2002 Acura Rsx Horsepower
We think it's fair to say the 1994-2001 Acura Integra--in particular, the Integra bearing the GS-R model suffix--rates a small but significant footnote in the ongoing saga of the automobile. Okay, maybe it doesn't cast a shadow quite as long as, say, the Corvette's. But it's no exaggeration to say that this car has been one of the major linchpins of the burgeoning Asian hot-rod phenomenon. There are hordes of slammed Integras zooming around out there in the Land of the Great Freeway, icons of a new-age mechanolust whose lexicon is utterly devoid of the words "small-block V-8." And without putting too fine a point on it, the Integra has been, to paraphrase old Chico Escuela, berra, berra good to the Acura Division of American Honda Motor Company, rolling along for eight years essentially unchanged, about twice the normal model life span. No major changes equals no retooling investment, which in turn equals increased profitability. All of which makes you wonder why anyone would even consider changing the name. But the marketing gurus obviously perceive things in the socioeconomic ether that are invisible to mere mortals, and so it is that the Integra's replacement is cloaked in alphanumeric anonymity, just like the rest of its Acura stablemates. Goodbye, Integra. Hello, RSX and RSX Type-S.
JEFFREY G. RUSSELL
Honda's new i-VTEC adds continuously variable valve timing to the VTEC dual-lobe cam system.
Fortunately, these apparently random selections from the alphabet are affixed to what seems to be a pretty good sports coupe, despite an ominous portent to the contrary. Like the recent renewal of the Civic, the newest Acura eschews the unequal-length control-arm front suspension that has long been a Honda point of distinction, employing instead a more mundane MacPherson-strut setup. But don't be deceived. Although the RSX--even the hot-rod Type-S--exhibits the resistance to turn-in (read, understeer) common to virtually all front-drive cars, there's far less of it here than in the GS-R, and it's balanced by a willingness for the rear end to slide when the driver backs off the throttle or applies a touch of brake. It's called oversteer, a trait treasured by enthusiasts and rare in cars with a pronounced forward weight bias (61 percent of it up front in the Type-S) and with front wheels that are required to transmit both power and steering inputs. And it's all the sweeter here for its forgiving nature.
The Type-S can be coaxed into a modest four-wheel drift, but it returns to the path of righteousness with a little waiting and perhaps a hint of opposite lock. In a word, it's delightful--a small front-drive sports coupe that can be vectored with the throttle, as well as its small, racer-sized steering wheel and quick (2.6 turns lock-to-lock), surgically sharp variable-assist rack-and-pinion power steering. Add a new 2.0-liter engine developing 30 more horsepower than the GS-R's 1.8 (see sidebar), a slick new short-throw six-speed manual transmission (Type-S only), and potent, no-fade disc brakes (with generous 11.8-inch vented front rotors in the Type-S), and you have a recipe for best in class, no matter what they call it.
Basics: The Integra replacement is all-new, but its dimensions are decidedly familiar. At 101.2 inches, the wheelbase is unchanged, the overall length--172.3 inches--has shrunk by 0.1 inch, and the width (67.9 inches) has increased by just over half an inch. The only significant change is the car's height, which has soared 2.5 inches, an adjustment aimed at enhancing the viability of the rear seat as a place to sit without doing your famous impression of Quasimodo ducking around in the Notre Dame belfry. Although more headroom is a plus, the most appealing element of the new interior is an instrument panel that's gone from Japanese generic to distinctively contemporary, complete with de rigueur black-on-silver gauges that morph to red backlighting at night.
The color scheme within the Type-S tends toward dark charcoals and blacks, just as it did in the Integra GS-R, but a textured material that feels more like fabric than plastic lends an upscale look to the instrument binnacle, door panels, and shift knob, and Acura finally seems to have realized that climate and audio controls are likely to be manipulated by people rather than elves. Three large rotary knobs operate the first automatic climate-control system offered in Acura's entry-level lineup, and the various buttons and switches governing the excellent Bose audio system are sized to allow use by gloved hands with the car in motion.
JEFFREY G. RUSSELL
New black-on-silver instruments feature red backlighting after dark.
