http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2010/09/jaguar-c-x7...
This does look like nothing more than a new turbine design, I agree, but frankly a turbine driving a generator and a battery is by far the most energy efficient means of running a vehicle from a combustion fuel source anyway; that's been the case for years, and if this tech helps get us to that point then all the better.
But they're expensive and the efficiency advantage largely disappears as they're scaled down to a size appropriate to power a car.
Probably the fundamental reason we don't see production gas turbine cars is that there are cheaper and less technically risky ways to remove weight from a car, and weight savings often isn't even the cheapest way to improve efficiency.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DesignLine_Corporation
Sadly, they don't seem to have taken the market by storm even though they claim to double to fuel efficiency of a 40 ft bus. Unless fuel prices go up significantly, factors other than fuel efficiency will probably stand in their way (questions of reliability and supply chain are mentioned).
It seems to me that such an engine could work well for direct propulsion with a good CVT. Perhaps someone more educated on the issue can comment.
Google helped me find it again, the pictures and animations are at the bottom http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/ETheoryQTConcept.htm
Basically: This is only appropriate for use in hybrid engines, as the range of efficiency is very narrow.
That said, if it works, this would be terrific for further upping the efficiency of hybrids.