MB Diesotto engine (diesel w/o Diesel)

[Hakkola]

1.8l engine with 240hp and 300ft/lbs torque and 40mpg... in an S-class????

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/25/diesel-without-the-diesel-mercedes-benz-debuts-diesotto/

[a social dsease]

thats cool, but the article seemed very vague. I dont understand what it has in common with a diesel (other than good mpg and high torque). It runs on gasoline, which is fuel injected, with sparkplugs?

[three.eighteen.]

variable compression??

[tentacles]

GM has one on the road already:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/automobiles/19BURN.html?_r=2&ref=automobiles&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

and supposedly Honda has something similar in the wings too.