Infiniti says it will present the world’s first production-ready variable compression ratio engine at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September.
The Nissan-backed luxury brand says the new engine is “one of the most advanced internal-combustion engines ever created”, claiming that it has been in development for more than 20 years. It says the new mill represents a “major breakthrough in internal-combustion powertrain technology”.
The 2,0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol VC-T engine has the ability to “seamlessly raise or lower the height the pistons reach”. As a consequence, the displacement of the engine changes and the compression ratio can be varied anywhere between 8:1 (for high performance) and 14:1 (for high efficiency).
Infiniti says this engine control logic automatically applies the optimum ratio, depending on what the driving situation demands. It adds that VC-T technology delivers multiple benefits, including “significantly reduced fuel consumption and emissions” and “greatly reduced noise and vibration levels”.
Such an engine is furthermore lighter and more compact than comparable conventional mills.
Infiniti says more information on the VC-T engine will be revealed on September 29.
