VW plans revolution in engine design

Volkswagen has used the opportunity of a somewhat obscure motor industry get-together, the International Vienna Motor Symposium, to show off some of its upcoming technology which could revolutionise the way we think about high-performance engines.

First up, in production terms, is a heavily reworked version of VW's long-lived W12 engine. This massive 6.0-litre turbo sees service in the Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur, the top-spec Audi A8 saloon and, from later this year, the Bentley Bentayga SUV.

When it launches in the Bentayga, VW says new tech will mean it is the most efficient 12-cylinder engine in the world, thanks to being fitted with cylinder deactivation tech (which shuts down some of the cylinder when cruising on a light throttle).

With that, lower friction components, a stop-start system and more efficient fuel injection mean that the massive engine will have CO2 emissions of below 250g/km. Perhaps not enough to placate Greenpeace, but an improvement all the same.

For those looking for more performance from a smaller engine, though, VW has the answer – electric turbos. VW says it is planning a small three-cylinder engine running two turbos.

A conventional exhaust-gas driven one provides top-end power while a smaller, faster-reacting electrically driven compressor provides low-down torque. The combination is said to be able to deliver 270hp.

VW also says electric turbos, combined with a forthcoming upgrade of the Golf, Passat, A3 and more to a 48-volt power system, could see the humble 2.0-litre TDI diesel upgraded to a whopping 300hp in the future.

"Climate protection is an integral part of our responsibility towards people and society. Moreover, customers demand models with reduced consumption and lower emissions, and politics also makes high demands on the automotive industry," Dr Heinz-Jakob Neußer, member of the board of management for the Volkswagen brand with responsibility for development and Volkswagen group head of Powertrain Development, said at the symposium.

“The reduction of CO2 emissions from internal combustion engines is pure high-tech nowadays. Examples of this are our high rpm diesel as well as the high-performance three-cylinder TSI engine.”