-to-tune, enjoyable-to-drive, sports coupe. This pricing technique opened the Acura door to a lot of motorists who could have otherwise stayed away and kept owners in the fold once they had been ready to upgrade to a pricier Acura model.
Highly Preferred...With Thieves, That Is
1 claim to fame that the Integra has is its appearance on every single single "most stolen" vehicle list. Indeed, as numerous as seven unique model year Integras have appeared on the list as a swiped Integra is most prized for its parts. As with numerous imports, all of the individual parts combined can retail for even more than 3 times the vehicle's price. In addition, the car's potent engine regularly finds its way underneath the hood of less powerful Honda models. Check your local chop shop for their selection of genuinely "hot" Acura Integra parts!
Curtain Call
Though the Integra name is synonymous with sportiness and value, as is the present RSX appellation, Acura is discontinuing the model as Honda seeks to further separate its two divisions. No longer will a thinly disguised, but potent Honda wear an Acura nameplate. Indeed, Honda has now separated the analysis and development departments for the two brands in a bid to differentiate the lines. Apparently, Honda believes that Acura can now stand on its own and "bridge models" such as the RSX will not have a place in its model line up.
Beyond the RSX, Acura currently has no other sport coupe to entice owners. That all could possibly change if a rumored two door version of its hot new TSX sedan is released. If it is, Acura owners will pay a premium over the Integra/RSX price, but obtain a automobile that is even alot more opulent, extra potent, and superior engineered than the model that it will be replacing.
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