For the second consecutive year, McLaren Automotive->ke284 has been awarded engine of the year, as it joins Ferrari as one of the winners of a 2014 Engine of the Year award. Ferrari won its awards in the "Above 4-Liter" class and as the "Performance Engine of the Year," while McLaren's masterful 3.8-liter, twin-turbo, V-8 engine took home the award in the "3-Liter to 4-Liter" category, proving yet again that when it comes to engine innovation, the British supercar->ke177 builder takes a back seat to no one.

The engine, technically named the "M838T," was designed and developed in collaboration with engine builder Ricardo. A big part of the M838T's appeal is the way McLaren was able to modify its capabilities to produce a class-leading output of 640 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. More importantly, the engine not only produces supercar-level output numbers, but it's also a highly efficient engine, capable of returning 24.2 mpg on the EU combined cycle.

McLaren uses the M838T engine in the coupe and spider versions of the McLaren 650S, the company's newest supercar. If you didn't know by now, the 650S is a whole lot of awesome. A big reason for its awesomeness is this 3.8-liter, V-8 engine that is described as a "wonderful piece of powertrain engineering."

Winning engine of the year in the "3-Liter to 4-Liter" category at the 2014 Engine of the Year awards is living proof of that.

Click past the jump to read more about the McLaren M838T.

Why It Matters

Supercar builders like McLaren have become more aggressive in their pursuit of engine downsizing to accommodate stricter emissions regulations. This particular section of the business doesn't get enough attention, but trust us when we tell you that companies like McLaren are taking this seriously.

Being recognized for its accomplishments is something the company doesn't take for granted. On the contrary, there's great pride that comes with being awarded engine of the year in the "3-Liter to 4-Liter" category for the second consecutive year is validation for the company that it's efforts are paying off handsomely.

McLaren 650S

As if the 12C isn't enough reason to love the British company, McLaren still went ahead and built a faster and sexier version in the form of the 650S. The new supercar takes its design from both the 12C and the flagship P1->ke4608 supercar, combining the best aesthetic elements of both models to create an incredibly attractive look for the 650S.

One of the biggest draws of the 650S is its award-winning, 3.8-liter, twin-turbo, V-8 engine that produces 640 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers translate to a 0-to-60-mph time of just under three seconds to go with a top speed of 207 mph.

Obviously, the P1 is out of the price range for a lot of us. So if you can't afford that, the 650S is a mighty fine alternative.