We have VTEC

I agree that you’ll hear a change in tone throughout. That’s got nothing to do with variable timing, though. The pull you feel above 3000 rpm is just that. Pull. It’s not “VTEC.” That sort of engagement would occur higher in the RPM band. The VQ engine does what it does based on classic design: displacement.

Sorry to burst your bubble, bro… but you aren’t feeling the honda-like VTEC kick, because it’s just not there.