OUR BEST ENGINES

What makes a great internal-combustion motor? We explain why these petrols, diesels and even a hybrid made the list

- 

BMW 330d

Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl diesel Gearbox: Six-speed manual

Power/torque: 241bhp/520Nm 0-62mph: 5.9 seconds Top speed: 155mph

THE 3.0-litre motor in a BMW 3 Series was the absolute pinnacle of diesel engines as far as I’m concerned, and at a time where diesel ruled the roads for ‘normal’ drivers, the 330d really was all the car you'd ever need.

It was so far ahead of premium German rivals at that point for performance and refinement, and had the potential to deliver a comfortable 50mpg when you weren't exploiting the addictive surge of lovely diesel torque as it punched the car away from a roundabout.

I ran one for six months back in the early 2010s, and it’s still one of my favourite cars. The 330d is about as good a combination of economy, speed and driving fun as you'll come across, and with prices now starting from a few thousand pounds, it’s a brilliant used buy.

PAUL BARKER

GMA T.50

Engine: 3.9-litre V12 petrol Gearbox: Six-speed manual

Power/torque: 661bhp/467Nm 0-62mph: <3.0 seconds Top speed: 226mph

GORDON Murray’s GMA T.50 is the followup to one of the greatest cars ever made — the McLaren F1 — and was designed to be the ultimate analogue hypercar. So of course, it needed a truly spectacular engine.

The artists at Cosworth created a genuine masterpiece in the form of a 3.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 that revs to an astonishing 12,100rpm and produces a sound that would make a modern Formula One car weep.

The unit weighs just 178kg and delivers 661bhp, making it the most power-dense engine to ever feature in a road car. More importantly, peak power is produced at 11,500rpm, giving drivers a reason to chase the red line, other than satisfying their soul with the music from the Inconel and titanium exhaust.