Ask The Buy A Car Blog: What's so special about the i-VTEC in my Honda?

What's so special about the i-VTEC in my Honda?

For years automakers have been looking for a way to combine power with fuel efficiency. Short of nitrous oxide or turbo which increase the power of an already fuel efficient engine, it seemed as if making a powerful fuel efficient car was like looking for the Holy Grail. Then enters the engineers at Honda.

Honda engineers combined racing technology with that of the family sedan and created a motor that had the ability to actually alter the cam timing while the engine was running. Through the 1990's and into the new millennium Honda continued to refine the VTEC design until finally the i-VTEC was born. Here's more from Hotrod Magazine...

Hotrod Magazine: "The latest and most sophisticated VTEC development is i-VTEC ('intelligent' VTEC), which combines features of all the various previous VTEC systems for even greater powerband width and cleaner emissions. The i-VTEC is used in the Acura RSX Type S, the Civic Si, the '03 Honda Accord, the '04 Acura TSX, and other models. With the latest i-VTEC setup, at low rpm the timing of the intake valves is now staggered and their lift is asymmetric, which creates a swirl effect within the combustion chambers. At high rpm, the VTEC transitions as previously into a high-lift, long-duration cam profile.

On i-VTEC engines, the engine computer also monitors cam position, intake manifold pressure, and engine rpm, then commands the VTC (variable timing control) actuator to advance or retard the cam. At idle, the intake cam is almost fully retarded to deliver a stable idle and reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emissions. The intake cam is progressively advanced as rpm builds, so the intake valves open sooner and valve overlap increases. This reduces pumping losses, increasing fuel economy while further reducing exhaust emissions due to the creation of an internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) effect."

What's that mean for you? It means you've got a car that uses less gas, dumps less pollutants into the air, but has the "get up and go" of a car with more ponies under the hood (some VTEC engines get as much as 1.5 horsepower / cubic inch).

Happy motoring.

Posted by Loyd on April 27, 2005 | 0 Comments

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