1998 Acura Integra Type R - G-Games

Final Score: 94.2 Pts7 Seventh Place

Among sport compact enthusiasts, the Acura Integra Type R is the standard by which most cars are judged. Which is why we weren't very surprised when Import Tuner brought one out to lean on the g-meter.

The owner and driver of the car, Robbie Montinola, isn't afraid of the gas pedal. The engine in the car is its third. Factory pistons and cams from a Civic Type R raise compression to 11.5:1 and accentuate the mill's preference to hang out in the silly regions of the tach. A few other parts improve reliability and allow the engine to deliver 200 hp to the wheels, though we suspect it was making quite a bit less with the heat and altitude of Rosamond, Calif.

Although Montinola's suspension mods are simple-APEXi N1 coil-over system and King Motorsports camber kits-the Type R tied for fourth place with an impressive 71.6 mph in the slalom, only 0.1 mph behind the tie for second place. It also handled well on the road course with Robbie behind the wheel recording a respectable 1:08.70 lap time. We're convinced the Type R lost time to the competition on the track's straightaway, where it was simply out-muscled.

In fact, only two of the cars that beat the Type R around the road course weren't big-motor bullies and they both had completely stripped interiors. The red Bug, which was the other fourth-place slalom finisher, and Frank Lin's del Sol, which was a mere 0.1 seconds faster still. Plus, Rhys Millen drove the del Sol.

Such strong performances in the slalom and on the track were not backed up on the skidpad, however. We were surprised, but the Type R only managed a 0.91g (still nothing to sneeze at) performance on Willow's bumpy circle, which isn't any better than SCC has run in a stock version.

If the Type R performed better on the skidpad, it could've easily moved to fourth place overall. But as it is, seventh place is plenty respectable for a car with a full interior and a basically stock set-up. -Dan Barnes