Reinventing The DC2 Integra Type R
An Idea, A Side Project

If there’s one thing that pushes people to do extraordinary things, it’s passion. And I guess you can say that passion is very much behind Hurtling, a new brand that the guys at Varis launched this year.

While their true bread and butter, if you recall my tour of the facility a few years back, is to design, develop and create aero parts- via the VRS name – for the more popular Japanese and foreign sports cars to hit the market, Varis has always been the first out of the blocks when it comes to offering kits for new models. They’ve been doing it since 1975, too.

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Varis has fine tuned their production over the many years of operation, and that’s allowed them to stay on top of the market. They work with Manabu Orido on his Ridox line, have the Magnum Opus line for luxury sedans, and also have a special works team that collaborates with select motorsport programs.

You’d think that would be enough to keep the business content, but Naohiro Yahagi, the son and now president of the respected company his father started, thought that there was still something missing. It wasn’t to have anything to do with Varis – and didn’t need to either – and that’s how Hurling was born.

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Let’s be sincere here, Japanese manufacturers have been severely under-delivering on the affordable sports car market ever since the glory days of the ’90s. They’ve struggled to come up with anything as interesting or as focused as the cars that so many of us still lust over after all these years. And that’s precisely what Hurling has been created to do, inject some of that famous Varis design onto platforms like the DC2 Integra Type R.

This Integra is actually Yahagi-san’s car from back in the day; it’s got more than 270,000km on the clock now, but he’s held onto it all these years because of the raw excitement it still provides 20-odd years after it came off the production line.

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I personally think that designing a modern kit for an older car is really cool thing to do, and in this instance the result is unlike any other DC2 we’ve featured or seen before. Think mid-’90s meets the mid-’10s and you’d be halfway to understanding what the thought process behind this Solid & Joker aero kit was.

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When we first saw the car at Tokyo Auto Salon earlier in the year it was the in-your-face front lip spoiler that initially grabbed my attention. The thick gauge carbon weave that Varis has used on other project cars before looked like the freshest thing I’d seen on an old Honda.

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And the same composite material was used to make the optional carbon hood that the kit can be specced up with .

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I say ‘kit’ because this version of the Solid & Joker conversion slaps on some seriously massive fender extensions. Sure, it’s the current trend, but these look different. It’s almost as if they were envisioned in 1995.

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There’s no gentle, progressive radius – these are bolt-on blister fenders, and the shaping style is more in line with what you’ll find on a Lancia Delta Integrale or E30 BMW M3. And that’s a good thing.

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It’s brought this DC2 into the new millennium; the timeless look remains, but it’s been added to in the right sort of way.

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Some of the Varis staff I was chatting to while looking over the Integra said that it’s a car that’s meant to be driven and I guess that really sums it up well.

Wide Or Narrow, It’s Your Call
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Aside from lusting over the NA1 NSX Type R during my school days in Japan, I never really got into the other Type R models that followed. Maybe if you owned a DC2 – or still own one today – you’d never think about cutting it up and turning it into something a little bit more unique. In that case, you’d probably be more interested in the more subtle parts that Solid & Joker make for the Integra’s stock body.

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Coming out with two versions of the kit was a good move; there’s one for those that want to go wild and another for those that just want to subtly enhance the lines of their beloved DC2.

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The rear gets an even more grandiose treatment; the angular lines are there, the massive girth is there, and it ties together what the front end starts rather well.

Fitment with the 16-inch RAYS Volk Racing TE37Vs is definitely geared towards looks – after all, this was a TAS demo car. The offset and tire fitment is aggressive, but there’s no rubbing whatsoever.

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The lightweight forged wheels are fitted with the new Potenza RE-71R street radial from Bridgestone that everyone is raving about in Japan, 215/45R16s all round.

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And while the adjustable Aragosta suspension keeps the handling in check, the 4-pot Endless front brake kit replaces the stock calipers for increased braking force.

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No matter what angle you admire the Hurtling DC2 from, it looks good.

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One of my favorite touches is how the stock, and very ’90s-looking spoiler, has been cut and mated to a carbon raked wing element. There’s also a trunk lip for extra effect, which reminds me of the setup the Nismo version of the BNR32 had back in the day.

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The rear end gets one more optional part from the Hurtling catalogue, and that’s a rear diffuser which fills in the space the raked design of the DC2 creates.

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It’s all very well executed, a mix of metal and carbon, looking a lot like what an R34 GT-R wears from factory.

