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The technology comes from a company called the Transcend Energy Group, and it will be on display at SEMA next week.

The internal combustion engine has been around for a long time. Just when it seems like every part that could be optimized or improved upon has been already, something new comes out. This latest innovation, brought to us courtesy of Transcend Energy Group, could improve internal-combustion with a new, first-of-its-kind two-piece connecting rod.

Connecting rods are simple pieces of tech, just arms that connect the crankshaft to the pistons, nothing more. Transcend's new two-piece unit, dubbed the Thunder Rod, is a new take on the connecting rod's function. It effectively moves the pivot point of the piston down from the piston itself to a point on the connecting rod. This means the piston travels in a purely vertical motion, without any forces pushing it towards the cylinder wall.

The two-piece rod has numerous benefits over a standard connecting rod, according to Transcend. It allows the piston to drop faster and farther, while increasing torque and boosting dynamic compression by 25 to 30 percent. And since there are no forces pushing the piston side to side, the rod also eliminates piston rock.

"Transcend Energy Group's combustion engine technology is revolutionary from an environmental and performance perspective,” co-founder Desa Story said in a statement. “By altering only a small piece of the piston rod, it will make remarkable changes in the OEM, racing, and aftermarket industries that we serve.”

Transcend says it's already acquired both domestic and international patents for the Thunder Rod, and already has a car on the road testing with the tech in place. The company plans to show off the Thunder Rod for the first time at SEMA next week.

Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.

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