An internal combustion engine

A vehicle internal combustion engine (12, fig.1) has an ignition system with a pre-chamber 150 having a volume less than the swept volume of the cylinder, an ignition fuel supply system (500, fig.7) configured to create an ignition fuel-air mix in the pre-chamber, an ignition surface 137 (or glow-plug 138) within the pre-chamber, the ignition surface being configured to be contacted by the ignition fuel in the pre-chamber to thereby ignite the ignition fuel by hot surface ignition, at least one jet or exhaust nozzle 152 in fluid communication with the combustion chamber of the cylinder wherein the ignition fuel (such as diethyl ether) is different to the primary engine fuel, and wherein ignition of the ignition fuel by contact with the ignition surface causes at least one of hot gases, partially combusted fuel and flames to enter the combustion chamber through the at least one jet nozzle to thereby ignite the primary fuel.