VVTL-i is why the Celica GT-S' engine breathes easier. And why the leadfooted driver next to you won't... Picture yourself at a stoplight, another sports coupe alongside, its driver impatient for the light to turn green. But when it does, your Celica GT-S' combination of variable valve timing and high-lift cams is going to make all the difference. This is true performance, not a sheep in wolf's clothing like some of the others. The Celica GT-S has one of the highest specific output engines in the world and it "sticks like glue through corners."* That's how the guys at Road & Track see it - them and the guy you just left behind.
VVTL-i, or "Variable Valve Timing with Lift and intelligence," optimizes engine breathing by adjusting intake valve timing as engine speed and load vary. When the engine reaches 6,000 rpm, high-lift cams take over and the power curve really spikes.
All the sculpted sheet metal in the world can't camouflage a gutless engine or soft suspension. Not to worry - as Road & Track put it, "the Celica sets a new standard of performance for 21st century compact sports coupes." (November 1999, pg. 82)
Much of the credit's due to the VVTL-i system incorporated in the GT-S 1.8-liter double overhead cam (DOHC) powerplant. This technology helps produce 180 horsepower - 100 horsepower per liter of displacement - giving the GT-S one of the highest specific output engines on the planet. Harness all that power with what you see below and you've got a ride that's definitely not for the faint of heart.
Seen in profile, the Celica seems ready to pounce. The hood slopes dramatically, punctuated only by an air intake and the aerodynamic projector beam/multi-reflector halogen headlamps.
Every relationship between man and machine should be as immediately rewarding as this. Consider the Celica's tach: Redline begins in the 12 o'clock position, directly below the windshield, which makes deciding when to shift virtually instinctual. Logic, not decoration, determines the placement of controls in the Celica’s cockpit. If you’re already thinking "race car," just wait until you step on the drilled aluminum accelerator pedal.
