MUNICH: BMW earned itself four wins thanks to its innovative BMW i8 picking up two class wins and being declared overall winner, while the engine found in both the M3 and M4 received a class win too.

The BMW i8’s engine was voted as class winner for its BMW TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder petrol engine and its combination of electric motor and petrol engine.

The overall drive unit of the i8 claimed a further class win as the best “new engine” and its combination of electric motor and petrol engine also earned it the overall victory.

The three-cylinder combustion engine in the i8 produces 228bhp for the rear wheels, while the 129bhp electric motor draws its energy from a lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a conventional domestic power socket, and sends its power to the front axle.

This bespoke plug-in hybrid system is able to achieve a range of up to 37km in the EU test cycle with a top speed of up to 120kph on electric power alone.

It is capable of sprinting from 0-100kph in 4.4 seconds, yet combined fuel consumption stands at 2.1 litres per 100km plus 11.9 kWh of electricity – equating to CO2 emissions of 49grams per kilometre.

In the 2.5 to 3.0-litre displacement category, the M TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line petrol engine of the BMW M3 andBMW M4 came out on top.

The high-revving 3.0-litre twin turbo engine allows for a linear power delivery over a wide engine speed range while gifted with a unique engine note.

Generating 420bhp from 5,500 to 7,300rpm and 550Nm of torque from 1,850 to 5,500rpm, the engine is mated to a six-speed manual and can sprint from standstill to 100kph in 3.9 seconds before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 250kph.

The engines faced a panel of judges comprising of 65 motoring journalists from 31 countries who selected the best engines in numerous categories.

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