Integra GSR Battles a Hellcat Charger on the Drag Strip

Integra with 450 horsepower puts up a great fight with the 707 horsepower supercharged Dodge sedan.

When the Acura Integra GSR was new, it offered performance that was practically unrivaled in the world of the Japanese sport compact while also comparable performance to the American muscle cars in the late 1990s. More importantly, the Integra GSR has proven to take nicely to upgrades, and Honda Tech member “BuiltnotboughT2” recently shared his hard-charging Acura in the forum’s Drag Racing section, showing how the worked engine allows this Japanese compact to hang tough with a Dodge Hellcat car.

Integra GSR and the Hellcat

The Acura Integra GSR in the video above from the YouTube channel which shares the account name with the forum member doesn’t appear to be heavily modified from the outside, but when you get a look under the hood, it becomes clear that this is a well-built machine.

The B18B block has been fitted with Wiseco 9:1 pistons, P72 cylinder heads and a turbocharger delivering 22 pounds of boost, but that is the extent of the build information offered in the discussion in the forum and in the video. The video states that this Acura makes 450 horsepower and the OP explains on the forum that it made 404 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, and a set of big, wide tires helps put that power to the ground.

As for the Hellcat Charger, there is talk of it having 707 horsepower, so we are led to believe that it is stock. We can see that it has a set of Bravado Tribute wheels wrapped in drag radials, so if it is stock, this Dodge sedan should have around 640 wheel horsepower. With good traction, the Hellcat should cover the quarter mile well into the 10-second range, making it a tough fight for any front-wheel-drive street car.

Battling American Muscle

The video begins with a quick clip of the Integra slaughtering a Ford Mustang before we head to the staging lanes for a closer look at the competitors. We get to see under the hood of the GSR followed by a quick walk around of the Charger, at which point we can see the drag radials and aftermarket wheels mounted out back.

Next, we head out to the track, riding along for the race between the Acura and the Hellcat. We get to watch as the driver of the GSR does a burnout and eases into the staging beams, setting the parking brake as the engine speed comes up. When the green lights drop, the Dodge gets a better reaction time, jumping out to an early lead. From there, the big sedan continues to pull away, making use of the 250+ horsepower advantage to take the win.

Getting to the 60-foot mark took the Hellcat 1.637 seconds while the GSR got there in 1.752 seconds and at the 330-foot mark, the gap had grown to about three hundredths of a second. At the finish line, the Charger ran a 7.046 to the Acura’s 7.796, with the Hellcat hitting 101 miles per hour to the Integra’s trap speed of 91 miles per hour.

While the big sedan won the race, the Acura Integra GSR puts up a great fight and turns in an impressive run against one of the best factory drag cars on sale today. If you have questions on the build or comments on the race, click here to head into the original thread in the forums.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com