2023 INTEGRA A-SPEC HPDE Review and Impressions

Welcome to my review and first impressions of tracking the 23 Integra A-Spec!

First, a little background: I've started my motorsports journey with AutoX and HPDE in 2019 and have participated in well over 20+ events to date. I am by no means an expert or a professional, however I believe I have enough seat time to confidently speak on the subject and I am happy to share my review with you all.

The vehicles I've tracked include:
2009 Civic Si (FA5)
2020 Civic Sport Hatchback (FK7)
2020 Civic Si (FC1)
2021 Civic Type R (FK8)

Current vehicle:
2023 Integra A-Spec (DE4)

Current setup as reviewed:
Engine: Stock L15CA
Transmission: Stock 6MT
Suspension: Eibach Pro-Kit springs / Stock Dampers (Adaptive)
Tires: Stock 235/40R18 Continental ProContact (All-Season)
Bolt-ons: K&N SRI
ECU/Tune: KTuner V1.2 - TSP STage 1 Tune

Track:
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA

Conditions:
Light Rain/Wet

Review:

My intent of this track day was to get acclimated with this car and really feel out the characteristics of this platform. My goal was not to set any personal best lap times, but rather understand the vehicle's behavior - that way I can determine what improvements would be most beneficial and effective. The car has been daily driven for approximately 20,000 miles and is still on the factory all-season tires (which I knew was going to be the biggest weak point in the configuration, second being the factory brake pads and fluid) however, I was curious to see how they performed anyways.

On top of running with well-worn all-season tires and factory brakes/fluid - it had been raining and the track was still pretty wet with the painted strips very slippery, so I had to proceed with much caution!

Despite the odds that were against the vehicle, I was still impressed by the overall performance. The engine felt plenty responsive, and there was enough power and torque that it did not feel like a chore to get out of corners or maintain pace (Like the Civics I'm used to, these are "momentum" cars, so keeping pace and staying flat is imperative) The transmission performed well, it was very easy to stay in the powerband and shifting was a breeze - especially the downshifts thanks to the auto rev match system much like my old FK8 Type R. Some drivers prefer the old heel-toe method; however I found no issues with the rev match system - in fact, I actually found it quite enjoyable to be honest!

Power did not feel like an issue on this vehicle, grip however was a whole different story....

Again, I was well aware that my tire and brake setup was not ideal for track use, and I DO NOT RECCOMEND running all-season tires and factory brake pads/fluid! I found that I spend most of my efforts fighting the car when it came to traction. The tires screamed for their lives at even the mildest corners on Road Atlanta. After only a few laps, I began to feel some serious brake fade, and I suspected that my fluid was probably cooked. The combo of weak tires/brakes (not to mention poor weather) forced me to lift quite a bit (against my instincts) and to brake very very early in an effort to keep the car on the track, and not into a wall.

Despite it all, the car was extremely fun to drive, and I feel like there is a ton of potential to extract from this platform. I am looking forward to seeing how this car performs in the future with some adjustments to its setup.

Recommended improvements:
Tires! Some proper 200TW Summer tires would seriously do this car some justice.
Brakes! Swapping to a better compound such as Hawk and higher temp Fluid such as Motul 600.

Future upgrades:
Clutch! Although I mentioned that the power was fine, I was on the Base calibration of the TSP Stage 1 Tune. There are 2 additional Maps that allow for more power to be utilized - so I feel like a clutch upgrade would do this car well as to make better use of the increased power and torque (staying within safe parameters of the factory internals of course) Combined with better tires, I feel like this car will perform significantly better and will prove to be a fun daily driver that can handle some light duty track days!

Here is a clip from one my sessions. Not my best lap by a long shot, but I learned a lot about the Integra's behavior and look forward to taking it back out there with some alterations and seeing what I can do with this platform in the future.

I look forward to hearing about your experiences as well

Enjoy, and be safe!

-Glenn Crane



Integra Track Day

Awesome man, way to give it a go. Tires and brakes will really wake the car up. Sounds like you're on the right track so to speak. Track looked fun too.

StingertimeNC said:

Awesome man, way to give it a go. Tires and brakes will really wake the car up. Sounds like you're on the right track so to speak. Track looked fun too.

