GENEVA — Lotus is researching ways to improve the efficiency of flex-fuel engines, using technology that disappeared from mainstream cars decades ago, and will showcase its work at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show with the Lotus Omnivore engine. It uses a two-stroke cycle rather than the traditional four-stroke cycle and features emerging variable compression technology to optimize combustion.
With two-stroke technology, the valves are placed in the cylinder wall rather than the head. This allows Lotus to form the block and head as a single piece, eliminating the need for a head gasket. That simple head design is also the key to the variable displacement system. A sliding puck serves as the top of the cylinder and allows Lotus to alter the compression ratio depending on the fuel and engine load.
The Omnivore is currently just a one-cylinder research engine, and Lotus has no direct plans to put the technology to a specific production use.
Inside Line says: Don't expect the two-stroke engine to make a comeback in your car anytime soon just because Lotus is tinkering with it. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent
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