The DC2-gen Integra Type R is considered one of the best handling FWD cars ever
July 25, 2025 at 14:45
- Acura built only 1,173 Integra Type Rs for the 2001 model year in the US.
- This Phoenix Yellow sports coupe has been driven just 4,800 miles (7,724 km).
- Final auction price reached an unprecedented $204000 on Bring a Trailer.
Update: Well, that escalated quickly. If the $120,000 bid seemed wild when we first shared the story, brace yourself, as the final hammer price on Bring a Trailer just landed at an astonishing $204,000, smashing every previous record in its path. It’s a staggering number for a car many once overlooked. Safe to say, the market for this model just changed overnight. Original story follows.
At a glance, it might seem surprising that a two-decade-old, front-wheel-drive coupe is commanding six-figure bids, but certain cars have a way of aging into legend. Performance machines from the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially those from Honda, have been steadily gaining value.
Now, we’re watching a 2001 Acura Integra Type R that’s already hit the $120,000 mark with two days of bidding still to go at the time of publishing, meaning there’s still plenty of room for it to climb even higher, crazy as that sounds. It’s a clear reflection of how sought-after these once-overlooked performance icons have become.
Read: They Turned Down $103K For This 25-Year-Old Acura Integra Type R
This particular Integra Type R is chassis #1086 of just 1,173 units sold in the US for the 2001 model year. Since 2014, it has lived in a private Wisconsin collection among other prized Hondas and Acuras. With only 4,800 miles (around 7,724 kilometers) on the odometer, it presents as nearly showroom-fresh, finished in Phoenix Yellow, a color that remains as striking today as it was when the car rolled off the lot.
Low Mileage, Huge Appeal
Long hailed as one of the best-handling FWD cars ever produced, the DC2-generation Integra Type R has established itself as a performance icon. It’s powered by a 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder that delivers 195 hp and 130 lb-ft of torque, mated to a five-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels through a limited-slip differential.
When it was new, this car had a sticker price of $24,930, which adjusts to roughly $45,431 when you factor in inflation.
Bring a Trailer
Like the exterior, the interior of this Acura Integra looks pristine. It retains the original front bucket seats clad in black microsuede with red contrast stitching. There’s also the factory head unit and a plaque on the center armrest denoting this car as #1086.
According to the Bring a Trailer listing, the seller has driven the car just 500 miles in the past decade. Importantly, it’s still been serviced and maintained while parked up, and in 2022, received new fluids and a new battery.
The most expensive DC2R sold on BaT was a similar yellow example that fetched $112,112 back in 2022 with 7,000 miles (11,200 km) on the clock. Bidding on this lower-mileage car has already exceeded that mark and could climb even higher.
So, if you’re wondering whether nostalgia has a price, the answer is yes, and it’s apparently six figures. If you’re curious to see how high the bidding goes, or just want to gawk at a near-perfect slice of early-2000s performance glory, you can check out the listing here. Warning: side effects may include impulsive spending and sudden admiration for microsuede.