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2023 Acura Integra A-Spec Interior Review: How it compares to Civic

For better and for worse, the 2023 Acura Integra borrows a lot from the Honda Civic. The air vents may seem like the most obvious bits, but they are in fact different: the Civic's mesh consists of hexagons whereas the Integras are diamonds. Wow, right? The little air direction nubs seem to be the same. Personally, I think the Civic's full-width application looks more special and even premium, especially given the Integra's rather blah gray dash trim, but shrug.  Otherwise, the switchgear is identical, including the steering wheel, climate controls, stalks and touchscreen(s). The two center console designs are also shared, one for CVT-equipped cars and the other for manual-equipped cars like this one, although there are a few differences I'll mention later. How much does this really matter? Ultimately, you can decide, but for now, let's do the full James Cameron and deep dive into the Integra A-Spec interior. Alright, since I've already talked about them, here are the Integra A-Spec and Civic Hatchback with six-speed manual side by side. We haven't taken a pic of the Si interior at the same angle (and Honda seems to have given up on its usual exceptional press photo packages), so just imagine more red and a shifter similar to (but not the same as!) the Integra's. And here's the vent comparison. Again, the Civic Si has red trim surrounding the hexagon mesh instead of silver. Here's that aforementioned blah gray dash trim. Those dots are textured, but in general, it lacks a certain premium appearance. The rest of the dash trim is sufficiently low sheen and padded.  Speaking of low sheen and padded, let's talk door trim. While at first glance the front and back door tops look the same, they are not. Look closer and you'll see the pattern is slightly different, which is indicative of the fact that the front doors have a soft-touch rubbery material and the back doors are rock-hard plastic. This is definitely more compact car than luxury car. This Upstairs, Downstairs theme continues ... Let's talk seats and upholstery. This is an A-Spec, which means it gains access to the optional Red interior. Yes, just literally "Red" whereas your other choices are "Ebony," "Orchid" and "Graystone." That's not the weird bit. While all seats are "Red," they do not have the same upholstery. The front seats have centers in micro-suede fabric with leatherette bolsters in red and black. Sorry, "Ebony."  The back seats are just leatherette. Weird, right?

Honda Performance Development reveals new ARX-04b LMP2 coupe

Make no mistake about it: Honda is big in racing. It was the first Japanese automaker to enter Formula One, remains the most successful and is set to return as an engine supplier next season. It's powered more IndyCar race winners and champions than any other manufacturer, hands down. Honda has won races and titles in Super GT, WTCC, even motorcycle racing. Just about everything this side of NASCAR, really. And that includes endurance sports car racing.
In fact Honda Performance Development prototypes claimed over 70 victories and numerous titles in the American Le Mans Series, and took the first LMP2 title in the FIA World Endurance Championship. And with sportscar racing in the US now grouped together into the United SportsCar Championship, Honda is back with a new chassis design.
Called the ARX-04b, it's Honda's first closed-cockpit LMP2. Like previous LMP2 and IndyCar projects, it's a joint development between HPD and Wirth Research, and packs Honda's HR28TT engine - a 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 based on (and using many of the same components as) the J35 engine you'd find in a contemporary Acura. Designed to exceed the latest safety regulations, the ARX-04b features low-drag bodywork, quick-change front and rear panels, the same locking fuel filler system that Honda pioneered for Indy, top-exit exhaust to meet noise regulations, a 75-liter fuel tank and a gearbox that can easily be optimized for individual circuits.

Recharge Wrap-up: First VW e-Golf in US up for auction, meet Project Ain't Fuelin'

Volkswagen is auctioning the first e-Golf in the US to raise money for Global Green USA. The auction is live now, and bidding goes until 3:30 pm Eastern on October 29. Global Green USA will use the proceeds to help find solutions to climate change, and the winner will get to enjoy emissions-free driving before the car e-Golf goes on sale in November. If you don't live in or near California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont or Washington DC, you might want to sit this one out, as the car will only be available to pick up at dealers in those initial launch states. Go bid now, or learn more in the press release below. Berlin, Germany will use Solaris electric buses for a complete bus line in 2015. The downtown line will run 3.8 miles between Zoologischer Garten Station and Sudkreuz. The transport operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) will use four of the Solaris e-buses for the test, each about 39 feet long. The buses use a 200-kilowatt inductive charging system at the ends of the line to recharge in just a few minutes. The government-funded test runs through 2016, but BVG pans to use the electric buses beyond that timeline. Read more at Green Car Congress. The American Petroleum Institute (API) is worried that the Obama administration will use ethanol requirements to influence a Senate race in Iowa. In the midst of a close race against Republican Joni Ernst, Representative Bruce Braley, the Democratic candidate, is urging Obama to reject a cut in the Renewable Fuel Standard. The November election approaches, meanwhile the EPA continues to delay issuing an ethanol requirement for the year, with or without its proposed 16-percent reduction. Rejecting the cut could help get farmers and ethanol producers on the side of Braley. "We are very concerned that the signals we are seeing from the administration is that the political calculations are outweighing sound fuels policy," says API's Bob Greco. Read more at Businessweek. Project Ain't Fuelin' aims to fix up old cars to return them to original fuel economy, and then surpass it. Episode 3 of Valvoline's Under The Hood video series features Daniel Gray of MPGomatic, who is doing just that to a 1999 Honda Civic HX Coupe. He aims to get 50 mpg out of the old Civic by tuning it up, tinkering with the aerodynamics, switching to more efficient tires and other modifications.