Ferrari was the big winner here with their 3.9 liter biturbo V8 used in the Ferrari 488 and California T, beating BMW’s 1.5 liter petrol-electric hybrid powertrain used in its i8 supercar.
With a total of 331 votes, it trumped BMW’s i8 engine (278 votes) which won the overall prize last year. Third place with 267 votes was the new 3.0 liter turbocharged flat six-cylinder petrol engine used in the updated Porsche 911 that replaced the outgoing naturally aspirated 3.4 to 3.8 liter boxer engines, representing the first time that Porsche has turbocharged the majority of its line-up.
The new 448 GTB and Spider engine develops 492 kW of power and 760 Nm of torque, while the slightly detuned version in the California T convertible develops 415 kW/755 Nm.
International Engine of the Year awards co-chairman Graham Johnson was quick to praise the Maranello-built engine, citing it as one that will be remembered fondly in years to come.
“It’s a giant leap forward for turbocharged engines in terms of efficiency, performance and flexibility,” he said. “It truly is the best engine in production today and will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats.”
It was no surprise to see Tesla’s all-electric drivetrain take out the Green category, over the BMW i8 and Volvo’s recently developed T8 2.0 liter petrol-electric hybrid seen in the XC90.
