If you ask Infiniti, the result is the best of both worlds. The future QX50 will kick out 268HP and 288lb/ft of torque, but gets up to 27 percent better fuel economy than Nissan's widely used 3.5-liter V6. It's lighter and smaller than similar conventional engines, too, and doesn't need treatment to pass modern emissions standards. The big drawback is that it's limited to four-cylinder engines, but this inaugural VC-T is powerful enough that it can go toe-to-toe with (and will likely replace) that previously mentioned V6. Nissan is also contemplating the possibility of pairing it with a hybrid system.

You should learn more about the engine at the Paris Auto Show on September 29th. Even at this early stage, though, it's apparent that VC-T could be one of the last gasps for purely gas-powered cars in the mainstream. As the company explained to Reuters, it sees variable compression technology as an eventual replacement for diesel. It could be the go-to option for drivers who can't (or won't) switch to electric vehicles and are leery about diesel pollution, but still care about efficiency and running costs.