Pure Japanese Muscle: Five Best Honda VTEC Engines of All Time
Honda’s venerable VTEC system has left a trail of performance and innovation for all of its production life.
Honda has been an iconic name in the Japanese automotive industry for the past several decades, but while the company likes to portray themselves as a firm that pushes reliability and value as their key selling points, the Japanese auto giant is also known for being very innovative when it comes to the design and development of engines. Honda’s iconic VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Electronic Lift Control) lineup of engines is one such notable example, with the engine family managing to become a household name overnight thanks to movies like the Fast and the Furious. But which VTEC engine is the greatest? We listed them all and crunched the facts to see which one is the greatest.
Credit: Honda Motors
1. REV system (1983 Honda CBR400)
Before modern VTEC systems arrived in Honda vehicles, the technology actually had its proverbial Genesis in the 1983 CBR400. Dubbed REV (Revolution Modulated Valve Control), this system can be considered the definitive prototype of VTEC, and was first tested out in this sport bike. When equipped to the CBR400’s air cooled inline four cylinder, it helped transform the CBR400 into a two wheeled star, with the engine being blessed with exceptional performance, especially when pushed into the higher reaches of the rev band.
This was due to the valve stop mechanism, which had the ability to make the engine go from a two valve unit, to a four valve arraignment at 9,500 RPM. Honda learned valuable lessons from the CBR400, and that in turn, led them to put the technology into traditional automobiles a short time later.
2. DOHC VTEC (1989 Honda CRX)
The next big leap for VTEC occurred in 1989, when an all new DOHC variant was introduced in the 1989 Honda Integra (aka, Acura Integra for those reading in the U.S.) Making its appearance in the XSi model, the 1.6 liter B16A four cylinder produced 160 horsepower, and helped transform the Integra into a budget friendly performance car with very good amounts of fuel economy.
After its first appearance in the Integra, the new VTEC packed its bags and traveled to Europe, where it made its appearance in the Honda Civic and CRX with power going down slightly to 150 horsepower. The DOHC system is number two here because of the explosion in popularity that it saw during the 1990s, with a whole swath of models being equipped with it. This included the 3.0 liter V6 used in the Acura NSX (the U.S. market’s first exposure to VTEC) and the Honda Prelude which helped the Japanese automakers enjoy solid dominance in the performance car market during this era.
3. i-VTEC and the K Series engine (2002-2005 Honda Civic Si)
Remember the Fast and the Furious reference we made at the very beginning of this list? The 2000’s were a very interesting time in history, and this particular film helped catapult both the i-VTEC iteration of the technology and the K-series engine into the minds of car enthusiasts almost overnight. The i-VTEC system was a reflection of the increased levels of sophistication that Honda engineers baked into the system, with the company’s Variable Timing Control system being thrown into the mix.
This helped enhance fuel economy and performance even further, and played a key role in the K-Series engine’s ability to be a darling in the aftermarket. In the Civic Si, the VTEC equipped engine could make up to 200 horsepower in its stock form, but clever tuners managed to make the tiny four cylinder erupt into a volcano of power, with some creations easily exceeding 1,000 horsepower when properly upgraded. Many of these souped up Civics also used the stock i-VTEC system, which is a prominent example of just how versatile the technology is.
4. i-VTEC With Variable Cylinder Management (2005 Honda Odyssey)
While the Honda Civic and other K-Series powered models were making a name for themselves, Honda chose to make fuel economy the predominant trait of its J-Series V6 engine, with the i-VTEC technology being paired with an all new Variable Cylinder Management system. The system can actually turn off multiple cylinders, which allows the engine to have the capability to go between being a V6, a four cylinder, or even a 3 cylinder depending on driving conditions.
The VCM first made its U.S. debut in the 2005 Honda Odyssey, and the Odyssey was one of the first minivans in the segment to use variable cylinder management technology. This novel tech has since made its way to other models like the Accord, and the Honda Pilot SUV, but its inaugural appearance in the Odyssey represented a true dream team scenario, and further highlighted just how flexible VTEC was in the face of changing automotive norms.
Photo: Honda
5. VTEC TURBO (2017 – Present Honda Civic Type R)
With the VTEC system being blended with Variable Cylinder Management technology, it was only a matter of time before VTEC was paired with a turbocharged engine for the first time, with the Civic Type R leading the way when it was introduced in 2017. Once a stalwart follower of naturally aspirated engines, the current generation Type R helped bring VTEC into a boosted world, and in the process into a new arena of performance. The 200 horsepower barrier was finally shattered, with the turbocharger and the engine’s other upgrades helping to raise that figure up to 306 horsepower. The added boost helped improve the engine’s low end punch, but VTEC proved to still be a valuable addition when the revs climbed, with the engine having a high degree of poise in a region where other turbocharged units simply ran out of steam.
That helped transform the Type R into a formidable track weapon, and also played a key role in bringing the model to the United States for the first time ever after long being a tempting but out of reach exclusive limited to the international market. Is this engine the greatest iteration of VTEC ever built? The ultimate judgement is in the eyes of the beholder, but we think that it has what it takes to be our favorite out of this list.