TORQUE SHOW

VarioRam is the name Porsche gave to its advanced variable intake system when the technology was first released in 1994. It’s clear, however, from the wealth of Porsche-filed patents in the years leading up to then, that the manufacturer’s engineers had long considered the benefits of varying intake geometry. Indeed, the VarioRam system was preceded by a far simpler variable design that didn’t get much recognition, never mind a catchy marketing name.

Before we look at how these Porsche systems work, it’s probably worth us going through an overview of intake tuning. This is a massive field of study, obviously, because it includes the whole inlet system, from engine air intake, filter, throttle and then the plenum, manifold and, finally, the inlet valves. Each and every millimetre of this system affects the tuning and performance of the host engine across the rev range.

SPEAK VOLUMES

When we say tuning, really, what we’re interested in here is volumetric efficiency. This is the measure of how much air - in terms of mass - you can get into an engine’s cylinder, compared with the theoretical amount.