Brief Pause During Normal Acceleration

[Seadweller]

I wasn't able to find anything via a search, so if there's already a thread on this, please let me know. I'll try to explain the symptom to the best of my ability.

Car is a '98 Boxster with tip. When accelerating normally from a stop in the 2nd gear position, there's a slight pause between 2nd and 3rd in the 2000-3000rpm range. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like the car is softly shifting into a 2.5 gear. After that, the car shifts solidly into 3rd.

I don't believe it's a transmission problem, but more something with the engine. It also may very well be normal, but I want to make sure of that. It does it in fully automatic mode, or manual/paddle shift mode.

[Seadweller]

Well, after some poking around the internet last night, I found a possible cause for what I'm experiencing. It seems the Variocam valve timing evidently "switches" to another setting between 2500 and 3000 rpm's, which feels like a subtle shift. Supposedly, it's normal, and it's less noticeable, or even unnoticeable under harder acceleration.

Does this sound plausible?