2008 International Engine Of The Year Awards

[scathing]

The International Engine of the Year 2008 awards have been announced, and its great news if you like BMWs. They took out Best New Engine, and 2nd and 3rd place for Best Performance Engine.

Unfortunately the VR38DETT didn't do that well. 5th outright. 5th best performance engine. Third best in its displacement class. Not bad, but certainly not as good as you'd expect for something powering a car people are calling a "Mini Veyron" at AUD$150K.

The only thing of note is the judges. The Australian judges are John Carey and Bill McKinnon, who both write for Wheels. Anyone who's read that magazine would also know that the journalists who write for it seem to have regular disconnects with reality.....and most journos seem to have such a hard-on for BMWs that they'd make convention-attending, cosplaying, Trekkies look well-adjusted.

If the rest of the panel is in the same calibre, a lot more of this makes sense.

Source: UKIP Media & Events Automotive Magazines

The list doesn't go up to 10, but I noticed that the VQ engine isn't listed either. If it didn't make the Top 10 in the 3.0L - 4.0L category, this'll be the first time ever that the engine hasn't made it.

Edited May 7, 2008 by scathing

[R31Heaven]

Very Big slant towards Diesil Engines also, So if a Petrol engine got into the top I think its a feat in itself

[baron25]

Also, there's little actual innovation in the GTR engine, plasma bores perhaps. A good one that it is, i don't know of too many technical progressions. Most of it's achievement is in the gearbox.

[Amir]

bmw's 3l turbo is where it is at.

cant wait to get a 135i

[Shaolin242]

i get what they are saying - the GTR is the engine is fine - however its the chassis and gearbox and how the power is applied that is more to do with the remarkable feats of the GTR...

[sh@un]

cant wait to get a 135i

guarantee it'll be auto only

[R338OY]

I'm not a big Wheels fan but i have lots of respect for BMW. Just thinking about BMW adding 2 cylinders to the M3 and actually SHAVING weight from the old engine gets me hard.

BMW spend ridiculous amounts on R&D and, ready for it, actually seem to give a poo about the 'human project'. They deserve every accolade IMO.

[sh@un]

Just thinking about BMW adding 2 cylinders to the M3 and actually SHAVING weight from the old engine gets me hard.

a V8 having a much shorter crank (two conrods per crankshaft journal), and a shorter block not made out of cast-iron certainly gives them an easy head-start there.

on a similar note: the head powertrain engineer for the R35 reckons that, even with the tricky DSG gearbox, that the whole drivetrain in the new GT-R is lighter than that of the R34 by a fair bit. of course there's also the benefit of the major masses being situated lower and distributed more favourably.

[R338OY]

a V8 having a much shorter crank (two conrods per crankshaft journal), and a shorter block not made out of cast-iron certainly gives them an easy head-start there.

That's called ingenuity

Still hard.

[sh@un]

I don't understand the way BMW do things- They decided to give the new M5 a V10 so they could jump on the V10 band-wagon and draw some parallels to their F1 engine programme (at the time)... fair enough; but why go and give it the same capacity as the last V8 M5??

- I mean it makes good power, yes, but it gets completely smoked for low to mid-range tractability by the 6.3 litre AMG engine fitted to hi-po V8 Mercs. Why not go closer to 6 litres??.

And then the M3- What was wrong with making it a 5 litre V8 that can rev to 8000rpm? Wouldn't weigh any more, and you'd get better everything ('cept w.o.t fuel economy), but I guess that would step on the M5's toes...

[MK2]

The only thing of note is the judges. The Australian judges are John Carey and Bill McKinnon, who both write for Wheels. Anyone who's read that magazine would also know that the journalists who write for it seem to have regular disconnects with reality.....and most journos seem to have such a hard-on for BMWs that they'd make convention-attending, cosplaying, Trekkies look well-adjusted.

I think they're firmly embedded in reality having to lick that much anus just so you'll get priority test drives in next years model for being someone 'favourable' to the company.

The reality of that many shiny rings due to motor journalists tongues is probably too much to bear for most.

[scathing]

Another comment about the quality of this award is the fact that they awarded a displacement class to the Subaru 2.5L boxer turbo....you know, the one that's not currently available globally due to problems?

Didn't Wheels also award the Holden Camira and Leyland P76 COTY awards?

[Dave32]

bmw's 3l turbo is where it is at.

cant wait to get a 135i

japanese have been doing straight six turbo's for how long now?

[scathing]

japanese have been doing straight six turbo's for how long now?

Have they been doing it as well as this BMW engine, with the same torque delivery as well as fuel economy / emissions frugality?

Just because you build a road car engine doesn't mean you built a good one.

[sh@un]

japanese have been doing straight six turbo's for how long now?

not anymore

[giant]

they should have an award for the transmission in the new R35, and guess where it was prototyped and designed, that's right! right here in Australia!!!

[FineLine]

they should have an award for the transmission in the new R35, and guess where it was prototyped and designed, that's right! right here in Australia!!!

Intersting Russ, Got any more info mate.

p.s.

you doin time attack on the 14th?

[Amir]

guarantee it'll be auto only

both, a 6MT and steptronic ? (the auto has been praised as the best on the market)

some tests have had a stock 135i do 4.7s 0-100 and 13.2 1/4mile.

[Marlin]

Interesting to hear some disappointed people here....

Just because the GTR engine is all new and is mounted in a weapon vehicle that most of us love shouldn't/doesn't automatically garuntee it a win in Engine of the Year. The engine is down on specific power per litre compared to rivals, isn't especially frugal, and is likely the least spoken of aspect of the new car.

IMO, BMW's turbo petrol six is an astounding engine for it's very high volume use, and i too look forward to a 135i..... as I am sure are many of the new generation diesels that I haven't as yet been fortunate enough to sample.

I get a little tired of the Wheels/Motor bashing on here, seems many are so blinded by their love for all things Nissan that the hurt of not winning every award under the sun for their beloved brand instantly attracts childish allogations of bribes and bum-licking on the magazines behalf. One must remember that although we may not always agree with their views, these guys are mostly seasoned motor industry commentators with far more knowledge and experience of cars than many on here......

end rant.

[FineLine]

Interesting to hear some disappointed people here....

Just because the GTR engine is all new and is mounted in a weapon vehicle that most of us love shouldn't/doesn't automatically garuntee it a win in Engine of the Year. The engine is down on specific power per litre compared to rivals, isn't especially frugal, and is likely the least spoken of aspect of the new car.

IMO, BMW's turbo petrol six is an astounding engine for it's very high volume use, and i too look forward to a 135i..... as I am sure are many of the new generation diesels that I haven't as yet been fortunate enough to sample.

I get a little tired of the Wheels/Motor bashing on here, seems many are so blinded by their love for all things Nissan that the hurt of not winning every award under the sun for their beloved brand instantly attracts childish allogations of bribes and bum-licking on the magazines behalf. One must remember that although we may not always agree with their views, these guys are mostly seasoned motor industry commentators with far more knowledge and experience of cars than many on here......

end rant.

All due respect marlin you are talking through your hat. Having been privvy to some of the graft and corruption that goes on between motoring journo's and car makers It is safe to say that politics is clean compared to that crap.

I read those magazines for the technical info only these days. The journos comments mean diddly squat.

As for the engine not making the top 10, I fail to see see how it could. from my perspective its only the same v that nissan has soldiered on with for over a decade with larger capacity and coated slugs. Still a great engine but hardly cutting edge technology.