Enzo Ferrari used to say, “When you buy a Ferrari, you are paying for the engine. The rest you get for free.” So would he be surprised a powerplant with his name stamped on the valve covers — the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 found in the 488 GTB, 488 Spider and 488 Pista, as well as the new F8 Tributo — took top honors at Engine Technology International Magazine’s International Engine and Powertrain of the Year Awards for the fourth year in a row, along with the title of Best Performance Engine? Probably not.
That said, would Il Commendatore be taken aback by the prospect of an electric Jaguar SUV winning a title alongside his company’s eight-cylinder masterpiece? Almost certainly. But that’s what happened: Jaguar Land Rover won both Best New Engine and Best Electric Powertrain this year for the new I-Pace. BMW also earned kudos this year, winning Best Hybrid Powertrain with its 1.5-liter three-cylinder hybrid powerplant found in the i8.
International Engine of the Year/ Best Performance Engine
Ferrari, twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8
Ferrari 488 GTB: “The 488 went through the left-right-left chicane as if it were on rails, without a hint of body roll, then carved up the turn 3–4 banking (a centrifugal repeat of the banked turns 1–2) and through the slight kink in the front stretch to start another lap.” Bryan Campbell, Staff Writer
Best Hybrid Powertrain
BMW, 1.5-liter Three-Cylinder Gas/Electric Hybrid
BMW i8: ” It’s hard to argue with a sports car that can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in four seconds and get the combined equivalent of 69 miles per gallon between its gas engine and battery pack. Still harder when it looks as wild as the i8 does, with its gullwing doors and aquatic predator lines.” – Will Sabel Courtney, Motoring Editor
Best New Engine/ Best Electric Powertrain
Jaguar Land Rover, Full-Electric Powertrain
Jaguar I-Pace: “It should be clear that Jaguar knows how to make a performance car. The years of experience JLR has garnered making cars that elevate the driver experience above all else comes through in the I-Pace.” – Alex Kalogianni, Contributor
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