Engine Technologies

It's only been a week, but we've already had to update our list of the world's most powerful cars, after Hennessey Performance surprised itself with an extreme dyno reading.

The gasoline age is giving way to electric, but there's still plenty of room for last-gasp improvements to the combustion engine.

Set to debut in a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder Smartstream turbo engine, Hyundai's new valve tech is able to continuously change the duration of valve openings to suit driving conditions, which results in a 4 percent performance boost, 5 percent better fuel economy and 12 percent lower emissions.

British company Camcon Automotive has built a fully digital engine valve system, uncoupled from the crank, that offers unprecedented control over the combustion cycle. It enables some weird and wonderful ideas we've never seen before, such as giving 4-stroke engines brief 2-stroke power boosts​.

​Lock up your flywheels, folks, an American inventor is coming after them. RK Transportation is working on an idea that replaces an engine's flywheel with a lightweight rotor with embedded magnets, to apply pulses of electric torque just when they're needed in search of easier acceleration.

Forget variable length intakes and variable valve timing, Infiniti is going all the way and introducing variable cylinder compression ratios. The new VC-T turbo engine automatically adjusts between a high-powered 8:1 and a hugely efficient 14:1 ratio as you drive.

Earlier this year we saw the first example of a 3D-printed jet engine, now GE has announced the first 3D-printed part certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a commercial jet engine. and will be retrofitted to over 400 GE90-94B jet engines on Boeing 777 aircraft.

Volvo continues to chase better fuel economy with the development of a new three-cylinder engine, which will sit alongside the Swedish brand's Drive-E four-cylinder motors in its lineup.

Magnesium alloys are very attractive for their light weight, specific strength and easy machinability, but they corrode easily. Researchers at Monash University have developed a novel way to poison corrosive reactions by adding a dash of arsenic to the recipe.

NASA has used 3D printing technology to manufacture rocket engine components in a one-piece design. In hot-fire testing, the 3D-printed parts have managed to withstand incredibly high temperatures and pressures to the same standard as traditionally manufactured parts.

Automotive component manufacturer Delphi is developing a gasoline-powered engine that uses diesel engine-like technology for increased fuel efficiency.

All we have at this stage is a few photos of the race Superbike version and a teaser video, but expectation has been building that the new Ninja could be the first Japanese bike to take it to the amazing new BMW S1000RR.