BMW i8 wins International Engine of the Year category

The plug-in hybrid drive system in the BMW i8 has won its category in the world’s leading engine competition for the fourth year in succession.

The International Engine of the Year Award class is for units with 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre displacement.

The i8’s drive solution came onto the market in 2014 and has topped its category in the prestigious competition every year since.

In its first year on sale, it also earned the best new engine and overall awards.

The BMW i8 is the sports car of the future and has been the world’s highest-selling PHEV sports car since the 2014 market launch.

The BMW i3 and i8 technology is being rolled out across BMW’s core models.

The three-cylinder combustion engine in the BMW i8 develops 170kW and drives the rear wheels. The electric motor – whose output has been raised to 105kW –channels its power to the front axle.

This model-specific plug-in hybrid system developed and produced by the BMW Group enables all-electric driving with a range now increased to a maximum 55km.

The i8 needs just 4.4 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h.

This year marks the 20th edition of the International Engine of the Year Award. Over the course of the award’s history, engines developed for BMW Group brand models have notched up a total of 69 class and overall wins.

An independent jury of experts identifies the best power units in a variety of categories. This year, the jury comprised 70 automotive journalists from 31 countries.

The awards were presented on June 5 at the Engine Expo fair in Stuttgart.