Cars You Should Know: Acura & Honda

Honda was founded in 1948 as a manufacturer of bikes and motorcycles. Their first model released in 1952 was the Cup F-Type, a bicycle with auxiliary engine. Not long after, the Super Cub C100 came out which was more scooter/motorcycle-like in design and function. The C100 has remained virtually unchanged since it was launched and, in fact, is still available (and beloved) today.

Honda remained a bike maker until releasing their first production car to Japanese buyers in 1963: The T-360 mini-pickup. Then in the ‘70s, Honda released what would become two of their best-selling models, the Accord and the Civic. But Honda is more than these family favorites, as this month’s models show. Cars like the S2000 and the CRX Si showcase Honda’s focus on performance and expert engineering.

This month, as we round the bend toward the end of the year, we’re featuring two makes for the price of one. Acura – Honda’s luxury division brand – opened its doors in the mid-1980s and allowed Honda to diversify its audience and grow in the U.S.

Read on to learn more about all five models featured in this month’s Cars You Should Know.

Acura Integra Type-R

Launched in 1986, the Integra is a performance and luxury version of the very popular Honda Civic. The Integra was one of the first products sold in America as an Acura. In 1995, the Integra was the first model to receive the Type-R treatment, which involved removing weight from the standard car and adding a unique high-performance engine. The first Integra Type-R was marketed as a Honda in Japan in 1995, but it finally made it to the North American market for 1997 as an Acura.

Honda Civic Si

Becoming available in 1973, the Civic was Honda’s first big hit in the North American car market. Similar to the Integra Type-R, Honda has periodically offered a Civic Type-R, which is the most collectible version of the model. Below that Type-R high performance variant is the Si, or Sport Injection, which first appeared in 1987 (in Canada) and was Honda’s way of marketing the use of electronic fuel-injection. Now in its eleventh generation, some 27 million examples of the Civic have been sold worldwide.

Honda S2000

The S2000 was Honda’s two-seat roadster offering during the retro roadster craze of the 1990s. While Mazda’s MX-5 Miata was accessible and affordable, Honda’s S2000 (1999-09) was focused and demonstrated the company’s engineering expertise. Over 110,000 S2000s were produced but the model was not replaced after 2009.

Acura NSX

NSX stands for New Sportscar (eXperimental) and was Honda’s game-changing, mid-engine two-seater. Launched for the 1991 model year, the car sold well initially but sales volume dropped over its production run as few updates were made. The NSX received the Type-R treatment of reduced weight and greater performance and was sold as the NSX-R (but was not available in North America when new).

Honda CRX Si (Forgotten classic)

The CRX was spun out of the Civic for the 1984 model year. Initially a highly efficient two-seat hatchback, the CRX gained higher performance engines over the course of its life. The CRX Si was launched for 1985 and featured the first appearance of Honda’s electronic fuel-injection. The Si remained the highest performance CRX in the North American markets through the generations of the model (1984-87 and 1988-91). However, in other markets, an even higher performance CRX SiR was available in the second generation.

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