The new bucket seats, leather-clad in the Type-S, feature integrated side airbags and belts, as well as excellent lateral support. There's lots of storage for small objects, and forward sightlines are typically Honda, which is to say better than most. The sheetmetal that surrounds this friendly interior is perhaps not quite as distinctive as on the previous car--the unique double-snake-eye headlights are gone, replaced by a face that's consistent with the new family look established by the CL coupes and TL sedans.
But the lines are clean, and the tidy proportions, with minimal front and rear overhangs, accurately reflect the car's athletic character. And beyond merely looking good, the body shell has a lot to do with that character. Like every new car that rolls onstage these days, the RSX has a far higher chassis rigidity than its predecessor--116 percent improved in torsional stiffness and 35 percent in bending, according to Acura--and even though claims like this make us wonder what the previous car was made of (linguine? licorice whips?), the decisive responses of the Type-S suggest the RSX is indeed composed of the right stuff. Increased rigidity and other structural upgrades aimed at crashworthiness--Acura projects a five-star NCAP rating in frontal crashes--inevitably show up as more weight, and that's true here, to the tune of about 200 pounds in the Type-S. But that is offset by the increased thrust.
The GS-R's listed power-to-weight ratio was just over 15.1 pounds per horsepower versus 13.9 for the Type-S. The other inevitable new-car weight gain is in the realm of price. Although Acura was officially noncommittal on this issue, we believe the RSX and Type-S will be substantially more expensive than their Integra forebears, although direct comparisons are deceptive since the new line will consist, at least initially, of just two well-equipped trim levels (versus three) and one hatchback coupe body style (no four-door sedans). With that in mind, we look for the RSX to start at about $23,000 and the Type-S at about $24,500. If those prices prove to be accurate, they'll propel the RSX to the top of its class, not necessarily an enviable position.
On the other hand, the price may well be consistent with the car's performance versus its competition. And remember: BMWs use strut-front suspensions, too. Honda Rewrites the VTEC Alphabet Superior engine technology has long distinguished Honda cars from the herd, and the new 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve aluminum engines in the RSX and RSX Type-S add a new chapter to this endless quest. Honda's VTEC system, introduced with the NSX sports car back in 1990, was a major step forward in the search for more power from a given displacement without resorting to force-feeding measures such as turbo- or supercharging. By utilizing two sets of lobes--one mild, one wild--on the camshaft, VTEC (for "variable valve timing and lift electronic control") could alter valve lift and duration as well as timing. Since then, several manufacturers have come up with variations on Honda's theme.
Thus the RSX was chosen for the first installation of i-VTEC--" i" for "intelligent" valve control, which adds continuously variable valve timing to the system's bag of tricks. It operates on the intake cam only and, based on ECU info, advances or retards cam timing continuously through a range of 50 degrees. The base RSX version of the new 2.0-liter engine has a milder version of i-VTEC that's intake side only in all respects. This engine also has a dual-stage intake manifold--long runners feed the fires below 4600 rpm, short runners come onstream above--that bolsters low-end and midrange performance.
The net is a relatively modest (by high-revving Honda standards) horsepower peak--160 at 6500 rpm--and relatively strong (by the same standards) torque output: 141 pound-feet at 4000 rpm. The Type-S engine shares the same block, but its internals are beefier and it's different up top. The compression ratio is 11.0:1 versus 9.8:1; its VTEC system operates on both the intake and exhaust valves; it's equipped with a single set of intake runners designed to enhance high-rpm output; and it makes a bunch more power: 200 horsepower at 7400 rpm.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 3-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $23,000–$24,500
ENGINES: DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter 4-in-line, 160 hp, 141 lb-ft; DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter 4-in-line, 200 hp, 142 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 5- or 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 101.2 in Length: 172.3 in Width: 67.9 in Height: 55.1 in
Curb weight: 2700–2800 lb
C/D-ESTIMATED PERFORMANCE (TYPE-S):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 19.0 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.5 sec @ 91 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 24–27 mpg
EPA highway driving: 31–33 mpg
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Source: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15138877/2002-acura-rsx-first-drive-review/
