Originally posted by DakarM
the whole point of vvti/vanos, etc is that you don't "feel" it 
Yup.
It just serves to make a very flat torque curve, if i remember correctly. The celica GT-S 's have VVT-L or something like that, showing that they vary lift as well as timing, resulting in a vtec-like torque jump.
Anyway... good story, and good race. Keep it coming.