Downsized engines for larger models to offer reduced emissions.
A report on Autocar UK states that Audi is working on a new type of four-cylinder engine which will have the comparable smoothness of six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engines. It is reported that Audi was awarded a patent last year for an "internal combustion engine with multi joint crank drive and additional masses on articulated connecting rods for damping free inertia forces.”
The engine design would use a "radically different" layout and avoid internal forces that make a four-cylinder engine less smooth than a six- or eight-cylinder unit. The report states that the pistons and connecting rods would be offset to one side of the crankshaft and use a rocker-style link.
The pistons and crankshaft would no longer move on the same axis, and counterweights positioned on the end of the conrod would further damp vibrations.
The new four-cylinder engine could find application in Audi's larger models like the A8 and A7, in a bid to reduce their emissions and increase efficiency. The expected mileage increase is not mentioned in the report.
Read: Next gen Audi A8 starts road tests ahead of 2016 launch
For smaller cars such as the A4 and A6, Audi could consider a downsized three-cylinder engine with a plug-in hybrid option.
New Audi A8 Competitors: Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series
New Audi A8 Expected Price: INR 1 crore upwards, ex-Showroom
New Audi A8 Launch Date: 2016 (Europe)
[Source - Autocar UK]
