Elistan

There's three possibilities that I can think of.

First is marketing. Honda does some weird (and stupid, IMO) marketing things, so who knows. Perhaps they know of the modification potential, and don't what 280hp S2000s eating into NSX sales? (Yeah, like NSX sales really matter. )

Second is cost. Of course, Honda went through all the cost and trouble of stroking the engine to 2.2 liters for a single market, so why didn't they use that money to instead make it a 9000rpm, 2.0 liter i-VTEC with the increased torque? A much better solution, IMO, than stroking to 2.2 liters and lowering redline to 8000rpm.

Third is technical reasons. Maybe it'd make the valvetrain too high to fit under the low hood. Maybe the i-VTEC valvetrain can't handle 9000rpm. (But the RSX-S revs to 8000, so why couldn't they have added it to the 8000rpm North American engine?)

All-in-all, I can't think of a single good reason why Honda doesn't use i-VTEC in the S2000 engine.

Gernby

Statements like these are silly. There IS a reason why the S2000 and NSX don't have I-VTEC ... they are low volume cars that haven't been significantly redesigned since I-VTEC came out! If there is a true 2nd generation S2000, I'm sure it will have I-VTEC. There isn't any valid argument that I-VTEC isn't an improvement over VTEC.

Gernby

I seriously doubt that the cost of stroking the F20C to 2.2L was all that great.

I also don't think (I may be wrong) that I-VTEC changes the size of the head. I'm not sure, but I think the valve timing is controlled by advancing or retarding the timing chain.

Elistan

:nod: Who knows?

Hmm, other possibilities... Perhaps the F series block simply cannot accomodate whatever hardware that i-VTEC requires. (Perhaps in another few years we'll get a K series engine in the S2000, but it was too expensive to do it for MY04?)

Or possibly Honda doesn't give a damn about mod potential of their engines, and since the F series engine gives 240hp, they see no reason to give us a different engine that has 240hp stock but the potential for much more.

Silver9k

I honestly don't think that I-VTEC really gives much more potential...There is going to be the same peak hp and tq numbers, we just have two different cam profiles, one for high rpm, one for low rpm...I-VTEC will just vary this more frequently...it doesn't give the motor more peak potential, it just flatens the torque curve

Project SSAP1

may not give more higher rpm gains...but low end to midrange is where i-vtec technology is key!!!!

Gernby

It almost sounds like you think "potential" is all about peak numbers. The biggest complaint from performance enthusiats about the S2000 is how non-flat the power curve is ... and they're right!

kitwetzler

that's weird, looks almost identical to my dyno chart, in terms of peak power... but look at the difference at 5000 rpm in the midrange. Wow.



Pretty sad, I wish the F series took that well to mods... I strongly suspect that a boost in redline will result in some more power for the f22c, the heads on them are the same, and the f20c makes peak power past where the f22c redlines... and the rest of the power curves are very similar. (the chart above shows my 2004 vs a 2002)

CrazyPhuD

Here's the deal in I-Vtec...

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/at_011205.htm

Simply put...honda did not put I-VTEC on the s2000 for one of two reasons.....either it was too costly to modify the head to do it. Or the benifit was so small it was not worth it. I tend to believe it was a combination of the two.....

CrazyPhuD

But in all reality I-vtec will be gone in a couple of years......it's already outdated technology.....Next step, soleniod actuated valves....Fully computer controlled for fine grained breathing adjustments....