Tech & Auto
Honda's Eureka Moment: The History Of VTEC
By THARINDU DIAS
Honda’s Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, or VTEC, is one of the most well-known engine types in the world. Its innovations have profoundly impacted automotive engineering.
This system has roots in the early 1980s, stemming from research and development in Honda’s motorcycle division’s goal of combining performance and fuel efficiency.
Japanese engineers were pressured to develop a lower fuel consumption system after the 1979 oil crisis, leading to the invention of the 4-valve per cylinder double overhead cam.
Past four-valve-per-cylinder engines had issues with their low-end torque being traded for high-end power and vice versa. Honda engineer Ikuo Kajitani developed a solution: VTEC.
VTEC technology entered the automotive sphere with the release of the 1989 Integra XSi, symbolizing a pivotal advancement in engine technology.
This implementation of VTEC demonstrated its transformative capabilities, optimizing engine performance and efficiency and highlighting its adaptability to automobile engines.
Soon after, VTEC was included across Honda’s automotive lineup. It garnered acclaim and recognition, with car enthusiasts and experts acknowledging the innovation it brought.
VTEC pushed the auto sector to adopt the technology in engines since it was the first feasible, dependable, and commercially viable variable valve timing and lift technology.
Honda’s VTEC technology has undergone extensive refinement and evolution over the years and was called the “dream engine,” given its industry-leading characteristics at the time.
VTEC is still used today and can be found in models like the 2023 Honda Civic Type-R, which has an output of 315 horsepower thanks to the engine.