| “This
turbo engine is a masterpiece of German automotive engineering”
Mohamed Sheta, Auto News Agency, Middle
East Auto
|
|
So which automotive manufacturer
produces the ultimate performance engine? In by far the most
closely fought category in the International Engine of the Year
Awards 2008, at one stage of voting, five engines were separated
by just 10 points. It was essentially a case of Germany versus
Italy versus Japan, the eventual winner being Germany –
notably Stuttgart, not Munich –
as Porsche followed up its maiden victory at the International
Engine
of the Year Awards in 2007 with a triumph with the same engine,
the 3.6-litre Turbo, housed in the 911 Turbo and GT2 supersportscar.
While 420bhp sounds like plenty
of power for a 911 Turbo, Stuttgart specialists have upped the
power
of the 3,600cc to ensure a massive 530 horses are on tap for
pilots of the GT2. Such power is generated from a wealth of
technology that appears on the engine. This Porsche turbo unit
is the first of its kind to feature exhaust gas turbochargers,
supplied by BorgWarner, with variable turbine geometry. Each
row of cylinders has its own turbocharger, which in turn allows
optimum
charge flow through a full flow
of exhaust gases.
The two intercoolers on board accommodate more compressed
air thanks to a 10% larger diameter
over the previous design, and
an automatic waste valve is also deployed. The position of this
valve within the housing of the exhaust
gas turbocharger allows for a more compact package, thereby
further increasing efficiency. Such examples of technology allow
the engine in both guises to power the vehicle they
are housed in to 100km/h in under four seconds, while a maximum
speed of 310km/h and 329km/h can be attained from the Turbo
and GT2 models respectively.
In total, 26 judges awarded points to the engine, among them
Jake Venter from South Africa’s Car magazine, who enthused,
“Very few turbocharged engines have been honed to such
a state of perfection.” |
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