BMW scoops EOTY awards – again

BMW has underlined its status as one of the world’s most successful automotive engine constructors by again claiming the majority of honours at this year’s International Engine of the Year awards, presented at last week’s Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Munich car-maker won no fewer than six awards in the 2008 contest, including the coveted IEOTY award itself, which was won for the second consecutive year by the company’s revered 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol six.

The 335i coupe, sedan and wagon engine - which is now also available in the 135i Sport coupe and the upcoming X6 xDrive 35i – took out the blue ribbon prize by almost 100 points over the Volkswagen Group’s 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger engine. The supercharged and turbocharged VW engine powers Australia’s Golf GT but is also available elsewhere in the Tiguan and Jetta.

BMW was represented no fewer than four times in the top eight finishers for the main award – just one of 12 that were judged by a panel of 65 international motoring journalists from 32 countries.

Top to bottom, BMW 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel and Porsche 3.6-litre turbo.

Porsche’s scintillating new twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre flat six that powers the 911 Turbo and GT2 was voted the 2008 Performance Engine of the Year, following a tight battle with the BMW M5 and M6’s 5.0-litre V10 and the M3’s 4.0-litre V8.

The variable turbine technology-equipped engine also beat off Audi’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V10 and the Nissan GT-R’s twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6. Offering 353kW in the 997-seres 911T, the same engine slams out 390kW in the new GT2. Porsche won its first ever EOTY award in 2007 – last year the 3.6-litre turbo engine won the 3.0-4.0-litre class.

BMW redeemed itself by winning the Best New Engine gong (for the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel found in the 123d), as well as the 1.4 to 1.8-litre award - for the 1.6-litre turbo engine co-developed with PSA and found in the Mini Cooper S and Mini Clubman, plus the Peugeot 207 and 308.

BMW’s twin-turbo petrol six also won the 3.0 to 4.0-litre trophy (for the M3’s 4.0-litre V8) and the 2.5 to 3.0-litre class, while the Over 4.0-litre prize was claimed by the M5/M6 5.0-litre V10.

There was a green tinge to this year’s IEOTY awards, with the 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive system found in Toyota’s Prius taking out the Green Engine of the Year award introduced this year. Toyota has been honoured 19 times since the awards were launched in 1999. The Prius drive system won four categories in 2004, including International Engine of the Year, two categories in both 2005 and 2006 and one each in 2007 and 2008.

The Sub-1.0-litre class win going to the Toyota-developed 1.0-litre engine that powers the brand’s Europe-only Aygo, plus Peugeot’s 107, Citroen’s C1 and Subaru’s OS-only Justy).

The Volkswagen Group’s turbocharged 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder engine - which powers everything from the Audi A3, A4 Cabrio, A6 and TT, to VW’s Eos, Jetta and Golf GTI, plus the Seat, Altea and Leon, and Skoda’s Octavia – claimed the 1.8 to 2.0-litre class for the fourth consecutive year. Audi says more than a million examples of the TSFI, which produces 200kW in the upcoming TT-S have been ordered.

Finally, Subaru’s 2.5-litre turbo engine (found in the Forester, Impreza, Outback and Liberty) won the 2.0 to 2.5-litre category. It’s the second time in three years Subaru’s 2.5-litre turbo-boxer took out the segment, having won the award for the first time in 2006.

The DOHC 16-valve horizontally-opposed four-cylinder develops 169kW and 320Nm in the Impreza WRX. Apart from the M3 V8 and BMW’s 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel, the 2.5-litre turbo boxer was the only first-time winner in 2008.

While General Motors and Ford didn’t get a look-in, nor did performance engine-making luminaries such as Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari.

2008 International Engine of the Year AwardsInternational Engine of the Year 2008:
BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo (135i, 335i, X6)

Best New Engine of 2008:
BMW 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel (123d)

Green Engine of the Year:
Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)

Best Performance Engine:
Porsche 3.6-litre turbo (911 Turbo, 911 GT2)

Sub 1.0-litre:
Toyota 1.0-litre (Aygo, Yaris, Peugeot 107, Citroën C1, Subaru Justy)

1.0-litre to 1.4-litre:
Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Jetta)

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre:
BMW-PSA 1.6-litre turbo (Mini Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308)

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre:
Volkswagen/Audi 2.0-litre turbo (A3, A4 Cabrio, A6, TT, Eos, Jetta, Golf GTI, Seat Altea, Leon, Skoda Octavia)

2.0-litre to 2.5-litre:
Subaru 2.5-litre turbo (Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy)

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre:
BMW 3-litre twin-turbo (135i, 335i, X6)

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre:
BMW 4.0-litre V8 (M3)

Above 4.0-litre:
BMW 5.0-litre V10 (M5, M6)