This isn’t a driving experience for everyone, of course. Nor could it be for everyone, since just 500 copies of the Championship White Type-R have been allotted for the U.S. this year. Sitting atop the Integra coupe line (RS, LS, GS, GS-R), the Type-R most assuredly is aimed at the lunatic fringe. The fringe certainly will appreciate the gesture on Honda’s part. With an estimated base price of between $23,000 and $25,000, the Type-R is a formidable sport coupe -- and more capable and refined than anything you could build for yourself out of a GS-R coupe for the same money.

Racetrack performance ruled virtually all design decisions in the development of the Type-R. Engineers first stripped out 147 pounds -- stuff such as air conditioning (still available as a dealer-installed option), sunroof, cruise control, an assortment of noise- and vibration-reduction items, and other odds and ends. Then they added 55 pounds of performance enhancements such as bigger brakes, a limited-slip differential, body reinforcements, five-lug hubs with bigger wheel bearings, and other tweaks. Overall, the Type-R is 92 pounds lighter than a GS-R, but tons more serious.

The Type-R sits 15 millimeters lower than the GS-R and rides on firmer, retuned suspension carried in bushings that are five times stiffer.

The tires are V-rated summer Bridgestone Potenza 195/55VR15 RE010s. Body refinements reduce aerodynamic drag slightly, cut lift by 30 percent, and for steering precision, put 60 percent of the downforce on the front end, and 40 percent on the rear. The GS-R has just the opposite aero balance; in that model, stability rules. 

Naturally, all this effort on the chassis side is mirrored under the hood. The Type-R’s 1.8-liter inline-four is no larger than the GS-R’s, but it generates an extra 25 horsepower, hitting a peak of 195 horses at 8000 rpm. Torque is just two pound-feet better than that of the GS-R engine, and the 130-pound-foot crest arrives at 7500 rpm instead of 6200. Shortened close-ratio gearing keeps the Type-R on the boil: In fifth gear, a busy 3250 rpm shows on the tach at 60 mph.

Extensive changes make the Type-R’s unprecedented 108.5-horsepower-per-liter output possible. It inhales through an enlarged throttle body and hand-polished ports; high-compression, low-friction pistons reach peak speeds even higher than in Honda’s Formula One and CART engines. The wondrous VTEC valve gear lets Honda engineers go after all-out peak power with high-lift, long-duration valve timing at high rpm while retaining far milder timing for good torque at low and mid rpm. A less restrictive exhaust flows 30 percent better than that in the GS-R.

With increased horsepower and rpm, stresses increase in lock-step. Multiple improvements to the crankshaft, connecting rods, pressure die-cast aluminum block, valve gear, oiling system, and other components keep the Type-R whole. 

A best 0-60-mph run of 7.0 seconds hints at the effectiveness of the engine work, clipping 0.1 second off the quickest we’ve squeezed from a GS-R. Likewise, the quarter-mile performance has improved, dipping to 15.3 seconds, with a terminal speed of 93.4 mph. The GS-R (15.5 seconds/91.4 mph) is noticeably off that pace. The Type-R’s handling is every bit as impressive, logging a solid 0.92 g on the skidpad, jinking through the slalom to the tune of 67.8 mph, and stopping from 60 mph in just 121 feet.

All are solid numbers, but far more exciting is the way the Type-R feels from the driver’s seat. Firm without being harsh, and raucous without being grating, the Type-R is more than bearable in daily driving, but lives -- and you will, too -- for the curves. Charge through the closely spaced ratios with the engine working in its above-5700-rpm high-output mode, then bury your foot in the highly fade-resistant, ABS-equipped disc brakes. Turn the wheel toward the apex of the fast-approaching bend, and the Type-R answers with a crispness all but unknown to front-drivers. As the cornering loads rise, understeer is barely detectable; lift out of the throttle abruptly, and the car obediently tightens its line as the rear end drifts wide. Bury the throttle while exiting a corner, and the Type-R’s limited-slip differential efficiently puts the power down. You’ll want to do it again and again. About the only downfall is a decided lack of power under 4000 rpm.