International Engine of the Year Awards 2007

The International Engine of the Year Awards feature 11 Awards categories plus the coveted prize of International Engine of the Year.

Having already introduced twin-turbos to great acclaim on the 3-litre diesel found in the 335d, 535d and X3, BMW has now developed the technology for petrol power. And the 62 judges from 30 countries decided that the finest powertrain introduced in the past 12 months was the 2,979cc twin-turbo engine that made its debut in the BMW 335i.

BMW is proud of the fact that compared with eight-cylinder engines of similar performance – 302bhp peak power, and 400Nm between 1,300rpm and 5,000rpm – the straight-six weighs 70kg less, contributing to a fuel consumption figure of 9.5L/100km (29.7mpg) on the EU combined cycle. Economy does not come at the expense of performance, however: in the 335i Coupé, 100km/h (62mph) is reached from a standstill in 5.5 seconds.

At Best Fuel Economy Toyota’s 1.5-litre Hybrid was the winner.A fourth straight year at the top of the Best Fuel Economy category in the International Engine of the Year Awards for Toyota with the 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive unit. The result means that Prius’s powertrain, which was voted International Engine of the Year in 2004, has now garnered nine Awards.

BMW’s M5 V10 engine has picked up its third straight Best Performance category Award from the International Engine of the Year Awards jury.
  
Sub 1-litre- Toyota 1-litre-In 2007, the honour in the Sub 1-litre category at the International Engine of the Year Awards goes to the Toyota 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine found in the Aygo/Citroën C1/Peugeot 107 triplets, plus the Yaris/Echo/Vitz.

1-litre to 1.4-litre-Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger-Volkswagen has triumphed in the best 1-litre to 1.4-litre engine for the second consecutive year by some margin. Indeed the company’s 1.4-litre TSI (Torque Strong Twincharger), finished over 200 points clear of the second-placed Honda 1.3-litre hybrid.

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre-BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (MINI Cooper S, Peugeot 207)-BMW’s strength in the International Engine of the Year Awards continues with this gem. The Cooper S unit replaces the previous supercharged design, itself a 2003 International Engine of the Year Award winner, with a lighter, powerful, and more economical turbocharged engine.

1.8-litre to 2-litre- Volkswagen/Audi 2-litre Turbo FSI- “Versatile and clever; small but seriously strong” was how Playboy’s Ken Gross described the popular 2-litre Audi- developed powerplant that has now topped the 1.8-litre to 2-litre category for a third year in a row.

2-litre to 2.5-litre-BMW 2.5-litre (325, 525, Z4, X3)-It’s another category win for BMW at the International Engine of the Year Awards 2007 – and this time the triumphant motor is the 2.5-litre six-cylinder that powers the 325i, 525i, X3 and Z4.

2.5-litre to 3-litre-BMW 3-litre Twin Turbo (335i)-One BMW engine has replaced another at the top of the 2.5-litre to 3-litre standings: this year, the German firm’s new 3-litre petrol straight-six with two variable turbochargers, direct-injection and an all-aluminium crankcase has dominated the category, beating its diesel sibling by 129 points.

3-litre to 4-litre- Porsche 3.6-litre Turbo (911 Turbo)-It takes something really quite special to de-throne BMW’s 3.2-litre, the most successful unit in International Engine of the Year Awards history, behold the 3.6-litre turbo from Porsche. When all the points were counted, this engine finished just four points ahead of the BMW M powerplant, winner of this category for the past six years.

Above 4-litre-BMW 5-litre V10 (M5, M6)0The overall winner of the International Engine of the Year title for the past two years, the 5-litre V10 from BMW that powers the M5 and M6, returns in 2007 to secure the Above 4-litre category title for the third consecutive year. The victory means that in all, the unit has now won eight ‘Engine Oscars’.