Bought a DC5 Integra Type R for a track day

Cars from various genres participated in a circuit event held by TRIAL, a long-established tuning store in Osaka, at Okayama International Circuit in the spring of 2024. Among them, we came across a Honda “Integra Type R” that had a strangely clean and tight atmosphere despite being driven on the circuit. We asked the owner about its secret.

Although overdriven, it was a one-owner vehicle

A few years ago, Mr. Reiji Yamada wanted a car to drive, and initially set his sights on a Honda EK9 “Civic Type R,” but decided against it due to the recent boom in used cars that had driven up the price. He then changed his target to a Honda DC5 “Integra Type R,” which he liked the coupe style, and acquired his current car.

Although the car he purchased was a one-owner with 240,000 km on the odometer, it was in good condition as it had been driven beautifully with no accidents and seemed to have been well-maintained.

It has already been four years since he purchased the car, and he mainly enjoys driving it on the circuit. What I especially like about it is that it has a black interior, which is rare. Most Type Rs have red interiors, so a black interior is quite rare. Currently, the odometer reads about 270,000 km.

The overall modifications were light tuning, and coilovers were installed for the suspension. Although not installed yet, the suspension was ordered from ASLAN, a store known for time attacks on Civic cars, and is currently being fabricated. The differential is a CUSCO RS 1-way, and the final gear is a 5.1 for the FD2 Civic Type R. The ECU is stock.

The seemingly stock rear spoiler is painstakingly designed

The exterior was completely painted, and at that time, the headlights and tail lights were replaced with new ones along with the moldings. Both of them are still available as genuine parts, and they are not that expensive. The car looks much tighter when the lights are replaced with new ones.

The special feature is the rear spoiler. At first glance, it looks like a stock one, but based on the stock one, it has been shifted back and machined to create the original styling.

His best time at Okayama International Circuit was in the 1-minute and 51 seconds range. His best time at the Central Circuit was in the 1 min 32-sec range. Currently, he is aiming to drive in the 1:50 range at Okayama International Circuit and the 1:31 range at Central Circuit.

By the way, he also has two Nissan S30 “Fairlady Z” cars that he enjoys driving daily, one with a fully restored wide body and the other with a stock body.