Stolen, written-off and reborn: meet the world's fastest Integra, a car with 1,500bhp

Once the world’s fastest two-wheel drive car, now all-wheel-drive, Myles Kerr’s 1,500(ish)-horsepower “Gringotegra” excels in the worlds of half-mile racing and “no-prep” - a form of drag runs on imperfect track surfaces to mimic street racing. Able to hit 195 mph in the quarter-mile (at 7.715s), Kerr’s hottest of hatches also runs a mind-melting 216mph in the half-mile.

On this episode of American Tuned, Rob Dahm dives into the world of high-speed racing, and leads us on this Integra's journey. From its humble beginnings as a factory model, through the inevitable theft (the Integra was one of the most stolen cars in the States at the time) to its evolution into a machine that commands respect on the track, it’s a car that's pushed to its limits regularly. It’s a true test-and-tune project, with its “race, break, fix” cycle remaining unbroken for more than a decade-and-a-half.

Kerr bought the 1994 Integra GSR in a rare state of bone-stockness - that is, with a then untuned 1.8-litre VTEC - back in 2006, and it was stolen in 2008. When police found it, the Integra had so much steering-column damage the insurance company marked it a write-off.

Kerr bought it back, added a turbo kit, and its story diverged into tuner-car territory. Now it revs to a relatively modest 11,000 rpm. Modesty is different in the Honda world, with some mega-rev outliers going into the 12s and 13s, although Kerr says his Integra retains a factory rocker arm and three-lobe cam, and idles at 1,100 RPM.

Beyond the technical feats, this Integra’s is a story of resilience. It's a car that has seen its fair share of trials, from grand theft auto to the harsh realities of racing. Yet, each challenge has only added to its legacy, a testament to an unbreakable spirit of resilience.