I remember the first time I drove a Type R. It was an Integra, powered by the now-famous B18C5. The year was 1997, and the road was, well, let's keep that part to ourselves. Needless to say, the road was perfect, exactly the kind of winding mountainous terrain the Type R was designed for. Over 22 miles of hills, dips, sharp corners, fast bends, off-camber and banked goodness, and the Type R ate it up and asked for more. The car responded to my every whim, taking punishment gracefully, gobbling up pavement like a dot-commer taking stock options.
I was obsessed. The car was like a drug, and when I wasn't driving it, my body was craving the sensations of the wheel in my hands, the engine screaming in my ears, inertia pulling and tugging at my brain as the car whipped through turns. I'd fondle the key in my pocket as I wandered the halls like an addict fingering his pipe, waiting for the next hit.
Of course, I gave back the car, and since the Betty Ford Clinic has no rehab program for Type R addicts, I've remained hooked. Occasional flirtations with Type Rs since then have only reinforced my craving, and I've vowed to get behind the wheel at any opportunity.
Which was why I had trouble maintaining my professionalism when a new RSX Type R was offered to me. The offer came from Ziel Motorsports, the American importer of the Japanese suspension manufacturer JIC. If you read our sister publication, Sport Compact Car, you're probably already familiar with Ziel. The company has made a name for itself not just by offering Japanese-spec suspensions, but by tuning them specifically for American roads. JDM suspension kits are notoriously stiff. Nobody is quite sure why this is, because it's not like Japanese streets are glassy smooth, but stiff they are. When they are installed on American cars, the owners are invariably treated to a rough, bone-jarring ride. It is often intolerable, even if the handling is superior.
Ziel recalibrates JIC's spring and damper settings for U.S. roads, but that doesn't mean that they are dumbed down. Super-stiff springs are fine on racetracks, but the real world has expansion joints, potholes, frost heaves and other tarmac obstacles the suspension must cope with in order to keep the wheels planted on the ground. Ziel understands this, and subsequently, its suspensions offer excellent handling, but without the painful ride.
Now, confession time. The Type R we were to drive was not a Japan-only right-hand drive vehicle. It was left hand drive, and it still said "RSX" on the tail. However, Ziel had replaced virtually all of the RSX Type-S components with Type R bits. The forged aluminium front lower control arms are Type R pieces, as are the bushings and Brembo brakes. The engine was pure Type R, but right before this magazine went to print we learned that the ECU was from an American RSX we and didn't have time to re-dyno the car. The dyno results here are with the U.S. ECU, for updated results, check the December issue or www.hondatuningmagazine.com.
The only major differences between the car provided by Ziel and a Japanese Type R are the left-hand steering wheel, and the higher weight of the American DC5 chassis, despite sporting the aluminum Type R hood. But until Acura gets its act together and starts importing Type Rs to the U.S. market, this is as close to an American Type R as we're going to get. We'll call it a Type R, because it's a lot easier than saying "The Type-S that Ziel modified and basically turned into a left-hand drive Type R" over and over.
The differences between the Type R and the American Type-S are subtle, but noteworthy. The engine is designated as a "K20A," but there's no numerical distinction. In Japan, the engine is rated at 220 hp and 152 lb-ft of torque. This difference is achieved through a few tricks, however, these engines do not undergo the meticulous hand porting of the B18C5. Instead, the differences are due to better breathing, compression and computer tuning.
The head on the Type R is cast using a special process with finer grains of sand. The result is smoother intake and exhaust ports, sufficiently smooth that they don't require additional hand porting. The exhaust system is quite different though. In the U.S., the exhaust is immediately collected through a short header into the catalytic converter. Basically, the converter itself is the downpipe for the exhaust system. The Japanese Type R, however, uses a much freer flowing system that is essentially a classic "tri-Y" header. The catalyst is much further down the exhaust stream, allowing for the freer flowing system. These changes certainly account for a good chunk of the Type R's increased power.
Another important factor is the increased compression ratio. The American Type-S has a good 11.0:1 ratio, but the Type R uses different pistons with a chromoly skirt. The compression rate is even higher, at 11.5:1. It also means that the Type R really wants to drink high-octane Japanese gasoline. 100-octane gas is sold at the pump in Japan, cushioning the system against detonation much better than the 91-octane swill we have in California.
