Manufacturers like to use a lot of acronyms on their cars. Variable valve lift (VVL) and variable valve timing (VVT) are two of the most popular ones. These systems sound pretty similar, but what do ...

Valve overlap—that crucial interval when both the intake and exhaust valves are open, expressed in degrees of crankshaft rotation—is typically a fixed parameter and always a compromise. For example, ...

The first production car engine with variable valve timing (VVT) came from Alfa Romeo in 1980. It was installed in the fuel-injected Alfa Romeo Spider. Before this, a few experimental systems existed, ...

There is so much going on with internal combustion engines (ICEs) these days, it can give you a headache just reading about them. That's why we do the research for you and then cram it into bite-size ...

The hunt for efficient engine valve technology can be a never-ending journey into cam timing, various combustion cycles, and lift and duration adjustments. For that reason, some companies believe ...

Variable valve timing isn’t necessarily a new idea, but it is new to BMW motorcycles. With a freshly designed 1,254 cc two-cylinder flat engine, VVT is arriving in BMW bikes for the first time with an ...

At its most basic level, an engine is an air pump. Internal combustion engines breathe fresh air and expel wasted exhaust gases to make power. Something has to tell those intake and exhaust valves ...

Michal studies Automotive Journalism at Coventry University in the UK, and has been writing for CarBuzz since March 2025. He was nominated for student culture piece of the year recently and has been ...