Patent ID: 7530337

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a drive axle; an engine assembly including: an engine block defining a cylinder; a piston disposed within the cylinder; a crankshaft rotatably driven by the piston; and a valvetrain including a fixed-lobe camshaft and intake and exhaust valves supported by the engine assembly, the intake and exhaust valves being in communication with the cylinder and the fixed-lobe camshaft including a first lobe engaged with the intake valve to open the intake valve and a second lobe engaged with the exhaust valve to open the exhaust valve, the first and second lobes being fixed relative to one another to define a constant valve overlap condition that provides for opening of the intake valve before the exhaust valve is fully closed, a duration of the valve overlap condition creating an engine operating condition that results in combustion instability when the engine is operated below an engine load limit; and an engine load management system in communication with the engine to prevent engine operation below the engine load limit.