From a sophisticated bread-and-butter 4-cyl. to the world’s most powerful production V-8,
the winners of the 2013 Ward’s 10 Best Engines awards stand as a tribute to internal combustion while auto makers wrestle with fuel-economy standards requiring a growing number of zero-emissions electric vehicles in the future.
Meanwhile, gasoline-fueled engines become more efficient and power-dense every year, and the majority of winners (five) for the second year in a row are 4-cyl. engines.
The transformation within the powertrain community has been rapid as engineering teams now slather attention on downsized engines. As recently as 2005, not a single 4-banger was honored.
This year’s winners:
- 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S5)
- 2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (BMW 328i)
- 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 135is coupe)
- 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Ram 1500)
- 2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4 (Ford Focus ST/Taurus)
- 5.8L Supercharged DOHC V-8 (Ford Shelby GT500)
- 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Cadillac ATS)
- 2.4L DOHC I-4 (Honda Accord Sport)
- 3.5L SOHC V-6 (Honda Accord)
- 2.0L FA DOHC H-4 Boxer (Subaru BRZ)
Read Article