OK, maybe that last part wouldn't be so bad.
The point is that Acura was the flashpoint for the import performance revolution. While it is true that a growing Japanese performance scene did exist before March of 1986, it was Acura, specifically the revvy goodness of the Integra's B-series engine that inspired a whole generation of performance enthusiasts. As this fan base grew, it split into new directions, but it started with twin cams, sixteen valves, and VTEC wearing an Acura badge.
The Integra was a performance hit from its first generation. Comptech cleaned everyone's clock with Integras on the racetrack, but its torsion-beam suspension made it difficult to lower for the image-conscious street crowd. When the second-generation Integra debuted with a double-wishbone suspension, twin-cam B18 engine, and subdued good looks, the seed was planted.
The B-series, as good as it was, didn't come into its own until VTEC. After its debut on the NSX, VTEC slowly permeated the entire Acura line, starting with the 1992 Integra GS-R. When the Integra was redesigned for 1994, the GS-R and its VTEC engine were widely available, and it was finally able to make its mark on the automotive landscape. VTEC eventually became so synonymous with performance that "Powered by VTEC" decals showed up on nitwit-owned Toyotas, Nissans, and Mitsubishis.
The VTEC revolution didn't really take off until enthusiasts realized that the B18C fit perfectly in the lightweight Civic chassis. By the late 90s, engine swaps were in such high demand that Hasport was able to go into business selling engine mount swap kits, and Integras were rising rapidly on Most Stolen Cars lists.
Acura-powered drag racers dominated at the track, and VTEC power was under the hood of almost any car worth mentioning. The easy affordability, reliability, and ubiquity of the engine were nearly impossible to beat, inviting comparisons to a landmark powerplant from an earlier era, the Chevy small-block V-8.
When the RSX replaced the Integra, some thought its MacPherson struts and new engine architecture signaled the end of Acura's performance strength. It's safe to say they were wrong. The K20A2 has replaced the B18C as the state-of-the-art engine, with its larger displacement, updated variable valve timing ( i-VTEC), and greater performance and reliability. Throw in the 2.4-liter version from the TSX and the K-series makes the B-series look as quaint as an Offenhauser by comparison.
OK, we admit the aftermarket has moved on since the Acura-dominated 90s. But much of what exists now would not have been possible without the interest and excitement shown by Honda and Acura enthusiasts. These performance enthusiasts established an import performance subculture, primed for the introduction of even more exotic Japanese cars, including the Subaru WRX/STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and JDM motorsports such as time attacks and drifting. It's not hyperbole to say that if it weren't for Acura and the Integra's VTEC-enhanced engine, the import aftermarket wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. That is how important Acura was and is to this market. Remember that next time you hear the scream of an Integra at full throttle.
John Concialdi
Performance parts pioneer and founder of Advanced Engine Management (AEM)
"I have many great memories with Acura but the one that sticks out is a race that took place between one of my employees that had a 1989 Integra and the Ferrari 308 GTB that I happened to be driving. My employee, nicknamed ET, was very active in the street scene and had taken loads of money from numerous V-8s in stoplight Gran Prixes all over Southern California. This money was used to order Mugen cams, nitrous oxide, DC Sports headers, and about everything you could do to the engine at the time. In fact, I think we paid him in parts instead of paychecks.
We rolled onto Artesia Blvd. together NOT intending to race and headed separate ways to lunch. But as it turned out, we ended up next to each other at the light and neither of us could resist. ET thoroughly and soundly kicked my ass, twice, before making a quick left turn. I went straight only to discover moments later why ET had turned so quick; there was a CHP officer behind me with his lights on. Our conversation has been stuck in my head to this day: