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Image: - Michael Ganz, Engine Development Department Manager, Audi (RIGHT) and Heiner Muller, Head of Engine Development, quattro GmbH (LEFT)

The 2-litre to 2.5-litre class has always been unpredictable, with no one car maker managing to dominate. In fact, in the 13 years the International Engine of the Year have been running, the 2-litre to 2.5-litre grouping has honoured no fewer than nine different OEMs. But finally, it would seem some consistency is being added, with Audi’s sweet, motorsport-inspired, five-cylinder turbo successfully defending its 2010 crown.

Launched in the TT RS last year, and now available in RS3, Audi’s five pot is one of the most characterful on the market, with a soundtrack reminiscent of the quattro’s 1980s rally heyday. But there’s more to this sonorous motor than pure nostalgia. For a start it’s very flexible, with a flat torque curve delivering the 450Nm peak all the way from 1,600rpm to beyond 5,000rpm. The engine also features direct-injection to help the TT RS to deliver impressive economy levels, alongside its scintillating performance: 9.2 litres/100km (30.7mpg) on the combined cycle from a car that will accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in a mere 4.7 seconds and tops out at a governed 250km/h top level. RS3 takes only one second longer to hit the 100km/h mark, while fuel economy is bettered by only a whisker.

For customers who want even more performance, quattro GmbH will electronically raise the permitted maximum to 280km/h (170mph), while pushing the Sport button to open a flap in the left exhaust tailpipe allows the evocative soundtrack to be heard in its full glory.

Such a stunning piece of engine design meant that the Audi heart strolled to an easy victory this year, amassing an impressive 400 points. “It is a powerful, visceral reminder of the original Quattro rally racing engine that put Audi on the map,” praised Frank Markus from Motor Trend in the USA, while Yves Maroselli, a leading French freelancer, concluded, “Torque, power, and great sound – this engine has it all!”