Infiniti Features New VC Turbo Engine at L.A. Auto Show
The L.A. Auto Show is in full swing and open to the public through the 27th. While were there, we stopped by the Infiniti booth to take a look as some of their stunning vehicles, and a model of their VC Turbo engine.
The all-new four-cylinder 2.0-liter gasoline VC-Turbo establishes new benchmarks for the internal combustion engine. It will combine the power of a high-performance 2.0-liter turbo gasoline with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel powertrain. The design essentially allows the engine to alter its compression ratio between 8:1 (typical for high-performance engines) and 14:1 (used by many manufacturers for high efficiency). Thus giving power or efficiency to the driver when the pedal is depressed.
Variable Compression engines are not exactly a new concept, but Infiniti is seeking to take the VC Turbo engine to the next level by using an advanced multi-link system to seamlessly raise or lower the stroke of the pistons, detecting the car’s driving condition and driver inputs, and instantly selecting the most suitable compression ratio.
As well as offering the benefits of true flexibility, Infiniti’s VC-Turbo technology negates the downsides posed by fixed compression. Infiniti’s engine neatly sidesteps the problem of “knocking,” a process of inefficiency which can occur in higher-compression-ratio engines when the air-fuel mixture combusts prematurely in the cylinder, potentially resulting in damage to the engine. Infiniti’s VC-Turbo engine avoids this with direct injection fuel delivery, and by constantly optimizing the compression ratio. This latter characteristic ensures greater efficiency than many high-performance engines with a fixed, low compression ratio.