In these morose times where hard-to-come-by credit and a financial crisis are having their way with the auto industry, revival will come from the development of a new type of heat engine. Over the next 20 or 30 years, this type of mill will no doubt still account for nearly 80% of the market.
This is where MCE-5 Development's VCRi technology comes in. It is in fact a variable compression ratio engine that is destined to replace the current fixed compression ratio models. Its compression ratio can vary between 7,1 and 20,1:1. For example, the Peugeot 407, which MCE-5 Development will present in Geneva, is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, direct injection, VCRi engine producing 270 hp and 339 ft-lb of torque at 1,500 rpm. In comparison, a standard V8 produces 309 ft-lb of torque.As for fuel consumption, the Peugeot 407 VCRi burns 6 litres per 100 km and emits 140 g of CO2 for each kilometre travelled. We can expect those numbers to drop to 120 g of CO2 per kilometre by 2012 and 2013.
photo: MCE-5 Development
