Future Nissan Technologies: Turbo power without a turbo

[Infiniti Z350]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=105391

New Technologies in the Works From Nissan
Date Posted 04-15-2005

TOKYO — The smooth, quiet, earth-friendly Altima hybrid that launches this year in America is not by any means the only smart new technology coming from Nissan.

It's true Nissan developed the Altima hybrid using control technology from archrival Toyota (matched to its own 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine). But engineers at Nissan are also working on many other concepts, among them a Lane Departure Prevention System that applies the brakes individually to automatically steer you back into your lane on the freeway should you start to drift.

Nissan also has a compact 4-Wheel Active Steer system under development that dramatically improves vehicle stability and maneuverability, especially in quick lane changes. Sensors alter the steering ratio and rear-wheel angle depending on speed.

Next, Nissan engineers are also working on a Variable Compression Ratio engine. The promise here is the smoothness of a V6 matched to the power of a turbo and fuel economy of a non-turbo. It works through a clever new piston/crank assembly and, like Nissan's other technologies, uses state-of-the-art electronics to achieve its purpose.

Although there are no immediate production plans for this new engine — which would seem a tremendous option in any future production version of, for instance, Nissan's hot Azeal sport coupe study — technologies such as Lane Departure Prevention and Active Steer are expected sometime over the next one to five years from Nissan, probably starting in Japan.

What this means to you: Now that Nissan has plenty of hot products, it's turning attention to technology that will make them even better.

[RWD60]

i think saab already did something like this... but a VQ with improved economy and power.... wow... they'd have no need for V-8 engines if they can make a VQ40 act like it has a turbo!!!

[SonicAerio]

Next, Nissan engineers are also working on a Variable Compression Ratio engine. The promise here is the smoothness of a V6 matched to the power of a turbo and fuel economy of a non-turbo. It works through a clever new piston/crank assembly and, like Nissan's other technologies, uses state-of-the-art electronics to achieve its purpose.

Well they better make sure they test it alot, because they are just now starting to crawl out of the reliability hole. This is why BMW, Merc, etc have such low reliability, because of all the technology they have in their vehicles, I've read somewhere that the average Merc has 3x the average amount of little motors/contracptions making it that much easier to go wrong. One car for example has 10 mini fans in a single seat to make it breathable to the occupent.