The fifteenth annual International Engine of the Year Awards, held at Engine Expo 2013, presented McLaren Automotive with an award most automakers covet. The M838T engine, found in the McLaren MP4-12C and 12C Spyder sports car, took top honors in the '3-liter to 4-liter' category, becoming the first new winner in five years.
The M838T engine was designed and developed with Ricardo (a leading product development organization). The 3.8 liter V8 engine produces over 600 hp and approximately 442 lb-ft of torque (according to Motor Trend) with most torque coming in at the low range of 3000 rpm. The 12C is said to go from 0-60 in a blistering 3.1 seconds all while maintaining relatively efficient fuel economy at 24.2 mpg.
On collecting the award, Mark Vinnels, Program Director explained: "It is a real honor to collect this award, and is credit to all at McLaren Automotive for the hard work and dedication to the 12C project. We set ourselves ambitious targets with the M838T engine driven to produce a no compromise unit that was powerful yet refined, compact, lightweight, responsive and efficient."
The award was chosen by a panel of eighty-seven automotive journalists from around the world.