- Double-blown Volkswagen 1.4 TSI “miniature” tops its class
- Subaru picks up its first ever ‘Engine Oscar’
BMW’s 5-litre V10 has today been crowned the best engine in the world for the second year in a row at the International Engine of the Year Awards 2006 held at Engine Expo in
The Bavarian car maker, which also won Awards for its Z4 M 3.2-litre and twin-turbodiesel 3-litre in this year’s competition, walked away from the eighth annual International Engine of the Year Awards Presentation with a total of five trophies, its re-crowned V10 having also dominated the Best Performance Engine and Best Above 4-litre categories. The unit saw tough competition from the likes of Volkswagen’s new 1.4-litre TSI and the previous International Engine of the Year title holder,
Juror Frank Markus from America’s Motor Trend magazine said of the BMW V10: “A technological tour de force, and about the closest one can come to buying a Formula One engine for the road”, while Japan-based automotive freelancer Peter Nunn commented, “The BMW V10 is a masterclass in exhilarating power, sound, response and brilliant packaging that comes as standard.” Markus and Nunn wer
e two of the 61 motoring journalists from 29 countries that voluntarily give their time to choose the greatest powerplants in the world.
Elsewhere in this prestigious contest, Subaru won its first ever International Engine of the Year Awards trophy with its new 2.5-litre turbo that powers the Impreza, topping the 2-litre to 2.5-litre category. VW picked up Awards for its
2-litre FSI Turbo (170-220 hp), found in the Golf GTi, and for the 1.4-litre TSI (170hp), which won both the 1-litre to 1.4-litre class and the Best New Engine 2006.
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International Engine Of The Year Awards Rules
Capacity Classes: Eight in total: Above 4-liter; 3-liter to 4-liter; 2.5-liter to 3-liter; 2-liter to 2.5-liter; 1.8-liter to 2-liter; 1.4-liter to 1.8-liter; 1-liter to 1.4-liter; and Sub 1-liter. To qualify for inclusion in these Awards' Classes, an engine must be housed in a passenger car that is on sale in more than one country as at 10 May 2006.
Best Fuel Economy: To qualify for inclusion in this Award Category, an engine must be housed in a passenger car that is on sale in more than one country as at 10 May 2006, and have been designed with fuel economy as a priority (i.e. diesels, hybrids, etc)
Best Performance Engine: To qualify for inclusion in this Award Category, an engine must be housed in a passenger car that is on sale in more than one country as at 10 May 2006, and either have been designed specifically for a performance-orientated car or be installed in a vehicle, the aim of which is sporting fun.
Best New Engine 2006: To qualify for inclusion in this Awards category, an engine must have been launched after 1 June 2005 and be housed in a passenger car that is on sale in more than one country as at 10 May 2006.
International Engine of the Year 2006: The winners of the eight engine capacity classes are shortlisted for the International Engine of the Year 2006 crown. The winners of the Best Fuel Economy, Best Performance Engine, and Best New Engine 2006 categories are omitted from the final shortlist to avoid duplication.
SCORING: In every category, the panelists judged each shortlisted engine using their subjective driving impressions and technical knowledge, and took into account characteristics such as fuel economy, noise, smoothness, performance and driveability. The jurors each had 25 points to spend on their five favourite engines in each class. The maximum points that could be allocated to one engine was restricted to 15, while the minimum reward was one mark. An engine could not be tied for the top slot.
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