You do not need over 12.0 CR. Also... don't pay for "power" - pay for performance. The highest HP doesn't always win the race. The word that you need to learn is EFFICIENCY. I've laid my graph over a 200+ hp motor - I am MANY miles an hour faster than the VTEC motor from the beginning of the sample to the end. PERIOD. With respect to traction guess what that means on the street? I simply inhale and exhale more air in the same period of time. That's "performance" even though the other motor made more "power". Make sure you balance peak power w/ how quickly you make that power... unless you're going road racing where you're at 95% throttle position all day.
My build was pricey, but was never meant to be "N/A" - I'm am nitrous guy. If you subtract the cost of my sleeves then I'm right back in the same range cost-wise as any comperable "serious" VTEC build. If you guys aren't buying reliability when you build motors then you're a dork, or you haven't been doing it long enough to realize the benefit of that.
There are many ways to get results --- good luck to all in that venture, no matter if you are VTEC or not - single-cam or dual - etc. Build what you want so that in the end you're happy.Does a 5 liter Mustang have variable timing? How about an LS1? LOL. Yall Honda guys need to stop thinking in one-dimension... it's not sexy. RESEARCH... why does a Sr20 outperform a B20? Does the Sr have VTEC? No. LOL. Put cha head in the game kids.
The "rules" for N/A performance haven't changed and they won't no matter what weapon you choose - there will always be tradeoffs... build something that works for your application. Good luck.