MOTORING NEWS - Audi continues its winning streak at the International Engine of the Year awards, as for the ninth time in a row, the jury selected the brand's 2,5 TFSI as the best engine in the 2 to 2,5-litre category. Its 294kW makes it the most powerful series-production five-cylinder on the global market.

The members of the judging panel praised the engine's impressive torque of 480Nm, which is available at just 1 700rpm, as well as the distinctive sound of the turbo unit. This sound is created by neighbouring cylinders firing alternately to more distant cylinders, resulting in a unique rhythm.

"The five-cylinder has been an icon of our brand for more than 40 years," says Oliver Hoffmann, head of technical development at Audi Sport GmbH. "Two years ago we completely redesigned the 2,5 TFSI and changed the crankcase to an aluminium version."

While being the heart of the Audi TT RS Coupé and the TT RS Roadster, the five-cylinder also powers the Audi RS 3 Sedan and the RS 3 Sportback. The 2,5 TFSI allows the TT RS and TT RS Roadster to accelerate from 0 to 100km in 3,7 and 3,9 seconds respectively, with the RS 3 Sedan and RS 3 Sportback achieving this in 4,1 seconds. The top speed for all four models is 250km as standard, with the option of increasing this to 280km.

The International Engine of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999. An international panel of 65 motorsport journalists select the best engines of the year in a number of different categories. This year is the fourteenth time in total that Audi has won the globally renowned prize.

Locally, the following models with the five-cylinder engine are available in South Africa on the Audi TT RS Coupé, Audi RS 3 Sedan and Sportback.

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