“The five-cylinder has been indelibly linked to the Audi brand for over 40 years, and we continue to refine and develop it,” said Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “Last year we presented the Audi TT RS (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.5 – 8.2*; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 194 – 187*), the model in which the newly developed, aluminum five-cylinder is making its debut.”
The judges praised not only the outstanding performance of the five-cylinder engine, but also its unique sound in particular. Its characteristic tone is highly reminiscent of the Group B rally engine of the 1980s. The current five-cylinder is 26 kilograms (57.3 lb) lighter than the predecessor unit, primarily due to the switch to a lightweight alloy crankcase. This enabled the Audi developers to further optimize the axle load distribution for improved handling.
The 2.5 TFSI is available in the TT RS Coupé RS (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.4 – 8.2*; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 192 – 187*) and TT RS Roadster RS (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.5 – 8.3*; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 194 – 189*), and also powers the RS 3 Sedan (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.4 – 8.3*; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 191 – 188*) and RS 3 Sportback (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.4 – 8.3*; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 192 – 189*). With 400 hp and 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) of torque, the engine is the most powerful production five-cylinder on the global market. The engine accelerates the RS 3 Sportback from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.1 seconds. Standard top speed of both models is a governed 250 km/h (155.3 mph), which can be optionally increased to 280 km/h (174.0 mph).
The award for the “International Engine of the Year” has 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 is the thirteenth time that Audi has won the globally renowned prize.