International Engine of the Year Awards 2015

BMW i8’s hybrid powertrain took top honours in the 2015 International Engine of the Year awards, ending the three year reign of the Ford EcoBoost at the top. The i8 power unit was awarded 274 points by the judges, and edged out the 1.0-litre EcoBoost motor by just seven points.

An expert panel of 65 motoring journalists from 31 countries ruled in favour of the 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine, praising its ability to blend supercar performance with remarkable fuel economy and low emissions.

The same engine also scooped up two other awards, including the Best Engine in the 1.4-1.8-litre Category, as well as the coveted tag of the Best New Engine. The twin-turbo 3-litre engine that powers the M3 / M4 brought more glory for the German luxury carmaker, beating Porsche and Volkswagen for the best engine in the 2.5-3-litre category.

BMW’s 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder develops 231bhp, while the electric motor churns out the equivalent of 131bhp. This plug-in hybrid system provides an all-electric range of up to 37 kilometres and a top speed of 120km/h on electric power alone.

McLaren’s 3.8-litre V8 turbo engine also got lavish praise from the jury, and took the top slot in the 3.5-4-litre category. The engine does duty in a slew of McLaren supercars, including the 12C and the 675LT.

Among other noteworthy winners, Ferrari’s 4.5-litre V8 from the outgoing 458 Speciale won the Performance Engine award and the Above 4-litre class, while Audi’s 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo emerged victorious in 2-2.5-litre category and Mercedes AMG’s 2-litre turbo took the honours in the 1.8-2.0-litre category.