I should mention that Honda's clean burning, fuel conscious, high-performance engine is the result of some pretty impressive
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| Honda's clean burning, fuel conscious, high-performance engine is the result of some pretty impressive technology. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
technology - nothing new for this brand, mind you. The 1.8 features the newest version of VTEC, now sporting an "i" in front of the acronym for i-VTEC intelligent valve control system. Why does Honda refer to it as intelligent? Because it uses new valve control timing to reduce pumping losses when cruising and other low engine load situations. If the variable valve timing briefly leaves an intake valve open just as the piston begins its compression stroke, pumping losses are minimized. Basically, more unburned air/fuel mixture ignites during this process, yielding higher performance and reduced fuel consumption. The engine also utilizes a dedicated set of cams for closing one of the intake valves, and by so doing retard its timing, which adds backpressure to the air/fuel mixture. While this chokes off intake air, the throttle is opened wider to enhance engine output.
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| A few technical tidbits that you might find interesting include the engine's "high rigidity" aluminum block. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
Again, the best of both worlds. There's a great deal more to this engine than I will go into here, but just rest assured that Honda's new 1.8 is the technology leader and one of, if not the most efficient four-cylinder available anywhere.
A few technical tidbits that you might find interesting include the engine's "high rigidity" aluminum block, which integrates reinforcements within its walls, low friction components, such as Molybdenum Di-Sulfide (MoS2) cylinder coatings and cylinder sleeve plateau honing, lightweight composite dual stage intake manifold, made of resin rather than aluminum to reduce weight, cracked connecting rods, which means that the rod and cap are forged as a complete unit when built for increased strength and reduced weight, programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI), stainless steel, low mass exhaust system, that makes a separate exhaust manifold old news, and finally, drive-by-wire throttle actuation.
