Ferrari has taken out the top prize at the 2016 International Engine of the Year awards for its brilliant 492kW/760Nm 3.9L twin-turbo V8 from the Ferrari 488GTB. The engine that caused controversy when it replaced Ferrari’s howling 4.5L naturally aspirated V8, has been praised as the future of high-performance engines by combining reduced displacement with a turbocharger to increase power and torque from the outgoing engine, a combination that significantly reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
International Engine of the year awards co-chairman, Graham Johnson, praised the engine for its ability to deliver a counterintuitive combination of improved performance and efficiency. Ferrari also took out the top award in the 4.0L+ category with its brilliant aspirated 6.3L V12 from the F12 Berlinetta.
The crowning of Ferrari’s 3.9L twin-turbo V8 marked a significant departure from the 1.5L hybrid from BMW that won in 2015 and the 1.0L three-cylinder Ford engine that took out top honours in 2013 and 2014.
