Advances in automotive technology are coming thick and fast these days; some not necessarily for the better, if you're a car enthusiast. But while the brains behind these leaps in technology are sometimes shackled to creating leaner, greener, duller versions of the cars we love, sometimes they're allowed to apply their considerable intellect to the pursuit of automotive awesomeness. This award celebrates the advances they've come up with in that area, and gives credit to those bits of new technology that are designed with the PistonHead in mind, as opposed to those that aren't.
Ford 1.0 Ecoboost engine
A downsized one-litre engine with eco branding? For a PH award? You bet, Ford's clever Ecoboost engine - and comparable ones from mainstream rivals - part of a new wave of small, powerful engines transforming our preconceptions about how big our engines need to be. Ford's deserves special mention though, not only for capturing the imagination and being first out of the blocks but also for services above and beyond powering Fiestas and Focuses. From 'ring record breaking Formula Fords to turbocharged Caterhamsthe gauntlet has been thrown to the next generation of lightweight sports car builders. And we can't wait to see what comes of it. (Dan)
Toyota hybrids at Le Mans
Bringing hybrid technology to Le Mans in an effort to oust the long run of diesel champions was a bold move from Toyota, and it would have paid off. Had the first car not been involved in a massive crash, and the second one's engine expired. But the car had potential, as it proved later in the year by winning three of the other rounds of the World Endurance Championship, giving it credibility as a racer. That's not why you should vote for it, though - no, you should vote for it because it's the first hybrid car we've been genuinely in awe of. And because it sounds like this. (Alex)
Bentley's W12 quality control
The accolade 'most prolific manufacturer of V12 engines in the world' is a pretty cool one, if, you might think a bit meaningless. Until you hear Bentley has built over 26,000 12-cylinder Conti GTs. But the quality control regime, as described by our man Dan Prosser having driven the new GT Speed, displays a pretty special level of engineering rigour. Or, indeed, torture. As Dan reported, "One its durability tests for the W12 unit involves four 100-hour sessions at full throttle. That's the equivalent of nearly 20,000 miles (32,000km in new money) at over 200mph. Another is the scuff test, in which the engine is wound up to the rev limiter 100 times within 30 seconds of a -10 degree centigrade ambient temperature start." (Dan)
Deltawing
My memory distils the Deltawing down to the following image: two rubber hoops of space-saver dimensions lying horizontally on the pit wall at Road Atlanta. Like the rest of us, I gauge mechanical grip through visual girth, so when you see those front tyres, and then watch Lucas Ordonez's entry speed into turn one, you cannot reconcile the two images. That the Deltawing does unite those disparate concepts is the core of its brilliance. It challenges the way we think about racing cars. (Chris Harris)
Porsche 918 Spyder
Uh-oh, another hybrid... Yep, hard to avoid this one. Ditto the elephant in the room of what it'd just be like without all the electric crap and an engine like the Carrera GT's. We'll leave the 'why' for the time being and just celebrate the 'how' and Porsche's ruthless determination to make a socially relevant hypercar that can stand with one foot in the tradition of supercar greatness and the other in the socially aware future all carmakers must face up to. A tricky challenge for all, let alone a premium marque specialising in sports cars and gas guzzling SUVs. As Chris Harris discovered, the 918 Spyder is awe inspiring in its complexity and ability. Like it or loathe it, it's the future and Porsche is doing an amazing job realising it. (Dan)
PH awards 2012 categories: