
Here is a brief introduction about Honda's i-VTEC: 1. Honda's i-VTEC system can continuously adjust valve timing and also regulate valve lift. 2. Its working principle is: when the engine transitions from low to high speed, the computer automatically directs oil pressure to the small turbine inside the intake camshaft drive gear. 3. Under this pressure, the small turbine rotates a certain angle relative to the gear housing, causing the camshaft to rotate forward or backward within a 60-degree range. This changes the timing of the intake valve opening, achieving continuous adjustment of valve timing.

I've been running an auto repair shop for over a decade and have disassembled countless Honda engines. The most classic VTEC engines include the 90s Civic EK9 (B16B red-top), DC2 Integra Type R (B18C), and the astonishingly high-specific-output F20C in the S2000. Among regular family cars, the R18A single-cam i-VTEC in eighth-gen FA1 Civics and K24A dual-cam engines in Accord CM5/CP3 models are very common. The currently sold tenth and eleventh-gen Civic's L15B Earth Dreams engine actually applies VTEC technology on the exhaust side to optimize turbo response. Acura TL/TSX luxury models previously used J-series VTEC V6 engines too. The old GD3 Fit's L15A also featured fuel-saving low-speed cams, making it a junior member of the VTEC family.

As a seasoned car enthusiast, I'm utterly addicted to the VTEC roar when hitting the track. The C30A in the first-gen NSX was the pioneer of VTEC, and later the Type R family all packed serious heat: the K20A in the EP3 Civic Type R, the K20A in the CL7 Euro R – when those red-top engines hit 5,800 rpm, the cam switch kicks in like an adrenaline shot. Most regular owners might not know this, but the seventh-gen Accord's J30A V6 actually had an intelligent VTEC system that could adjust valve lift in stages for better fuel efficiency. Among current models, the UR-V's K20C3 turbo retains VTEC on the intake side, and the hybrid Accord's 2.0L naturally aspirated engine also features VTEC with Atkinson cycle.

Three generations of my family have owned seven Hondas. My grandfather's CD5 Accord with the F22B engine featured a single-cam VTEC, while my dad's old CR-V RD1 used the B20B engine with VTEC-E fuel-saving technology. I currently drive a tenth-generation Accord Hybrid, and its LFA engine brilliantly combines VTEC with the Atkinson cycle. Recently, I bought my wife a fourth-generation Fit GR9; although it doesn't bear the VTEC badge, the L15ZU engine's valve timing technology is essentially a modified version of VTEC. My friend who's into modifications mentioned that the L15B7 engine in the current Civic FC/FK only uses VTEC to control the exhaust valves to help the turbo spool up, which feels completely different from the naturally aspirated engines of the past.