The Nostalgia Continues
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Lift the paper-light carbon bonnet and the memories start flooding back.

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Ah, the good old days where engine bays looked the part; intake manifolds were made of cast aluminum, and things seemed more intuitively laid out. It’s a far cry from what you’re normally greeted with when lifting the hood on a modern car.

While internally stock, the B18CR benefits from a simple selection of basic upgrades that allow it to sing just right. The Zero 1000 intake and cone filter probably won’t do anything for power, but they will make that jump onto the cam’s second set of lobes even more of an aural event.

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Once that VTEC kicks in (yo!) it’s down to the Fujitsubo headers to make the most of the exhaust gas flow.

Maybe you’ll see a horse or two being added, but it’ll probably just be an increase in sound considering this particular car has got over a quarter of a million kilometers on the odometer. Still, it’s a Honda motor, so it’s still happily thundering on.

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As the spring sun started to dive for the surrounding rural Kanagawa-ken hills, I hurried things along as there were a few more details I had yet to explore.

Driven By Passion
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While Yahagi-san was moving the car around so I could position it for another series of shots, I noticed how damn sexy it looked in the warm afternoon light when viewed straight on. You get the feel for the added girth, see how the carbon parts enhance the menacing front end, and catch a glimpse of the roll-cage’s rear cross bar which hints that this car means business.

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That yellow theme with the headlights and brake calipers is carried over into the cabin with the set of front checkered carpets – the first thing your eyes fall on. You then notice that the driver’s side runs a pretty serious-looking fixed bucket seat from Bride, with a more traditional item for the passenger. By the way, the seat size is very JDM spec – I’d be lucky to fit one half of my gaijin behind in there.

The yellow detailing continues!

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You may have seen the addition of a few sensors in the engine bay – they relay their signals back to three Blitz gauges arranged on a custom carbon panel in the center console. One glance down and you’d be able to get instant feedback on oil temperature and pressure as well as water temperature.

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What I like the most about Type R Hondas of the ’90s is their simple analogue gauges with yellow needles. See where the inspiration for yellow detailing was borrowed from?

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There’s nothing to see in the back; the rear seats have been deleted along with most of the trim to help lighten the car, which is a very good way to make these older cars go even faster. The bolt-in cage is further joined by stiffening bars both inside the cabin and underneath the car.

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Hurtling have certainly kicked off their brand with a whole lot of awesomeness. Ever since shooting this damn thing I’ve been thinking about DC2s far too often. And while this is one hell of a way to get started, there is a lot more to come from the Solid & Joker line of aero parts. When passion drives you, there’s no way you can go wrong.

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com

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43 comments

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1

Wow this is the kind of integra I'd like to own and drive everyday. But I think dinno misses the GTR ^ ^
and what a great shot for the last picture.

Author2
Dino Dalle Carbonare

Nah I just miss all the cool and wonderful cars Japanese manufacturers made back in the 80s and 90s.

3

I totally miss them too, hope they would make more like that, the mechanical feel when you hit the roads and the track, I do respect them for embracing future technology but , just for me as a car lover and enthusiast I want more of that...

4

Is the GTR gone? :-o

Author5
Dino Dalle Carbonare

Bah it's still here awaiting a shop to do more work on it to get it back on the road. Until it's all sorted I won't shaken it. A month or so and it should be cool. Fingers crossed!

6

phew. I've been looking forward to the next article after the one showing all the parts to go into it. I also have a Bayside blue R34 GTR V-Spec - Mine has been off the road for almost 3 yrs now so I can't be critical. Hopefully mine will be running again in a few months too

7

Cool car. Terrible writing.

8

This dude complains about the writing, hahahaha!
You know, as much stuff as these guys post up to keep us fans happy, I'm sure it's not easy coming up with original articles every single time. Maybe you should give them pointers.

9

At least be constructive in your criticism? What's terrible about it? If it's genuine and feasable, I'm sure Dino would be happy to improve/adjust.

Author10
Dino Dalle Carbonare

Oh dear, apologies if I disappoint.

11
turbo AE86 BEAMS

He speak 3 language, and what about you?

12
ReallyForeverAlone

Nice car , though I wish they blended the overfenders into the metalwork instead of the "bolt-on" appearance. That would be very 90's. The bolts make it look more 70s/80s (aka boxier).

