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A look inside Infiniti's variable-compression engine

We're sympathetic to anyone who had trouble understanding what's going on with Infiniti's new variable-compression engine. While we got a full tech briefing on the novel VC-Turbo back in August, the visual aids were lacking. The cutaway engine Infiniti brought to the Paris show fixes all of that. You can thank the little green and pink lines on the cutaway for making the whole idea a little more clear. Click through the gallery to see two lines – one green and one pink – that represent the different strokes allowing for different compression ratios. Remember, the compression ratio is the amount of volume in the cylinder on intake compared to the amount at the end of the compression stroke. Leave more room at the end and you lower that ratio. The length of the stroke doesn't change with this system, but where it sits along the cylinder does. Hence those two lines. The variable compression ratio allows this new turbocharged engine to maximize fuel economy when the turbo isn't needed by raising the compression ratio. It will see its first use in the next Infiniti QX50 crossover, previewed by the QX Sport Inspiration concept that's also on display in Paris, and has performance targets of 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. After, it will migrate to other Infiniti and Nissan vehicles, with transverse front-drive-based applications first in line. Eventually, it's likely to completely replace Nissan's corporate 3.5-liter V6. We'll be poking around the engine a little more in Paris today to try and get some more info. For now, enjoy those cutaway images and those friendly little lines. Featured Gallery Infiniti VC-Turbo engine cutaway View 14 Photos Paris Motor Show Infiniti Nissan Technology Emerging Technologies engine 2016 paris motor show

Nissan Recalls More Than One Million Vehicles For Air Bags

Nissan is recalling just over one million cars, SUVs and vans because the front passenger air bags may not inflate in a crash. It's the company's second recall to fix the same problem. The recall affects the Altima midsize car, Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and Sentra compact models from the 2013 and 2014 model years, as well as the NV200 Taxi van and Infiniti JX35 SUV from 2013. Also covered are the Infiniti QX60 and Q50 SUVs from 2014. In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan says the vehicles' computer software may not detect an adult in the passenger seat. If that happens, the air bags won't inflate. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will update the software for free. The recall is expected to start in mid-April. Most of the vehicles were recalled in February of last year for a similar problem. Dealers replaced seat sensors, but Nissan said it continued to get consumer complaints and warranty claims in vehicles that had been repaired. Front passenger seats have sensors that determine the passenger's weight and turn off air bags off if a child is on board. The malfunctioning sensors can turn the air bags off even if an adult is in the seat. Nissan received three reports of air bags failing to inflate in a crash. Spokesman Steve Yeager said in an e-mail that he is not sure if anyone was hurt in those incidents. There have been no deaths due to the problem, he said. The recall affects almost 990,000 vehicles in the U.S., another 60,000 in Canada and small numbers in other countries, Yeager said. Related Gallery Nissan Searches For Identity In America

Infiniti Qs Inspiration shows itself before Auto Shanghai

Infiniti's shown off a bit of the Qs Inspiration concept before debuting the creased contrivance at Auto Shanghai next week. The concept serves a few purposes, the first to reimagine a future for sports sedans on a planet of crossovers and SUVs. The result blends a fastback with high sides that connect low ground clearance below and an elevated seating position above. The Japanese luxury maker is all about sedans, the Qs Inspiration signaling how a carmaker watching the bottom line can maintain its interest in the passe bodystyle. The concept previews a production model, and perhaps the design language and lingo we'll see spreading through the range. We're not sure how the low floor and higher roof work out in the cabin, but Infiniti mentions a "low-mounted powertrain and potent e-AWD system." That's undoubtedly the promise of the "all-new flexible architecture developed to accommodate high-performance electrified powertrains." Production-izing for a non-electric version would mean laying in a grille for the ICE, but an electrified version would have plenty of room for batteries and e-motors. Before that retail model, it's possible we'll see Qs Inspiration cues on the Q50 and Q70 sedans. Take a long gander at the profile and the way the roof slopes, and you'll notice an elongated GT-R glasshouse profile. On top of that, before Infiniti released official photos, a few images leaked from China showing other angles of the concept. The rectangular steering wheel and massive digital dash cluster probably aren't going anywhere beyond Shanghai, but if Infiniti can bring that glass roof to production, that's a win in our book.