Open Road

No 928 content, but the hinged engine block blows me away.
I was not really a car guy yet in 2001. Does anybody remember this:

https://eeuroparts.com/blog/saabs-varia ... 5A4uuAM1mT

I don't remember that one specifically. But, I probably have an issue of C&D from way back then on the shelf that has an article on it.

Seems like every 5 years some org produces a prototype variable compression engine. That one may be the weirdest though.

IIRC, a year or five ago I read an article about a VC engine that changed stroke.

The timing chain that allowed movement without slack and the bellow material that’s supposed to tolerate heat cycles and up to 40 psi, sounded like a can full of doom.

Crumpler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2026 8:55 am The timing chain that allowed movement without slack and the bellow material that’s supposed to tolerate heat cycles and up to 40 psi, sounded like a can full of doom.

Oh, can of doom... you mean like the Audi V8 with a dozen timing chain tensioner pads... on the firewall end of the engine?

Yeah, these ideas always - so far - die at the first development trade-off meeting when similar increases in MPG and/or C02 (i.e. what the industry cares about in the end) can be achieved by the next chapter in the book of tried-and-true solutions like weight management, displacement reduction with turbo boost, and engine management sophistication.

Less scary subsystem-level evolution is possible. Hence why most ICEs now have discrete stage variable valve timing, variable intake runner length, etc.

Comparing the efficiency of my 928 and 3.5EB Raptor, the efficiency of the small displacement boosted engines is rather impressive.

I do remember seeing a demonstration of this engine on a TV show way back then. It's definitely not the simplest way to achieve variable compression, but interesting nonetheless.

Here's the video I saw. It was on an episode of MotorWeek.

I vaguely remember that MW segment.

Definitely wild! Never heard of it, but I always thought Saab was a cool company. Still Love the Saab 900's.

This is also why April Fool's jokes work (on some people, D. ). There is just too much stuff out there where we can say "you can't make this sh!t up!".