Which brings us to computer tuning. The Type R's computer is programmed to take advantage of the higher octane with more aggressive spark curves and such. When we first dynoed Ziel's Type R, the results were disappointing, barely better than a stock Type-S. However, Ziel's Jon Kaneda told us the car was filled with 91-octane gas, and we suspected that the computer was pulling out a significant amount of timing. We decided to give the computer what it wanted, and filled the car with 100 octane. Re-dynoing the car got us much better results, 178.5 hp and 132.5 lb-ft of torque, roughly 15 horsepower more than a Type-S. We suspect that as the car is driven and the computer "gets used" to the better gas, those numbers will come up a few more horses.
The drivetrain of the Type R is also different. The transmission ratios are changed slightly, with fourth, fifth and sixth shorter in the Type R. It also has a shorter final drive ratio, 4.764:1 vs. 4.388 in the Type-S. The piece de resistance, however, is the helical-gear limited slip differential. This solves one of the RSX Type-S' major complaints, eliminating wheelspin when powering out of turns. It does introduce the side effect of torque steer, but we're willing to put up with that for better cornering any day. The final difference is a lightweight chromoly flywheel, giving the Type R a zippier engine feel.
A major difference between Ziel's converted Type-S and a Japanese Type R is in the chassis bracing. In Japan, the Type R has additional structural braces strewn throughout the chassis, with the subsequent stiffening of the body that you'd expect. Ziel's conversion doesn't boast these braces, although the company has installed its own strut tower brace in place of the stock unit.
Ziel has also made the appropriate interior changes. Gone are the stock buckets, replaced with the blazing red Recaros found in the Japanese Type R, along with the matching Type R door panels with red cloth inserts. The steering wheel is a beautiful Momo unit, the same one found stock in the Type R.
Still, this is not just a bunch of stock Japanese parts bolted to a slightly unfamiliar chassis. Ziel has supplemented the Type R's suspension with JIC's coil-over system. The aluminum front lower control arm and its Type R-specific bushings are coupled to a complete, stand-alone coil-over system. This system includes a cast steering arm connector, welded to the body of the strut. Incorporated into this kit are also the mounting points for the brakes and ABS sensor. These features mean that the kit isn't cheap, but it also means that you will have a complete coil-over system, one that doesn't require cutting or modifying your stock struts.
The system itself includes adjustable perches, a threaded body, and a pressurized monotube strut that is adjustable for 15 different damping levels. In the back, the situation is the same, although the strut is of a more conventional type there. Still, we couldn't help but notice the heavy-duty machining work done on the base of the strut.
We took Ziel's Type R back to that same country road. The engine was choking down Californian 91-octane gas, and wasn't very happy about it. It wasn't pinging, it was just down on power. But it still moved. The chassis is incredibly neutral, with JIC's suspension doing an excellent job of absorbing the occasional pavement ripple while keeping the car snappy and precise on the road. The gearing was excellent...we never got higher than third, but response was great thanks to the shorter final drive. The differential made itself known not by twisting the wheel out of our hands, but by providing traction coming out of turns. Was it fun? Oh, yes.
The only drawback was the mid-level 18-inch Pirelli P7000 SuperSport tires mounted on Racing Hart CP35R wheels. They gave up grip too early, and overheated. In addition, the brakes sported brand new pads that were still green.
Regardless, the car snapped to attention whenever the go-pedal was pushed, and is more than worthy of the name Type R. How much would it cost to replicate these efforts? A lot is about the best answer we could get out of Ziel. The engine, transmission and computer are close to $10,000 by themselves. Add to that the other Type R bits and labor charges and you're looking at a significant increase. But selling Type Rs isn't the point of Ziel's car. It's bringing a little Japanese flavor to the American RSX. And tastes as good as ever.
RSX Type R
Engine
Engine Code: K20A
Type: Inline-4, aluminum block and head
Internal Modifications: Type R engine
External Modifications: Type R "tri-Y" exhaust system, Ziel Bullet titanium muffler
Drivetrain Layout : Front engine, front-wheel drive
Drivetrain Modifications: Type R transmission, final drive, limited slip and flywheel
SUSPENSION
Front: JIC adjustable coilovers, 15 position adjustable monotube shocks, Type R lower control arms
Rear: JIC adjustable coilovers, 15 postion adjustable monotube shocks Brakes
Front: Brembo 300mm rotors, Brembo 4 piston calipers
Rear: Stock
External
Wheels: Front/rear:18x7.5 Racing Hart CP35R
Tires:Front/rear: 225/40ZR-18 Pirelli SuperSport Performance
PERFORMANCE
Horsepower: 178.5
Torque: 132.5