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Nice pun!
Thanks! It definitely was a blast, have you taken yours out yet? (Or have any plans to?)

I agree with you. Power is good, even at stock levels, but tires and brakes are definitely the limitation. I don't do any track days but I do get some pretty spirited driving a few days a week. The biggest things I've noticed with stock brakes is the initial bite is good, but then it feels like they heat up fast and lose effectiveness quickly. I've also the noticed the front end feels a bit soft, as it likes to kind porpoise through hard sweeping turns (bouncy). I do have front and rear strut tower bars, and they really help make the car feel tighter, and reduce chassis flex. I could see getting a type S rear sway bar as a good upgrade, and I've seen a few folks go to type R front springs to stiffen things up.
I can't wait to get a different clutch in, as I want to do that before I start adding power. I don't really want a lot of power, but 20+ hp and a better tune would be fun.

Congrats on the fun looking track day! I'd love to drive mine at 10/10ths and really see what it can do.

SharpAndy said:

I agree with you. Power is good, even at stock levels, but tires and brakes are definitely the limitation. I don't do any track days but I do get some pretty spirited driving a few days a week. The biggest things I've noticed with stock brakes is the initial bite is good, but then it feels like they heat up fast and lose effectiveness quickly. I've also the noticed the front end feels a bit soft, as it likes to kind porpoise through hard sweeping turns (bouncy). I do have front and rear strut tower bars, and they really help make the car feel tighter, and reduce chassis flex. I could see getting a type S rear sway bar as a good upgrade, and I've seen a few folks go to type R front springs to stiffen things up.
I can't wait to get a different clutch in, as I want to do that before I start adding power. I don't really want a lot of power, but 20+ hp and a better tune would be fun.

Congrats on the fun looking track day! I'd love to drive mine at 10/10ths and really see what it can do.

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Thank you, and yes I also noticed what you mentioned about the front end as well. I’ve been looking at options for sway bar kits and so far I’m leaning towards the RV6 suspension parts. The main reason I’ve been considering RV6 is that I found out that they were originally developed for Honda’s HPD race car and was only available to SCCA road racing teams. RV6 sway bars and control arms are on my radar, however I’m open to exploring other options as well.

I agree with your power assessment as well, a solid 20-30whp and a more optimized powerband (much more usable) made a noticeable difference. I recommend looking into the RV6 Type R retrofit clutch kit, it allows us to use stock FK8 Type R clutches on our cars - so that ups our torque holding capacity somewhere close to 400ft/lbs and still has a nice OEM feel/engagement for daily driving as well.

darkspeeed said:

Nice pun!
Thanks! It definitely was a blast, have you taken yours out yet? (Or have any plans to?)

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Yes, I've got 4 track days on it so far. I'm a terrible driver, LOL. but it's fun. I'm cautiously pushing it so far. I've got a thread on here detailing my visits to VIR, with links to you tube vids.

StingertimeNC said:

Yes, I've got 4 track days on it so far. I'm a terrible driver, LOL. but it's fun. I'm cautiously pushing it so far. I've got a thread on here detailing my visits to VIR, with links to you tube vids.

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Nice! I’ve got VIR on my list of destinations to check out. Hey, as long as we are having fun that’s all that matters to me! I’m going to look for your thread and check out your videos as well

As all track drivers quickly learn - old brake fluid can be a real problem.
Learn how to bleed brakes (and replace fluid) yourself, and do it before every track event.
I know people who even do it again at lunch time.

Severe brake fade often gives you very little warning - and can be a most unforgettable experience.

Fred 930 said:

As all track drivers quickly learn - old brake fluid can be a real problem.
Learn how to bleed brakes (and replace fluid) yourself, and do it before every track event.
I know people who even do it again at lunch time.

Severe brake fade often gives you very little warning - and can be a most unforgettable experience.

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Agreed! Excellent advice. I remember my first track day at Road Atlanta back in 19 in my old 09 Si, coming in hot to turn 10a when my brake pedal went right to the floor - along with my heart and stomach (thankfully nothing bad happened, my instructor was a quick thinker and helped me navigate out of the turn with the help of the rumble strips ) but definitely not an experience I will ever forget!