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2004
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Engine Oscars: Serial Winner BMW Clinches Titles 19
and 20
Innovation, power, performance and pleasure continue
BMW’s ‘joy of six’ dominance of the annual "Engine Oscars", the global
awards for the world’s best motors.
A stunning engine is at the heart of every BMW and
the judges have once again agreed the silky-smooth straight-six powering
four diverse BMW models is the best in the world.
The engine wreathed in
glory is the M54B25 2494cc, 24-valve, 141 kW, 245 Nm unit that powers a
variety of X3, 325i, Z4 Roadster and 525i models, crowned best in the world
between 2.0 and 2.5-liters capacity.
The M54B25’s back-to-back acclaim is matched by what
some believe is the best of the best, the M3 Coupe’s S54B33 3.2-litre
straight six which produces up to 265 kW in the
BMW M3 CSL. This year it again dominated,
winning the 3.0 - 4.0-litre class. On debut in 2001, the M3’s S54B33 engine
was crowned ‘International Engine of the Year’ as well as winning its
capacity class.
For four years in a row the M3 3.2-litre BI-VANOS
engine has vanquished all-comers in the 3.0 - 4.0-litre capacity class,
underlining its peerless perfection.
With two capacity titles under its belt in the 2004
Oscars, BMW has now won more awards for its engine technology than any other
manufacturer since the inauguration of the Awards in 1999.
In addition to the M3’s overall award in 2001, the
BMW V8 VALVETRONIC 4.4-litre (N62) engine fitted to the 745i and 745Li, the
545i, as well as the new 645Ci Coupé and Convertible, was judged the best in
the world overall in 2002.
Backing their judgments in the 2004 Engine Oscars,
the jury crowned the M3 engine saying it is "absolutely the best in the
category. It is the only real choice for the connoisseur who appreciates the
true art of engineering".
The high-revving engine generates enormous muscle
and easily exceeds the ‘racing engine benchmark’ of more than 100 horsepower
per liter. It is: "the best straight-six in the world," and "the most
powerful car of our time", according to the judges.
The 2.5-litre M54B25 engine was lauded for its
"wonderful torque curve", the jury unified in agreement that the 141kW
straight-six brings out the best in all the vehicles it powers.
The Engine Oscars are judged by 56 Journalists from
24 countries on five continents. The Awards are organized by British
specialist motoring publisher ‘UK & International Press Automotive
Magazines’, Britain’s largest group of technical car publications.
Jury members cast their vote in the light of their
own on-road experience with the engines in their home markets, taking
factors into consideration such as engine power, fuel economy, driving NVH
and performance characteristics.
This year’s awards considered more than 800 engines,
all of which are production engines fitted to vehicles sold in at least two
countries. Fifty of this year’s engines were first-time entries.
Despite the increasing competition, BMW continues to
shine. From a total of 72 Engine Oscars awarded to date, BMW has won 20, the
largest number of any of the world’s manufacturers, a clear endorsement of
the company’s Ultimate Driving Machine positioning.
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