The Engine of the Year Awards is perhaps the most relevant motoring accolade bestowed on any manufacturer because it serves several models across several years. Get it right here, and the company has a strong foundation to build on. Previous overall winners have included BMW’s N54, Volkswagen’s 1.4TSI, Fiat’s 900cc TwinAir and last year by Ford’s EcoBoost unit. All of them have performed longstanding roles etched into the company’s timeline. All of them brilliant by matching performance with efficiency.
For 2015, the International Engine of the Year ceremony followed a similar trend where downsizing is once again recognised and rewarded. We’ve listed them below, in their respective categories as judged by industry experts: The Teutonic dominance was only broken in the small displacement categories or by exclusives exotics. No Porsches featured.
BMW 1.5-litre hybrid as used in the i8, a big winner
International Engine of the Year:
Winner: BMW 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid.
Runner up: Ford 999cc three-cylinder EcoBoost
Was it the engine or was it the i8 which brought it to life? No doubt a brilliant engine but with such a radical car showcasing it, it becomes hard to isolate the engine’s potential since it’s not used anywhere else.
Sub 1-litre:
Winner: Ford 999cc three-cylinder turbo
Runner up: General Motors 999cc three-cylinder turbo
A previous overall winner and still the most powerful of its ilk. We’ve never got near their consumption claims but its versatility from Fiesta to Tourneo is impressive. One of the segment pioneers and still the best. Almost defended its title but lost out by just seven points.
1-litre to 1.4 litre:
Winner: Peugeot Citroen 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo
Runner up: Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharged
Far simpler and lighter than the Twincharged setup it pipped, the PSA unit is smooth and one of the most economical around, powering the Peugeot 308 and Citroen Catcus to big awards.
1.4-litre to 1.8-litre:
Winner: BMW 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid
Runner up: Audi 1.8-litre TFSI
As winner of the overall category, it would be illogical for it not to win in its own displacement category.
Mercedes takes first place in 2.0-litre class
1.8 to 2.0-litre:
Winner: Mercedes AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Runner up: Audi 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
The highest specific output of any engine at the time together with hand-built craftsmanship and signed by its maker, it set new benchmarks for performance.
2.0-litre to 2.5-litre
Winner: Audi 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo
Runner up: Mazda 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel
Audi’s magical five powers a rarefied selection of RS models and emphatically won the segment by 150 points over its nearest rival.
2.6 to 3.0-litre
Winner: BMW 3.0-litre six-cylinder
Runner up: BMW 3-litre six-cylinder
Not a typo, the winner is the engine from the M division (M3,M4) with higher output and completely redesigned internals and management.
3-litre to 4-litre.
Winner: McLaren 3.8-litre eight-cylinder twin turbo
Runner up: Mercedes AMG 4-litre eight-cylinder turbo
Unlucky for Mercedes, we would have switched these two around. The McLaren unit hasn’t undergone many revisions since launch.
Ferrari the only non-turbocharged winner
Above 4.0-litre
Winner: Ferrari 4.5-litre eight-cylinder
Runner up: Ferrari 6.3-litre twelve- cylinder
Interesting because this could quite possibly be the last time Ferrari use an engine of this configuration. The 458’s replacement is supplemented with turbo as Ferrari lower emissions and consumption.
Green Engine:
Winner¨Tesla full electric
Runner up: BMW 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid
When not catching fire, Tesla’s electric engine is ostensibly cleaner than a highly efficient hybrid. We have our doubts.
New Engine:
Winner: BMW 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid
Runner up: Mercedes 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo
Third victory for the BMW engine beating arch rivals by a big margin. Talk about two wildly different approaches.
Performance Engine:
Winner: Ferrari 4.5-litre V8
Runner up: Mercedes 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo
One engine at the end of its lifespan beating an entirely new and innovative engine with far more potential for expansion. We disagree.
