Best Car Engines of 2006

These days there is an award for almost everything, but not many people realize there is an award for the Best Engine of the year (as well as best engine awards for different classes such as size / economy / power etc). The International Engine of the Year Awards were recently presented by UKIP Media & Events Automotive Magazines who form Britain’s largest group of technical motoring publications. So who won the engine of the year award? If you read this website regularily, you would already know as I have mentioned it in here, and a few other palces. Offcourse its BMW’s V10 engine. Found in the BMW M5 and the BMW M6. Alltogether now the BMW V10 engine has won seven awards in just two years. Earlier in 2006 the V10 engine also won the Best Performance Engine award in the 4-litres+ category.

Nevertheless, the engine of the year award is only one award of many that were handed out. The 1.5L Hybrid engine powering the Toyota Prius won the Best Fuel Economy award. Awards given for engine capacity are listed below :

• Less than 1 L: Honda 995cc IMA hybrid unit used in Honda Insight
• 1-1.4 L: Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI twincharger engine used in the VW Golf
• 1.4-1.8 L: Toyota 1.5-liter Hybrid Synergy Drive used in the Toyota Prius
• 1.8-2 L: Volkswagen 2-liter FSI Turbo. The engine is used in the VW Golf GTI, Audi A3, Audi A4, Audi A6, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon
• 2-2.5 L: Subaru 2.5-liter Turbo. The engine is used in the Subaru Forester, Subaru Impreza and Saab 9-2X
• 2.5-3 L: BMW 3-liter twin-turbo diesel used in the BMW 535d
• 3-4 L: BMW 3.2-liter. The engine is used in the BMW M3 and BMW M Z4
• Above 4 L: BMW V10 5-liter. The engine is used in the BMW M5 and BMW M6.

Good to see the likes of Volkwagen Turbo charged 2.0L engine up there, the Golf GTi and the Audi A4 are both blessed with this engine – However I really wonder how the Mitsubishi Evo’s 2.0 Litre Engine is not listed! Also the Subaru 2.5 L engine that powers the Impreza WRX and STi is a sure winner in it’s category.