13

''Ever since shooting this damn thing I’ve been thinking about DC2s far too often.''

https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0

Author14
Dino Dalle Carbonare

haha great cars but I'd miss the lack of power (and torque). Killer on tight mountain roads though

15

Honestly Dino, I just thought this was a Rocket Bunny Pandem kit for the integra. I guess this "solid and joker" is trying to get into the Honda over-fender game like Rocket Bunny's EG civic. Its nice but honestly, this kit, HGK, sarto and liberty walk are all getting on this trend of over-fenders which is becoming annoying. I know some of the mentioned companies use rocket bunny to design their kits but still its like we are "over-fendering" everything. Its a nice look but lets pull it back a little. Again, its a nice look but I wish we would tone it down just a bit. over all this cars great and Dino, nice observation on the spoiler looking like the GTR spoiler. I was thinking the same thing!!!

Author16
Dino Dalle Carbonare

Well I think it's only fait to mention that Varis has been overfendering stuff since way way before anyone turned into a fashion. They have done it slightly differently though and like I mentioned if you don't like it they have bits and pieces for a normal bodied DC2. I think it's cool that they offer the option.

17

i thought type-r's were 5 lug? this car only has 4 lugs?

18

96 Spec - 4 lug
98 Spec - 5 lug

19

Early models were 4lug

20

Easy to swap in a GS-R's 4-lug, maybe for better rim selection.

21

That Mugen gauge cluster cover is ULTRA rare.

22
streetstatik.com

I really rat this car... the kit is just a bit tooooooo chunky and the lines are spoiled at the front 3/4 view.

23

Interesting. The cover shot and 2nd shot really didn't make me like it at all... but going on through the rest I think it looks quite alright.

I think I've narrowed it down to the rear camber angle not matching the sloping angle of the rear fender. Looks odd to me.
The side shot and from rear views where this isn't as pronounced, I think it looks great!

24

Love how the rear fenders actually look like they belong on this car. Most overfender cars have their fenders look a little out of place. These flow with the lines of the DC2 nicely.
Not a fan of the colour but a very nice Teg!

25

Someone cocked up on the spec list, a B18CR is not a 1.6 litre. It's a 1.8, hence the B-1-8 code.

26

No. Just no. I'm sick of people fucking with Integras (and a whole host of other FF vehicles) like this.
This car is ruined. Bolting crap plastic overfenders through metal is bad enough on a rear drive car but on something FF it's completely unhinged.
I will never be on board with this trend.

27

I think I'm kinda with you on that too. I think i'd rather see the car done the way it is without those fenders and wacky wheel offset. But that could just be me being a grumpy old man. I love seeing the old FF cars with wheels tucked in. Those were the days (1994) when I just finished high school and just found a love for the import cars.

28

Overfenders always create arguments, its just the style of the time, it will pass and in the future people will argue about how wrong the next trend is. Remember what people thought was cool during the sex spec era?

29

Which model of steering wheel is it exactly ???

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!

30

B18C is 1.8 liter Dino!

31

This car is cool, mostly because of all of the details and the finish. But I think for me, I like old FF cars to just have their normal lines, and their wheels tucked in a little bit. The late 90s was when I really found a love for import cars, and I couldn't afford these (my dream cars at that time). I'm a bit biased I guess. I just like seeing the smooth lines of the stock bodywork with a lowered height and some nice wheels. Almost like the time when having an EG civic with all JDM parts was a cool thing.

32

For sure this is another miura masterpiece

33
Matthew Adkins

Dino, you need to make a visit to M&M Honda and shoot their new fender kits.

34

looks like a Honda that wants to be a Nissan...

35

Dino I think b18 is 1.8l ;)

36

Nice car, even though I kind of hate the overfender hype. Now, Varis is overfendering (is this even a word?) since I don't know how long and those kits are really thought through and through. Not just boxy or like any other kit these days. And they've done it again. First I didn't really like the looks of it, but the front fenders remind me of the fender on my own '03 WRX. Nice flared out but nothing crazy add-on. Overall in a glimpse it looks similar to a SW20 MR2. I dig it.

And the overfenders really follow the lines of the car, no overlap of the fenders over the bumpers! Next level right here.

37

Hurling? Or Hurtling.

38

Does anybody know what wheel nuts these are?

39
Cam Gullickson

I'm not a Honda guy (Honda Motorcycles, yes) but this thing is sexy!

40

boxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflaresboxflares all the things!
#makeboxflaresgreatagain #imsa80's hnnnngggggggg

41

^^ sometimes I get excited and forget how to human

42

Where can I find those checkered mats? (B&W) I bought some off EBay and they were terrible.
Thanks!

43

Dino the B18 is a 1.8l not 1.6
Great photos as usual!

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