The best engines in the last 20 years
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In 1999, the prestigious British edition of Engine Technology International magazine decided to establish world awards for the best engines produced around the world. The jury consisted of more than 60 influential automotive journalists from around the world. Thus was born the International Engine of the Year Awards. And in honor of the 20th anniversary of the award, the jury decided to determine the best engines for the entire period - from 1999 to 2019. In the gallery below you can see who made it into the top 12. However, please note that these awards are usually given to new engines based on journalists' impressions, and things like reliability and durability are rarely taken into account.
10.Fiat TwinAir
Tenth place in the ranking is actually divided between three units. One of them is Fiat's 0,875-litre TwinAir, which won four awards at the 2011 ceremony, including Best Engine. Jury chairman Dean Slavnich called it "one of the best engines ever".
The Fiat unit features variable valve timing with hydraulic drives. Its basic, naturally-aspirated version is fitted to the Fiat Panda and 500, delivering 60 horsepower. There are also two variants with 80 and 105 horsepower turbochargers, which are used in models such as the Fiat 500L, Alfa Romeo MiTo and Lancia Ypsilon. This engine was also awarded the prestigious German Raul Pietsch award.
10. BMW N62 4.4 Valvetronic
This naturally aspirated V8 was the first production engine with a variable intake manifold and the first BMW 2002 with Valvetronic. In XNUMX, he won three annual IEY awards, including the Grand for Engine of the Year award.
Its various variants were installed in the more powerful 5th, 7th, X5, the entire Alpina line, as well as sports manufacturers such as Morgan and Wiesmann, and developed power from 272 to 530 horsepower.
Its advanced technology has brought it international recognition, but due to its very complex design, it is not one of the most reliable. We recommend that second-hand buyers be careful with it.
10. Honda HAS 1.0
Acronym for Integrated Motor Assist, it is the Japanese company's first mass-produced hybrid technology, originally dictated by the popular overseas Insight model. It is essentially a parallel hybrid, but with a completely different concept compared to, say, the Toyota Prius. In the IMA, the electric motor is installed between the combustion engine and the transmission and acts as a starter, balancer and accessory when required.
Over the years, this system has been used with large displacements (up to 1,3 liters) and is built into a variety of Honda models - from the unpopular Insight, Freed Hybrid, CR-Z and Acura ILX Hybrid in Europe to hybrid versions of the Jazz, Civic and Accord.
9. Toyota KR 1.0
Actually, this family of three-cylinder units with aluminum blocks was developed not by Toyota, but by its subsidiary Daihatsu. Debuting in 2004, these engines used DOHC chain driven cylinder heads, multipoint injection and 4 valves per cylinder. One of their main strengths was their unusually low weight - only 69 kilograms.
Over the years, various versions of these engines have been created with a capacity of 65 to 98 horsepower. They are installed in Toyota Aygo / Citroen C1 / Peugeot 107, Toyota Yaris and iQ of the first and second generation, in Daihatsu Cuore and Sirion, as well as in Subary Justy.
8. Mazda 13B-MSP Renesis
The Japanese company's persistence in installing Wankel engines, which it licensed from NSU at the time, was rewarded with this unit, codenamed 13B-MSP. In it, long-standing attempts to correct the two main drawbacks of this type of engine - high consumption and excessive emissions - seem to have borne fruit.
The original change to the exhaust ports significantly increased the real compression, and with it the power. Overall efficiency has increased by 49% over previous generations.
Mazda installed this engine in its RX-8 and won three awards with it in 2003, including the biggest award for engine of the year. The big trump card was the low weight (112 kg in the basic version) and high performance - up to 235 horsepower in just 1,3 liters. However, it remains too difficult to maintain and has easily worn parts.
7.BMW N54 3.0
Whereas BMW's 4,4-liter V8 has any comments about endurance, it's hard to hear a bad word about the six-cylinder N54. This three-liter unit made its debut in 2006 in more powerful versions of the third series (E90) and won "International Engine of the Year" for five years in a row, as well as the American counterpart Wards Auto for three years in a row.
This is the first production BMW engine with direct injection turbocharging and dual variable valve timing (VANOS). For ten years, it has been integrated into everything: E90, E60, E82, E71, E89, E92, F01, and also, with minor changes, in Alpina.
6. BMW B38 1.5
BMW is the most awarded brand in the first two decades of the International Engine of the Year award, and this rather unexpected participant has made a significant contribution to this: a three-cylinder turbo engine with a volume of 1,5 liters, a compression ratio of 11: 1, direct injection, dual VANOS and the world's first aluminum turbocharger from Continental.
It is also fitted to front-wheel drive vehicles such as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and MINI Hatch, as well as rear-wheel drive models. But its most serious fame comes from its first use: in the i8 sports hybrid, where, complete with electric motors, it provided the same acceleration as the Lamborghini Gallardo once did.
5. Toyota 1NZ-FXE 1.5
This is a slightly more special version of Toyota's NZ series aluminum engines, entirely designed for use in hybrid models, especially the Prius. The engine has a fairly high physical compression ratio of 13,0: 1, but there is a delay in closing the intake valve, which results in actual compression to 9,5: 1 and makes it work in something like a simulated Atkinson cycle. This reduces power and torque, but increases efficiency.
It was this 77 horsepower engine at 5000 rpm that was the heart of the first and second generations of the Prius (the third already uses the 2ZR-FXE), the Yaris hybrid and several other models with a similar power plant.
4. Volkswagen 1.4 TSFI, TSI twin charger
Based on the good old EA111, this new turbocharged engine was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show to drive the fifth generation Golf. In its first version, this four-cylinder 1,4 had a capacity of 150 horsepower and was called the Twincharger, that is, it had both a compressor and a turbo. The reduced displacement provided significant fuel savings and power was 14% more than the 2.0 FSI.
Manufactured in Chemnitz, this unit is used in various models on almost all brands. Later, a version with a reduced power appeared, without a compressor, but only with a turbocharger and an intercooler. He was also 14 kg lighter.
3. BMW S54 3.2
One of the truly legendary objects of the last quarter of a century. Known as the S54, it was the latest version of the highly successful S50, a naturally aspirated six-cylinder petrol engine. This latest hurrah is for a very memorable car, the E3-generation BMW M46.
At the factory, this engine produces 343 horsepower at 7900 rpm, maximum torque of 365 Newton meters and easily spins up to 8000 rpm.
2. Ford 1.0 EcoBoost
After several massive service jobs and tens of thousands of cases of engine overheating or even self-ignition, today the three-cylinder EcoBoost has a slightly tarnished reputation. But in fact, the problems with it did not come from the unit itself - a remarkable engineering achievement, but because of the neglect and economy on its periphery, such as tanks and hoses for coolant.
This unit, developed by the European division of Ford in Dunton, UK, appeared in 2012 and impressed journalists with its characteristics - one liter of volume, and a maximum power of 125 horsepower. Then came the 140 hp Fiesta Red Edition. You'll also find it in Focus, C-Max, and more. Between 2012 and 2014, he was named International Engine of the Year three times in a row.
1. Ferrari F154 3,9
Undisputed winner in the last four International Engine of the Year competitions. The Italians designed it as the successor to the older 2,9-liter F120A. It has dual turbocharging, direct injection, variable valve timing and a 90-degree angle between the cylinder heads.
It is used in various modifications of the Ferrari California T, GTC4 Lusso, Portofino, Roma, 488 Pista, F8 Spider and even in the high-tech Ferrari SF90 Stradale. You will also find it in the tallest versions of the Maserati Quattroporte and Levante. Directly linked to it is the fantastic V6 engine used by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.
