Launched in 1995 and produced continuously through July 2001, the DC2 Integra Type R is the car that proved a naturally aspirated front-wheel-drive Honda could out-handle almost anything near its price. No turbo, no all-wheel drive — just a hand-built engine, a helical limited-slip differential, and a chassis tuned obsessively for feel.
Overview
Every DC2 Type R was built around the same formula: a hand-ported, high-compression 1.8L B18C VTEC four making 200PS at a screaming 8,500rpm, a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox, a helical LSD, stripped sound-deadening, and Recaro bucket seats. Toyota-fighting rivals had turbos and extra cylinders; Honda answered with the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated production engine of its era. The car was revised twice over its six-year JDM run — a 98-spec update and a final 00-spec revision — each tightening the recipe rather than reinventing it, with the close-ratio gearbox and helical LSD carried through unchanged.
96-spec / 98-spec / 00-spec
All three run the same core drivetrain; later specs bring detail suspension, aero and interior refinements. There's no wrong answer — it comes down to condition and originality more than which spec year you land on.
B18C VTEC, 200PS @ 8,500rpm
Hand-ported intake and exhaust ports, undercut valve seats and an 11.1:1 compression ratio — one of the most highly strung naturally aspirated engines Honda ever put into series production.
Auction Pricing
Japanese market data puts clean DC2 Type R values broadly between ¥1,500,000 and ¥4,000,000, with late 00-spec cars, low-mileage examples and desirable factory colours like Championship White pushing well past the top of that range. This is one of the most heavily modified and, unfortunately, cloned platforms in the JDM market — provenance and originality matter enormously here, which is exactly why we verify and inspect every car ourselves before you commit to a bid.
What to Check
Check the rear wheelarches, inner sills and floorpan for rust — JDM cars generally fare better than cars that spent time on salted UK roads, but age catches up with all of them eventually. Given how commonly modified and re-badged these cars are, verifying chassis plate and VIN authenticity against the car's actual specification is the single most important check before committing to a bid. Beyond that: clutch and LSD wear from spirited use, and full service history, since a B18C that's been revved hard without disciplined maintenance will show it.
Import Eligibility
Fully Eligible
Production ended in July 2001, so the entire DC2 run has now cleared the 25-year import threshold. No waiting on eligibility here.
Fully Eligible
The entire DC2 production run has now cleared the federal 25-year exemption, including the final July 2001 build cars. See our Import page for state-level detail.
MOT Only
Well past the 10-year IVA threshold, so a standard MOT is all that's needed to register — no IVA test required.
FAQ
Is this the same as the Acura Integra Type R sold in the US?
No — this guide covers the JDM DC2, the version we source and import. Export-market Integra Type R variants ran different tuning and slightly lower output to meet local emissions rules, and are a genuinely different car under the badge.
DC2 or DC5?
The DC2 is lighter, rawer and purely naturally aspirated — the enthusiast's choice for outright feel. The DC5 is newer, faster and more refined with a 6-speed gearbox and a bigger K20A engine, but heavier. See our DC5 Integra Type R guide for the full comparison.