If you happen to be in Germany, make sure to head to Munich to witness the biggest party of this month at the BMW headquarters. Well, the Bavarian folks worked really hard throughout the year and were rightfully rewards by bagging for titles at the 17th International Engine of the Year Awards, including the highly coveted international engine of the year title for the i8 hybrid sportscar’s 1.5-litre engine. Breaking Ford’s victory reign with the EcoBoost in the process, the makers of outrageously fun to drive cars have showcased their engine building prowess to the world.
BMW took home four titles across different categories including the top honour. The automaker’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine powering the M3 and M4 won the title in the 2.5-litre to 3.0-litre. However, the talking point is the 1.5-litre TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder petrol motor that made its debut on the i8 sports car last year. The powertrain earned two class wins apart from being declared overall winner and was voted class winner for its BMW TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder petrol engine. The BMW i8 drivetrain also won the title of being the best “New Engine” for 2015.
One of the best blends of performance and economy seen in the modern day motoring world, the 1.5-litre three-cylinder motor coupled to an electric motor cumulatively produces 362 PS and 570 Nm of torque. The part that the jury found most stunning is the was the 49 g/km CO2 emission figures and a fuel economy of 47 km/l. Unheard of in the high performance, gas guzzling sports car world. With all that power, the BMW i8 propels from 0-100 kmph in 4.4 seconds and adheres to the gentleman’s agreement with the top speed restricted to 250 kmph.
Its combination of electric motor and petrol engine also earned it overall victory. In the 2.5 to 3.0-litre displacement category, the M TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line petrol engine of the BMW M3 and BMW M4 came out on top. This fourfold success for the BMW Group at the International Engine of the Year Awards 2015 furnishes further evidence of the performance potential of the Efficient Dynamics technology package, which since 2007 has enabled a continuous enhancement of driving pleasure while at the same time cutting fuel consumption and emissions.
For the electric lovers, the electric motor on the BMW i8 draws power from a lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a conventional domestic power socket and powers the front axle. Driving on the pure electric mode enables a range of 37 kms in the EU test cycle up to a top speed of 120 kmph. BMW’s ground breaking levels of hard work surely gets rewarded, especially since you consider the i8 is witnessing a high demand globally including our very humble India.
Before you google about the International Engine of the Year Awards, here is what you need to know. The awards were launched in 1999 and each year an expert panel of judges (this time 65 motoring journalists from 31 countries) select the best engines in numerous categories. The Bavarians have had familiar relations with the Engine of the year awards and ever since the commencement of these awards, 66 class and overall wins have gone to engines developed for BMW models. Cool enough? Oh yes!
Winners of the International Engine of the Year Awards –
Sub 1.0-litre
Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost – EcoSport & Fiesta
1.0-litre to 1.4-litre
PSA 1.2 turbo three-cylinder – Peugeot 208, 308, and Citroen C4 Cactus
1.4-litre to 1.8-litre
BMW 1.5 PHEV – i8
1.8-litre to 2.0-litre
Mercedes-AMG 2.0 litre turbo – A45 AMG, CLA45 AMG and GLA45 AMG
2.0-litre to 2.5-litre
Audi 2.5 five-cylinder turbo – RS3 and RSQ3
2.5-litre to 3.0-litre
BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder – M3 and M4
3.0-litre to 4.0-litre
McLaren 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 – 650S and 675LT
Above 4.0-litre
Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 – 458 Italia and Speciale
Green Engine
Tesla’s full-electric – Model S
New Engine
BMW 1.5 PHEV – i8
Performance Engine
Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 – 458 Italia and Speciale
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