DC5 Honda Integra vs E46 BMW M3: Y2K Sports Coupe Heros. Shooting Brake's Road Review

When it comes to fun, useable, driver focused cars, there’s been a quiet, long running, but rarely talked about rivalry. BMW M vs Honda Type R. These cars didn’t compete with each other when new, but on the second hand market the rich, vibrant cultures behind both brands mean their prices now track fairly close to each other.

Both offer high revving, naturally aspirated, masterpieces of engines, sending power through 6-speed boxes and limited slip diffs. The BMW has more power and rear wheel drive, but weighs a whopping four hundred extra kilos compared to the Honda, which revs 1000RPM higher through closely stacked gear ratios.

For £12,000 - £20,000, which one should you buy? Ghaleb is on hand to talk you through whats what, using his old E46 M3 and SB's Head of Sales' very own DC5 Integra, which was tested here with its original K20 engine. The Integra has since undergone a 'frankenstein' engine conversion, using a K24 'hybrid' setup consisting of a 2.4l bottom end and K20 cylinder head.

This combination provides fantastic low end torque whilst retaining the singing top end of the standard K20, resulting in monstrous straight-line speed to supplement the Integra's pin-sharp chassis. Having enjoyed the project and ensuing results, Rais is now looking to move onto something else and has now listed the Integra for sale on Shooting Brake - the auction platform for car enthusiasts. Check out our website for more details: www.shootingbrake.com