I don't think the use of a p/r valvetrain somehow renders pointless any refinement & new-tech wizardry in the other sub-systems. It probably made more sense for them to concentrate their R&D efforts in other areas which would net them more in reaching their performance goals, given the displacement & operating range of the motor.
I think most innovations in vehicles (and machinery in general) have come about where one unique design element stands out, proves its worth, and is refined into a new 'norm' although the other elements are the same-old-same-old.
And plus-eleventy-one on how cool it would be for DFI 2-(no)smoke motors to be developed! IIRC from the little bit I read about them years ago, their at-speed emissions were good with DFI, but the at-idle requirements killed them & gives a decided advantage to 4-strokes meeting regs.
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