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Is there a chance that since the engine is shifted farther back (that's right isn't it?) that there is more room horizontally? That would leave more room for longer rods. But I guess they'd have to be planning on changing the rest of their cars as well to do this.
I don't think variable lift is much more complex than the current profile switching (at least not Valvematic). It basically adds a lever in between the cam and valves, and then an electric motor to control it, which I don't think is much more complicated than a camshaft with multiple profiles, a hydraulic locking system, and such.
I think we'll eventually see all cars have it since it is the simplest way to cut pumping loss at part load without compromising power. The problem with putting it on a boxer of course is the added height to the heads. A throttle is a pretty primitive device, it's like controlling an electric motor with a variable resistor instead of using voltage conversion. Valves are a pretty complex thing, but their presence allows precise control over a lot of things, which are starting to be taken advantage of.
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