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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8's Engine of the Year, biodiesel producer guilty

BMW has won International Engine of the Year for the hybrid system in the i8. The i8 PHEV uses a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine with a hybrid drive unit including a 96-kilowatt electric motor. BMW beat Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine by a small margin to win the award for best overall engine. It also took the award for the 1.4-liter to 1.8-liter category, as well as best new engine. Tesla beat BMW to win the green engine category for the electric powertrain of the Tesla Model S. Read more at Green Car Congress, or see all of the results from the International Engine of the Year Awards. The head of Audi powertain development is quitting as the automaker steps up electrification. Stefan Knirsch has worked at Audi since late 2013, and previously worked at Porsche as the head of quality management and engine development. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine had reported that Knirsch was leaving Audi, which Audi confirmed without giving a departure date or saying if he would be working elsewhere. Audi has been feeling pressure from its competitor Mercedes-Benz, and has been working on improving its EV offerings and autonomous vehicle technology. Read more from Reuters. The owner of a biodiesel company has pleaded guilty to fraud. Philip Joseph Rivkin, aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga, took part in a scheme to defraud the EPA, falsely claiming to be producing millions of gallons of biodiesel. This allowed his company, Green Diesel, to receive renewable fuel credits and sell them to oil companies and brokers. "These crimes are a serious threat to an important program that helps combat climate change," says Cynthia Giles of the EPA. "Companies and individual managers should get the message that there are serious consequences for breaking the rules and undermining the integrity of this program." Rivkin faces over 10 years in prison and $51 million in restitution. Read more in the press release below. Biodiesel Fuel Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Clean Air Act Crimes Connected to Renewable Fuels Scheme Philip J. Rivkin faces more than 10 years imprisonment and $51 million in restitution WASHINGTON – Philip Joseph Rivkin, a.k.a. Felipe Poitan Arriaga, 50, today pleaded guilty to a Clean Air Act false statement and mail fraud as part of his role in a scheme to defraud EPA by falsely representing that he was producing millions of gallons of biodiesel fuel.

Mercedes goes boating again with G63 AMG-inspired Cigarette

Cigarette Racing has another Mercedes-Benz AMG-themed boat headed out to sea. After The SLS AMG-inspired 46-foot Rough Rider in 2010 and the C63 AMG Black Series-inspired 50-foot Marauder in 2012, this year's Miami Boat Show will introduce the 42-foot Huntress, theme provided by the G63 AMG.
The latest Cigarette homage is less overly racy than the ones before, befitting a watercraft modeled off a performance SUV, but don't let the looks fool: there are five Mercury Racing Verado 350SCi outboard engines, each one of them packing a supercharged inline six-cylinder with, natch, 350 horsepower. Those 1,750 horses will be good for 78 miles per hour when you've got some saltwater underneath you.
If you're in South Florida this week, Booth B-23 at the Miami Convention Center could be your best place to see it. Otherwise, like the 536-hp G63 AMG, it could be hard to catch. There's a press release with more information below.

Lewis Hamilton signs another three years with Mercedes

Dominant. That's really the only term we could use to describe the marriage of Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes F1 team. And now they've signed a new contract. The subject of prolonged speculation, the reigning world champion and his team have announced a new three-year deal that will see Hamilton driving a Silver Arrow at least through the end of 2018. That's good news for Hamilton, who has only ever driven Mercedes-powered cars in Formula One, and for Mercedes, which has secured its star driver for years to come. Although details of the deal (as usual) were not disclosed, the BBC reports that it could be worth as much as $40 million each year. Hamilton's base salary is said to come in at $31 million per season, with extensive bonuses for winning races and championships – something at which Lewis and Benz have proven particularly adept. Racing fans will be well schooled in the trajectory of Hamilton's meteoric rise. He climbed the formula racing ladder with support from Mercedes and McLaren, winning the Formula 3 Euro Series and GP2 championships before hitting the F1 grid for McLaren in 2007 – and quite nearly locking the championship in his first season. He won his first F1 title in 2008, then struggled with the Woking team in subsequent seasons but kept winning races, switching to Mercedes in 2013 after Michael Schumacher re-retired. He won his second championship the following season on the back of 11 grand prix wins last year, and currently leads the standings ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg. "Mercedes is my home and I couldn't be happier to be staying here another three years," said Hamilton. "The Mercedes car I am driving right now is the best I have ever had in my career."