The countdown to the 2012 International Engine of the Year Awards has begun, with judges shortlisting 39 all-new engines and 46 'Green' engines.
Engines on the shortlist include the V8 engine fitted to the McLaren MP4-12C and the BMW M5's downsized V8 unit. However, there is also a lot of hype surrounding Ford's 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engine and the electric powerplants from both the Renault Fluence and the Nissan Leaf.
The awards are given out in a number of categories, including 'Best New Engine', 'Best Green Engine', 'Best Performance Engine' and, of course, the overall 'International Engine of the Year.' The judges also allocate awards according to displacement, with categories ranging from 'Sub 1 litre' to 'Above 4.0 litre.'
The Editor of Engine Technology International, Dean Slavnich, praised the engines on the shortlist as well as last year's winner, Fiat's 875cc TwinAir engine:
"As ever, the judging panel has assessed every new engine to the market in the past 12 months, and we firmly believe that this year's judging has been the toughest ever. Last year, Fiat's fabulous little TwinAir scooped four awards, so it will be interesting to see if it can still impress as much in the face of some seriously talented opposition."
The winners will be announced at Engine Expo 2012 in Stuttgart on 13th June. The ceremony will be the 14th in the awards' history. The first recipient of the title was the Toyota Yaris's 1.0-litre engine in 1999.
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