The Ferrari 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 has once again been crowned overall winner of the coveted International Engine of the Year award, becoming only the second engine in the awards’ history to scoop the title for three consecutive years.
The same Ferrari engine has also been named the best engine of the last two decades, winning the ‘Best of Best’ award that has been created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Engine of the Year Awards. The 3.9-liter unit saw off tough competition from a field comprising all of the previous overall Awards’ winners such as Toyota’s ground-breaking Prius hybrid, BMW’s supercar-beating 1.5-liter hybrid, and Ford’s 1-liter three-cylinder (the only engine to have previously won the overall title three times).
Speaking at the Awards’ ceremony held in Stuttgart, Germany at Engine Expo, the exhibition dedicated to powertrain design and technologies, and taking place until 3:00pm this Thursday, Dean Slavnich, co-chairman, International Engine of the Year Awards said, “With its V8, Ferrari has demonstrated that even the most discerning of car buyers want smaller, more efficient engines. Indeed, the turbocharged engine’s blend of heart-thumping performance and glorious Maranello rumble has made it unbeatable not just for the past three years, but also when pitched against the best of the past two decades.”
Elsewhere in the Awards, Ferrari has dominated other categories this year, also walking away with the hotly contested New Engine award for its 6.5-liter V12, plus winning the Performance Engine and 3-Litre to 4-Litre categories, again with its 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8.
Another big story from the awards is Volkswagen’s first International Engine of the Year Awards’ win for four years. It takes the Sub-1-Litre award for the 1.0 TSI 999cc three-cylinder turbo, a welcome return for the marque after the recent ‘Dieselgate’ controversies.
Tesla was another winner, the US marque again topping the Green Engine and Electric Powertrain categories. This is the fifth time Tesla has won the former category; second time for the latter, with its full-electric powertrain, as found in the Model S, Model X and Model 3.
A full list of winners can be found here.
Recognized as one of the automotive industry’s top accolades and judged by a fully independent, truly international panel of industry experts, the 20th International Engine of the Year Awards were announced at a ceremony during Engine Expo 2018 at the Messe Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday June 5. Engine Expo is part of Stuttgart Automotive Week, which also includes Automotive Interiors Expo, Automotive Testing Expo, Global Automotive Components and Suppliers Expo, and Autonomous Vehicle Technology World Expo. In all, some 800 companies are showcasing next-generation automotive technologies and services. (All shows are open for the next two days, and all are free to attend.)
