Day two of the Engine Expo saw the 18th annual International Engine of the Year awards take place. In front of a capacity audience, UKIP Media and Events CEO, Tony Robinson, got proceedings underway.
“This year’s awards have been a resounding success”, stated Dean Slavnich, editor-in-chief of Engine + Powertrain Technology International, and chair of the International Engine of the Year judges. “You only have to look around the room at some of the names in the crowd to realise how big these awards have become.”
The winners:
Sub 1-litre: Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost
Despite losing its grip on the coveted International Engine of the Year Award last year to BMW’s revolutionary 1.5-litre three-cylinder electric-gasoline hybrid powertrain, Ford’s dominance of the ever-growing sub 1-litre category class showed no signs of diminishing when its now-renowned 1.0 EcoBoost motor picked up the trophy for the fifth consecutive year.
1.0 – 1.4-litre: PSA 1.2-litre three-cylinder
One of the surprises of last year’s awards was PSA Peugeot Citroën’s 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged powertrain ending Volkswagen’s nine-year dominance of this engine category. And after breaking the deadlock in 2015, PSA’s triple has now retained its hard-earned category crown by an impressive margin of 54 points over BMW’s 1.2-litre engine.
1.4 – 1.8-litre: BMW i8 1.5-litre hybrid
Last year’s outright International Engine of the Year Award winner has again picked up its category class, with the stunning 1.5-litre three-cylinder electric-gasoline hybrid powertrain housed inside the BMW i8 being regarded by many judges as being one of the most revolutionary feats in automotive engineering.
1.8 – 2.0-litre: Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre turbo
Recently revised to boast 25ps more power and 25Nm additional torque, Mercedes-AMG’s 2-litre turbocharged in-line four powerplant continues to be the benchmark in the 1.8- to 2-litre category, taking top honours for the third year in a row.
2.0 – 2.5-litre: Audi 2.5-litre five-cylinder
Audi’s now legendary 2.5-litre five-cylinder performance heart has successfully seen off a number of rival designs to claim this category every year since 2010. But interestingly it’s been diesel products that have put up the greatest fight during that time – first Mercedes’ ever-green 2.1-litre motor and then Mazda’s smooth 2.2-litre runner with its high compression ratio. Nevertheless, Audi’s 2.5-litre remains unbeaten.
2.5 – 3.0-litre: Porsche 3.0-litre turbocharged flat six
The news that Porsche planned to turbocharge its mainstream 911 flat six engine certainly gave marque purists pause for thought, but the legendary car maker’s new 3-litre six-cylinder biturbo has roared to victory in an awards category that has, in previous years, been comprehensively dominated by BMW.
3.0 – 4.0-litre: Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 Biturbo
There’s no doubt that the 3-litre to 4-litre category has become one of the most fascinating divisions in the International Engine of the Year Awards, what with it being home to an embarrassment of IC engine riches from the likes of Porsche, Audi/Bentley, Nissan, Maserati, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren and, of course, Ferrari, with its new turbo fighter in the 488.
4.0-litre and above: Ferrari 6.3-litre V12
Big capacity, naturally aspirated engines are something of a dying breed in the current market. Luckily, however, there are a number of manufacturers out there who excel at creating engines that not only capture the spirit of days gone by, but also tick every compliancy box asked of them. Ferrari’s sonorous V12 beats them all.
Green Engine of the Year: Tesla Model S all-electric powertrain
Scoring the most points in this category yet again, Tesla has become the first car maker to win the Green Engine trophy for three consecutive years. And that fine piece of record-breaking history sits nicely alongside what Tesla achieved back in 2014, when the California tech company became the first OEM to win an International Engine of the Year Award for an all-electric powertrain.
New Engine of the Year: Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 biturbo
With the exception of the outright International Engine of the Year title, most people agree that the New Engine accolade is one of the – if not the – most important of awards, as it represents the very best new powertrain development in the past 12 months. Ferrari’s 3.9-litre V8 biturbo simply blew the competition away
Performance Engine of the Year: Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 biturbo
As the entire industry’s focus shifts toward sustainability, it is unsurprising to see the trends of downsizing, turbocharging and increased efficiency work their way into performance engines. Ferrari’s 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 is the perfect example of how technologies used by more mainstream models to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions can also be used to deliver a scintillating driving experience.
International Engine of the Year 2016: Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 biturbo
It’s been eight years since any engine featuring more than four cylinders has won the outright International Engine of the Year title, and an entire decade since anything bigger than a six-cylinder has finished first. But at long last a V8 powertrain, oozing with state-of-the-art technologies, has come to the fore.
And it should come as no surprise to learn that the victorious V8 is Ferrari’s all-conquering F154CB heart, which has already secured no fewer than three other distinctions at this year’s International Engine of the Year Awards: Performance Engine, New Engine and the 3-litre to 4-litre Engine. In doing so, the 3,902cc creation with a pair of twin-scroll IHI blowers, becomes one of only three powertrains to take four trophies in one year, in turn securing its place in the automotive engine elite.
For the full shortlist for each category, results, video interviews with the winners and much more, head to the dedicated Engine of the Year microsite.
