Mazda's new RENESIS named International Engine of the year

"An astonishing new engine," said awards judge Alberto Bellucci of Mazda's new RENESIS rotary engine, "with power, acceleration and silence better than a real sports car." Best Fuel Economy Class: Honda 1.3-litre IMA (Civic Hybrid)For the last three years, this award has gone to Honda's Insight engine (see story 1908) and this year Honda has won again, comfortably outscoring the Toyota Prius engine and its stablemate Honda Insight engine.

The following three engines shortlisted in this category were all diese "The next step forward in bringing hybrid technology into the mainstream" and "Nobody has yet come up with a better option for the mid-term future of the automobile" l engines. Judges comments such asprove that Honda's IMA system is the way of the future for fuel efficient passenger cars.

Following its win last year, the Civic IMA once again wins the 1.0 to 1.4 litre category with nearly double the final score of votes than the second place PSA 1.4 litre diesel engine.

Sub 1-litre Class: Honda 1-litre IMA (Insight)

The Honda Insight is a perennial winner of this category and a firm favourite of this humble magazine!!!

1-litre to 1.4-litre Class: Honda 1.3-litre IMA (Civic Hybrid)

Best Performance Engine: Mercedes-AMG 55 V8 (E55, SL55, S55, CL55)

The supercharged AMG V8 engine had a clear majority of votes in the newly created Best Performance Engine category. "It's very powerful, and completely without temperament - the exact opposite of most frenetic high-performance engines," was the verdict of Jake Venter from the South African trade magazine "Car" when it came to the supercharged AMG V8 engine. Graham Johnson, Chairman of the International Engine of the Year Awards, was equally impressed. His assessment: "Blistering performance delivered by a brilliantly smooth and charismatic V8." Developing output figures of 350 kW/476 hp to 368 kW/500 hp and peak torque of 700 Newton metres, the supercharged AMG V8 engine delivers a seriously impressive driving experience. The 5.5-litre eight-cylinder power unit made its debut in 2001 under the bonnet of the SL 55 AMG and since the autumn of 2002 has also been available for the E 55 AMG and S 55 AMG Saloons, as well as the CL 55 AMG Coup'.

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