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According to the inventor, Dr. Dan Merritt, the new engine promises to match, or even improve on the fuel efficiency of the Diesel engine at part load, thus removing the fuel economy gap between Diesel and Gasoline engines when driven in urban environments.

The recently patented MUSIC (Merritt Unthrottled Spark Ignition Combustion) engine was invented and developed by Dr. Dan Merritt whilst working at Coventry University and was part funded by the Department of Transport under the Low Carbon Research and Development Programme, which is managed by the Energy Saving Trust. The work is being undertaken by a small engine company near Norwich, Powertrain Technologies Ltd, in collaboration with Coventry University.

Dr. Merritt said:
"The fuel economy gap between the two types of engine has not been bridged since the nineteenth century. It results from completely different ignition and combustion systems each requiring its own type of fuel.

"Until now Diesel engines have given far superior fuel efficiency at part load when compared with gasoline engines but gasoline engines delivered more power for a given size.  The MUSIC gasoline engine has now demonstrated part load efficiencies as good as the diesel engine but at a lower cost. For most vehicles, the greater part of operating life is spent at part load and idling.

"The MUSIC technology affects only the layout of the combustion chamber in the cylinder head and does not impact the bottom end of the engine. The MUSIC breakthrough is very timely, it offers dramatic reduction in CO2 emissions from gasoline cars."<