BMW leads engine race

Their 3-litre twin-turbo petrol engine from the BMW 335i has won the International Engine of the Year Award from the same company's M5 and M6 V10 which took out the previous two titles.

The twin turbo, which has two variable turbochargers, direct injection and an all-aluminium crankcase, also won best new engine while the V10 again claimed the best performance engine.

BMW, which also dominated last year's awards, took out seven trophies, including the Mini Cooper S 1.6-litre petrol turbo which was developed in co-operation with French car maker Peugeot and features in their 207.

However, the biggest round of applause at the ninth annual awards at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany, this week was reserved for Porsche which finally won a gong.

Its 3.6-litre petrol turbo engine in the 911 Turbo was voted the best 3 to 4 litre engine in production today.

The awards are judged by 62 motoring journalists from 30 countries, including Australia.

Volkswagen's 1.4-litre turbocharged and supercharged TSI unit triumphed for a second year in the 1-1.4-litre class, with its larger sibling, the 2-litre turbo developed by Audi and housed in the Golf GTi and Audi A3, topping the 1.8-litre to 2-litre category.

While performance engines dominated, the Toyota Prius 1.5-litre hybrid engine continued to be the top eco-friendly option.

Toyota also won awards for its 1-litre 3-cylinder Aygo engine while the Yaris engine took the honours in the below 1-litre category.

Engine Awards

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR: BMW 3-litre Twin-Turbo (335i)

BEST NEW ENGINE: BMW 3-litre Twin-Turbo (335i)

BEST FUEL ECONOMY: Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)

BEST PERFORMANCE ENGINE: BMW 5-litre V10 (M5, M6)

SUB 1-LITRE: Toyota 1-litre (Aygo, Yaris, Peugeot 107, Citron C1)

1 TO 1.4-LITRE: Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (Golf, Touran, Jetta)

1.4 TO 1.8-LITRE: BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (MINI, Peugeot 207)

1.8 TO 2-LITRE: Volkswagen 2-litre Turbo (Golf, Audi A3, A6, SEAT Leon, Skoda Octavia)

2 TO 2.5-LITRE: BMW 2.5-litre (325, 525, X3, Z4)

2.5 TO 3-LITRE: BMW 3-litre Twin-Turbo (335i)

3 TO 4-LITRE: Porsche 3.6-litre Turbo (911)

ABOVE 4-LITRE: BMW 5-litre V10 (M5, M6)