No V8 in Wards 10 Best Engines list

One of the world's longest running and highest-profile automotive engine awards has left a V8 off its annual list for the first time in its 23-year history.

Not only is there no V8 listed in the 2017 Wards 10 Best Engine awards, but the biggest engine is a 3.6-litre V6.

Is this yet another nail in the coffin of the much-romanticised but thirsty bent eight? The sounding of its death-knell? An omen?

Perhaps not, but it makes for a good headline.

In all seriousness, the Wards engine awards have been running since 1994 and although it only includes engine available in cars sold in the USA, its authority as an engine critic is undisputed.

Like a high-school awards night, everyone's a winner in Wards 10 Best Engines for 2017, which includes three electrified drivetrains and seven turbocharged ones.

And although there's no V8 for the first time, there are plenty of high-output six-cylinder engines, including 3.0-litre turbo-petrol sixes like the BMW M240i's inline six and the Infiniti Q50's V6.

Here's the Class of 2017 in alphabetical order:

3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW M240i)
1.5L DOHC 4-cyl/Dual Motor EREV (Chevrolet Volt)
3.6L DOHC V6/Dual Motor PHEV (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl (Ford Focus RS)
2.0L DOHC 4-cyl/Dual Motor HEV (Honda Accord Hybrid)
1.4L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl (Hyundai Elantra Eco)
3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V6 (Infiniti Q50)
2.5L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl (Mazda CX-9)
2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl (Mercedes-Benz C 300)
2.0L Turbo/Supercharged DOHC 4-cyl (Volvo V60 Polestar)

It's interesting to note that just two years ago the Chevrolet LT1 6.2-litre V8 made the Wards 10 Best Engines 2015, and now 70 per cent of the list is made up by four-cylinder engines -- albeit some very tasty ones, including the Ford Focus RS's mad Mustang-sourced EcoBoost powerplant.

The Mazda CX-9's turbo-petrol engine was also awarded, a vehicle that was also named the 2016 Carsales Car of the Year.

"Automakers see downsizing, turbocharging and electrification as key strategies for delivering no-compromise powertrains that also are fuel efficient, and this year's list clearly affirms that strategy," stated WardsAuto senior content director Drew Winter.