BMW powers to Engine of the Year glory

Perennial 'Engine of the Year' monarch BMW has extended its dominance in the 2008 instalment of the annual awards, bagging no less than five gongs for individual categories, as well as the overall title for producing the best powerplant on the market.

The judging panel, comprising 65 motoring hacks from 32 countries, judged each short-listed engine using their subjective driving impressions and technical knowledge, and took into account characteristics such as fuel economy, smoothness, performance, noise and drivability.

The jurors each had 25 points to award to their five favourites in each category. A maximum of 15 points could be allocated to an engine, and the minimum was one point. An engine could not be tied for the top slot.

In the final analysis, BMW's 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine backed up its victory in the 2007 awards by repeating the dose in 2008. In the process, it matched the feat of the company's 5.0-litre V10, which secured back-to-back overall wins in 2005 and 2006.

The result also suggests turbocharging is emerging as the way forward as seven of the 11 engine categories were topped by force-fed powerplants.

The Beemer 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine's tally of 380 points enabled it to finish nearly 100 points ahead of Volkswagen's TSI in a resounding endorsement of its overall strengths.

Many judges were swayed by its sheer performance, or recognised the significance of the debut of BMW's high-precision direct-injection system, which helps to maximise performance and fuel economy by precisely dosing the air-fuel mix.

Wheels magazine's John Carey said the unit is "proof that BMW pushes the boundaries of engine technology more than any other manufacturer".

One of the key technical highlights of the engine is its use of two small turbochargers -- rather than one larger unit -- each of which supply three cylinders to ensure a more rapid response and minimise lag.

BMW also bagged the Best New Engine of 2008 gong with its 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel unit (as fitted in the 123d), while Toyota claimed the Green Engine of the Year award with the Prius's 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive petrol-electric powertrain.

Porsche's twin-turbo 3.6-litre flat-six, which powers the 911 Turbo and GT2, bagged the Best Performance Engine honours.

The VW/Audi Group also fared well, prevailing in their respective categories with the 1.4-litre Twincharger engine and the punchy 2.0-litre Turbo FSI unit that powers the Golf GTI (among other models).

ENGINE OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNERS

Best new engine of 2008 - BMW 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel (123d)
Green engine of the year - Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)
Best performance engine - Porsche 3.6-litre twin-turbo (911 Turbo, 911 GT2)
Sub 1.0-litre - Toyota 1.0-litre (Aygo, Yaris/Echo/Vitz, Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, Subaru Justy)
1.0-litre to 1.4-litre - Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Jetta (140/170bhp)
1.4-litre to 1.8-litre - BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (Mini Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308)
1.8-litre to 2.0-litre - Volkswagen/Audi 2.0-litre Turbo FSI (A3, A4 Cabrio, A6, TT, Eos, Jetta, Golf GTI, Skoda Octavia, Seat Altea, Leon)
2.0-litre to 2.5-litre - Subaru 2.5-litre flat four turbo (Forester, Impreza)
2.5-litre to 3.0-litre - BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo six (135i, 335i, X6 xDrive35i)
3.0-litre to 4.0-litre - BMW 4.0-litre V8 (M3)
Above 4.0-litre - BMW 5.0-litre V10 (M5, M6)

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR (OVERALL)

1. BMW 3.0-litre Twin Turbo (135i, 335i, X6 xDrive35i)  -- 380 points
2. Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Jetta) -- 287 points
3. Volkswagen/Audi 2.0-litre 4-cylinder Turbo FSI (A3, A4 Cabrio, A6, TT, Eos, Jetta, Skoda Octavia, Seat Altea, León, Golf GTi) -- 270 points
4. BMW 4.0-litre V8 (M3) -- 241 points   
5. BMW 5.0-litre V10 (M5, M6) --151 points
6. BMW-PSA 1.6-litre turbo (MINI Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308) -- 149 points
7. Subaru 2.5-litre flat four turbo (Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy) -- 78 points
8. Toyota 1.0-litre 3-cylinder (Aygo,Yaris/Echo/Vitz, Citroën C1, Peugeot 107, Subaru Justy) -- 69 points

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