An internal combustion engine has one or more combustion chambers defined by one of more cylinders, corresponding pistons, and a cylinder head. A crankshaft is operatively connected to the pistons and to an electric turning machine. To start the engine, the electric turning machine rotates the crankshaft in a first direction toward a reversal point corresponding to a local maximum drag torque of the internal combustion engine, this rotation being made without rotating the crankshaft beyond the reversal point. The electric turning machine then rotates the crankshaft in a second direction opposite from the first direction, a momentum impressed on the crankshaft by compression obtained when rotating in the first direction increasing a speed of the crankshaft in the second direction. Thereafter, fuel is injected in one of the combustion chambers in which the corresponding piston first reaches a top dead center position and the fuel is ignited.