With more than 30 years working on exotic engines and offering technical support to many independents over the years, one thing has always bothered me:

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Why do car manufacturers make something complicated just because they can?

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When we started laying out the Vesuvius engine strategy, one of the things we looked at was variable cam timing and cam variators. Variators can do some clever things. By changing camshaft position hydraulically, they can broaden the torque curve, help emissions and improve drivability at different engine speeds.

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But...they also add another layer of parts to a system where accuracy is everything!

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A typical system brings in oil controlled cam phasers, control valves, locking mechanisms, additional oil passages, sensors and software. Over the years, anyone who has spent time around modern exotic engines has seen the other side of that technology. Wear inside the phasers, sticking control valves, oil pressure sensitivity, incorrect oil type, startup rattle, timing faults and expensive repairs when the system no longer holds the cam exactly where it should. And this isn’t unique to one exotic manufacturer. Similar technology, and in some cases components coming from the same specialist supply industry, are used throughout the high performance automotive world. We looked at it and asked a simple question:

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Do we actually need it for our car? Is it best for our clients?

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For Vesuvius, our answer was no.

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We’re building a naturally aspirated engine designed to breathe and make its power at RPM. We would rather engineer the cam profiles, intake, exhaust and calibration correctly from the beginning than add another hydraulic mechanism simply to move the cams around. At 10,000 RPM, I want the valve timing where we put it. Every time.

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So the philosophy is pretty straightforward.

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Fewer moving parts. Fewer failure points. Accurate valve control. Proper chain architecture. Great, proven materials throughout, including valve guides and valve seats. Not a bean counter strategy built around saving a few dollars on critical engine components. And access designed into the engine so servicing the timing system doesn’t mean dismantling half the damn car. But most of all, a system designed to last.

That’s what analog means to me. Drive the car! Not old technology. The right technology, used where it actually belongs.

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Exotic should describe the experience. Not the repair bill.

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~ Nick

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BLACK HORSE CARTEL