Originally Posted by Flatland2D
Why not lengthen the combustion cycle to something like 6 or 8-strokes instead of 4? The extra strokes would be another intake and exhaust. The idea is to reduce the number of times a cylinder fires during cruising only when you only need enough torque to overcome wind resistence. This feature would be activated by the driver or automatically engaged when the cruise function is used.
Making a 6 or 8 stroke engine is going to be very inefficient and you're going to have terrible pumping losses.
Honda has VCM for cylinder deactivation...GM (DoD) and DCX also have systems. It's been around since the 80's in the Cadillac V-8-6-4 which likes to shut its cylinders off whenever it pleased and in whatever quantity it wanted. Plus it was jerky as all hell. What a disaster.