Does anyone know the history, i.e. who was the first, and what are the different types like vvt with lift, intake/exhaust, etc...

I'm under the impression (like most ppl) that VTEC was the first that varied valve timing and lift, but what about other systems like VANOS, double VANOS, VVT-i, VVL, etc?

what's the timeline look like? and what are the differences?

someone was telling me that i-VTEC was copied from bmw's double VANOS, which I thought was BS, but that was what inspired my curiosity.....

 

This is BS because VANOS only controls timing (in a much better way that VTEC). VTEC changes timing AND lift. It's a completely different type of system.

Intro to VANOS (first intro'd in 1992 -- Honda beat them by at least two years)

Which system was first commercially availible is a good question....

VTEC is definitely the first out of the ones you list, but I'm thinking that some high-end cars (Porsche, Ferrari, etc.) might have had variable valve control even earlier. Let me do some research.....


EDIT: Here's one that compares VVTL-i (Toyota), VarioCam Plus (Porsche), and i-VTEC. It says Variocam was first used in '91. Honda had VTEC in late 1990 on the MY '91 NSX.

 

I always go to for my research needs.

 

It's the only smiley that made sense.

Edit: Still trying to find out when Ferrari first started their "3D" cams....

Edit: Here's a website that mentions the Ferrari cams, and still claims that Honda was first overall. But they seem like H-fanboys, so I don't know how credible this is....

Edit: This website mentions the 3D cams in the 70s (Ford!). But it talks about the cam controlling fuel delivery, which leaves me ....

 

:whocares:
The thing just works and leave it at that.
How to be braging about VTEC and double VANOS and Valvetronic.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

When I tried to find info from (well, meaning research on the net) I was getting different things, but no clear cut on the history and in depth comparison between the few technologies....

btw, not that it really matters, from I recall VTEC was first introduced in '89 and first put in production use on the NSX I believe in '90

 

VANOS is basically VTC (which is part of i-VTEC). Therefore VANOS, VTC and VVT-i are the same. Double VANOS means variable valve timing on the exhaust cams as well, something Honda has always had on their DOHC VTEC systems.
VTEC is 2 step valve-timing (3-steps in the economy VTEC D15 engine) and 2 step valve-lift.
VVTL-i is VTEC's 2 step valve lift plus variable valve timing (in essence, the same as i-VTEC).
Variocam has 3 step valve-timing, and Variocam Plus has 2 step valve-timing and 2-step valve-lift (Same as VTEC, but Porsche only implements it on the intake cam).

 

Talk about hostility. The man's just curious...

 

Also in the highest spec i-VTEC (in the RSX and TSX), i-VTEC has VTEC on both cams, and VTC only on intake, while VVTL-i has it on both intake and exhaust cams.

 

I thought VTEC was on Honda bike before they put it on NSX. NEway, I think MP4/5 is the first car have VTEC but not sure.