May 27, 2008

Porsche Takes Best Performance Engine Honor

For the second year in a row, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has won a top award in the International Engine of the Year competition. The 911 Turbo’s engine received the much-coveted “Best Performance Engine Award,” an honor presented annually by the British specialist journal Engine Technology International. This is the 20th year the prize has been awarded for engines with outstanding characteristics.

Having won in the three-to-four liter category in 2007, the 3.6-liter 480-horsepower Porsche “boxer” engine, which delivers 530 horsepower in its GT2 version, scored its first place win in the “free capacity class,” defeating other globally-recognized high-performance automobile power plants like the BMW M5 and M6 V-10, Ferrari 599 GTS V-12, Nissan GT-R twin-turbo V-6 and the Audi RS6 V-10. (It was also deemed better than the 2.4-liter four cylinder in the Chevrolet Cobalt.)

For model year 2008, the 911 Turbo engine features an exhaust gas-driven turbocharger with variable turbine geometry for efficient control of the exhaust gas flow throughout the entire RPM range. The system guides the flow of exhaust gas in the right direction and at the appropriate angle to the turbine blades. This leads to a discernible improvement in engine flexibility and acceleration, particularly at low speeds, and virtually eliminates “turbo lag,” though it has little effect on “jet lag.”

The jury for the Engine of the Year Awards consists of 65 renowned automotive journalists from more than 30 countries. The judges review and evaluate engines in various categories, considering factors such as overall performance, power output, fuel consumption, drivability and comfort. Special attention is paid to the use of advanced, cutting-edge technologies. Judge Jake Venter of South Africa’s imaginatively named Car Magazine said, “Very few turbocharged engines have been honed to such a state of perfection.”