A century ago, steam engines had such complex valve actuation that it was even used to reverse the direction of rotation, and the Italian Army started a company to make themselves some staff cars. F.I.A.T. grew up to produce the classic Topolino and 500 models, and even sold the Lada factory to the U.S.S.R. Then, a bit over a decade ago, they developed the common-rail electronic fuel injection system which has revolutionized diesel engine design. It replaces a complex precision pump with an offshoot of desktop printer technology to meter the fuel out. Now, they have a system that meters air into a gasoline engine better than any previous mechanical or electrical system. Basically, they use a hydraulic lifter, and an electronic spill valve to tailor the effect the cam has on the valve. The system is efficient, versatile, and relatively failsafe. It finishes the job of civilizing the internal combustion engine, getting it to run at maximum efficiency with minimal pollution over a wide range of outputs.
Fiat releases MultiAir engine technology – is this a fundamental breakthrough in internal combustion engine design?
The title does not need to be put as a question, IHMO. These will be the cars to buy, if any will be.
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