Engine of the Year

The best powerplants of 2018

Commemorating the occasion, 70 jurors who are also the most respected motoring journalists around the world including Auto Today Editor Yogendra Pratap, (who has been on the International Engine of the Year jury for nearly a decade) were asked to vote on a special ‘Best of the Best’ Award. A prize for which a jury of believes is the most significant, most entertaining and most relevant engine of the last 20 years. The shortlist for this award comprised some of the best power units ever made, from the inaugural IEOTY, Toyota’s 1-litre, four-cylinder to Ford’s 1-litre that won the overall title three years in a row from 2013. Also in the mix was the 2003 winner, Mazda’s rotary RENESIS, along with Fiat’s 875cc two-cylinder, plus Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre Twincharger that won in both 2009 and 2010. Toyota’s 1.5-litre hybrid won in 2004, meaning it went head-to-head with numerous contenders from BMW, the most successful brand in the awards’ history. The Munich-based company has won the overall award title a record seven times with its 5-litre V10, its 3.2-litre straight-six, its 3-litre twin-turbo and its 1.5-litre hybrid, which won in 2015. What we witnessed was a true David and Goliath battle: 875cc Fiat takes on BMW’s 5-litre. The outcome of this may come as a surprise to some. Honda’s pioneering 1-litre IMA from 2000 didn’t really feature in the results, while the aforementioned BMW i8 1.5-litre that brought plug-in hybrid-power to the supercar was actually beaten by its near-legendary 3.2-litre straight-six sibling. No, the jury voted the Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 the Best of the Best engine! The Italian biturbo, which also won a further three awards this year by topping the Performance Engine category, the 3-litre to 4-litre category, and taking the overall IEOTY title for a third consecutive year, has been named the greatest engine of the era. Awards co-chairman and MD of UKi Media & Events, the company that also organises the

event sums up beautifully, “At first you could be forgiven for thinking its triumph is because it emits enough power to put a smile on anyone’s face. Its success could also be down to the fact that the V8 is far more efficient than its 4.5-litre-propelled 458 predecessor. But, the main reason why this 3.9 engine has been so successful is that Ferrari took a risk when it downsized its engine and decided to add a pair of turbos. Dare I suggest that there have been less-than-beautiful Ferraris over the years, but because the engines in such cars were masterpieces, the vehicles still proved popular. There are Ferraris that could have handled better, but thanks to award-winning engines, these cars still have legendary status. When Ferrari downsized and added turbochargers to the engine of its biggest seller, it arguably bet the success of the entire company! That the gamble worked signalled to the entire car industry that downsizing and turbocharging – and no doubt plug-ins are acceptable to even the most discerning of car buyers. And for that, Ferrari deserves the Best of the Best Award.”

FERRARI 3.9-LITRE: BEST OF THE BEST; PERFORMANCE ENGINE OF THE YEAR; WINNER 3.0-4.0-LITRE CATEGORY; 2018 INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR