Audi Plans Super-Smooth Four-Cylinder Engine

Audi is working on a totally new type of four-cylinder engine that is intended to be as smooth running as a six-cylinder or eight-cylinder unit.

The move comes as premium car makers embark on a big reduction in the fuel consumption of larger models - such as the A8 L - by downsizing engines and using hybrid drivetrains.

It’s thought that Audi was awarded a patent for this unusual design last year. The description is for an “internal combustion engine with multi joint crank drive and additional masses on articulated connecting rods for damping free inertia forces.”

In simple terms, this design uses a radically different layout to avoid generating the internal forces that make four-pot engines less smooth.

The pistons and conrods no longer run in line with the crankshaft. Instead, they are offset to one side of the crank and connected to it via a rocker-style link.

The centre of the rocker link is attached to the crank and the other end to a second conrod, which is attached to a fixed shaft and has a counterweight at its head.
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Car4Life - 8/15/2014 3:11:04 PM

+2 Boost

must be a reaaaaaaallly slow day at Volkswagen/Audi

atc98092 - 8/15/2014 6:40:04 PM

+2 Boost

Even looking at the diagram, having trouble following it. I'd need to see more details.

Is the additional smoothness worth the added complexity?

MattDarringer - 8/15/2014 7:23:30 PM

0 Boost

Typical German idiocy. Let's create something blindingly complicated, expensive to produce, and most likely prone to catastrophic component failure.

Audi has a shocking engine failure rate on its conventional 4 cylinder engines...shhh don't tell anyone.

Mitsubishi smoothed out 4 cylinders decades ago and Porsche licensed the technology.

USNA1999 - 8/15/2014 9:01:44 PM

+1 Boost

Agree!

cidflekken - 8/17/2014 5:29:46 PM

+1 Boost

Well, the 2 loaner cars Audi has given me in the past 2 years were 4-cylinders. They both sounded worth than my 1992 Honda Civic.

DasApollo - 8/19/2014 1:41:39 PM

+1 Boost

I owned a Honda Civic and have been driving a Volkswagen GTI for the past 5 years, and I can tell you, the Honda Civic is a lot more HARSH and vibrates a lot more than the 2.0T. Also one thing people always say is how quite and non harsh the 2.0T compared to other 4 cylinder engines, especially at full throttle. The complexity does seem rather odd, but there has to be a reason behind it.