Abstract: In a direct injection internal combustion engine having per cylinder at least two intake valves 1 mounted side by side, at least one exhaust valve 2, a more or less coaxial ignition device 3, an injection valve 4, and a piston 5 with combustion chamber trough 6, the injection valve 4 being mounted on the intake side, improved mixture preparation and combustion characterized by low fuel consumption and low exhaust emissions are achieved by mounting,the center of the combustion chamber trough 6 in the piston 5 noticeably displaced relative to the axis of the cylinder in the direction of at least one exhaust valve 2, and are achieved in that the boundary wall 7 of the combustion chamber trough 6 extends in projection along the axis of the cylinder between the ignition device 3 and injection valve 4.

Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine with direct fuel injection comprising at least two adjacent inlet valves (1) per cylinder, a number of outlet valves (2), an essentially coaxial spark plug (3), an injection valve (4) and a piston (5,5′). The aim of the inventive engine is to provide an improved mixture preparation which is characterized by low fuel consumption and low exhaust emissions. To this end, the injection valve (4) is arranged between two of the adjacent inlet valves (1) and the section of the cylinder wall adjacent to said inlet valves (1). in addition, the piston (5,5′) has a longitudinally extended combustion chamber cavity (6), whereby the combustion chamber cavity (6) essentially extends along the front surface of the piston (5,5′) in the direction of the vertical projection of an injection stream (E) exiting from the injection valve (4). Said cavity also comprises a step (7) which essentially runs in a transversal direction.