Optimax or not

[Anonymous]

Some fellow TT owners dyno tested Optimax...it gave a few extra bhp and better mid range.

[Anonymous]

sounds like a typical IT to and fro when software folk blame hardware people for something not working and vice versa.

Hey, I resent that...  software developers are doing their best to write decent software for inefficient hardware...

[Anonymous]

and if the case of 2 tested cars, the performance was worse.

As for the performance benefits, according to the Shell marketing blurb, it seems as though it is possible ....

Well Shell Marketing would say that wouldnt they! I mean Marketing Depts NEVER lie    s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:  

I respect the ADAC reports. They are independant and try to protect the car owner/driver. When they conclude "The only advantage of Shells new performance fuel is for the profits of Shell" I tend to beleive them.  They do their tests over an extended period (i.e. 6 months or so) before making a conclusion. The yont tank up one day and give a dyno run, then a few days later go back with normal fuel and do another dyno run under totally different conditions and jump to a conclusion.

I can scan the artice and post it if you want, but its in German.

[Anonymous]

Well, here's why I use it. In my wifes Bravo it's given a bit of a performance advantage, but nothing I'd pay £90 a year for. However, it DID bump the MPG up so that we now get well over 300 miles on a tank, but before never managed to do better than 280. I think that's worth more than ANY kind of performance benefit.

[Anonymous]

and if the case of 2 tested cars, the performance was worse.

As for the performance benefits, according to the Shell marketing blurb, it seems as though it is possible ....

Well Shell Marketing would say that wouldnt they! I mean Marketing Depts NEVER lie  

My original quote was:

As for the performance benefits, according to the Shell marketing blurb, it seems as though it is possible but I think it's mostly psychological; my car gets an extra 20bhp every time I wash it.

I certainly don't believe that any 97RON fuel can increase performance, but I very much doubt that Optimax decreases it.  

As for the hype, I believe marketing departments as much as I believe various magazines; I can not stop assuming that many journalists receive benefits for praising some products over other.

A bit of philosophy (I can't escape; Greek blood runs through my veins   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  ):
Marketing departments can not lie, that would be illegal.  Truth, however, has many angles.  What does "increased performance" mean?  0-60 or top speed?  Maybe it's the way the engine performs in terms of efficiency.

At the end of the day, something like this should be taken a bit lightly.  I very much doubt people expect extra horsepower from commercial fuel.

[Anonymous]

I've started using Optimax recently and have to say didn't notice any difference.  I've probably got through about 4 or 5 tanks as I heard you need to let it 'run in' for a while.

I mentioned this to a friend of mine and he suggested resetting the ECU and let it relearn the fuel.  

has anyone else done this, will this make a difference?

Mike.

[MadMigMR2]

In Portugal Whe don't have Shell Optimax, but whe have since a few months, Shell V-Power

I think is basicly the same has Optimax.

At least it promises the same things

Better Performance
Lower consumtion
Engine clean


I use it for around 3 months and the main thing that i notices was a lower noise engine speccially on the morning when i started.
Some engine noises that i eard in the morning, with v-power, they were gone.

I think this hapens because v-power have some adictives that lubrificate the engine.
So this only means better engine protection.
Just for that reason, now i only use v-power.

There is some marginal gains on performance and consumption also.

[Anonymous]

This is bizarre, i have just spent the last week speaking on the Spyderchat forum arguing that there ar benifits to using Premium, from everything i have heard (science, expert opinion and all) i have decided to switch from optimax to regular fuels in the winter time. Read some of this thread and compare to our experiences  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

 m http://spyderchat.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... =oil+grade m

Some hairy reading!  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

[Anonymous]

What do people think of the new Ultima?

[Anonymous]

What do people think of the new Ultima?

You mean the BP stuff... same as all the others IMHO. If i was not near a shell garage i would be happy stick that stuff in my car.

[Anonymous]

Well same here, but it doesnt have the same additives shell use, just higher octaine with enviromantally friendly additives (good for the MOT then  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  )

[Liz]

I was thinking about putting mine back on Optimax now that I have the pre-cats out to see if there is any difference. Will let you know!

[Anonymous]

i still think the engine + ECU have to be designed to take advantage of higher grade fuels.
Our engine is nothing special, it's been engineered towards economy rather than performance, probably meaning it was designed for lower grade fuels like they have in the U.S. as it doesnt need to take advantage of the extra RON (like those chevy V8's do!  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  )

[Bongo]

Optimax isn't higher RON though is it? It's standard RON with special additives   s:? :? s:?

[MRMike]

Optimax isn't higher RON though is it? It's standard RON with special additives   s:? :? s:?

Yes thats my understanding, the most conincing thing for me is that BP advertise there's as a 97 RON petrol, Optimax makes no mention of the RON at the pump.

 m http://www.mr2roc.org/forum/viewtopic.p ... ht=optimax m

My car runs really well with BP ultimate in (apart from the ECU seemingly learning the idle revs each time I stop...)

[Anonymous]

i always thought optimax was 98 RON??  s:? :? s:?

[MRMike]

Nope.  There is no mention of it at the point of sale.  If you look in the small text of there press material there is mention of it being 98 equivalent.  But this IIRC is the RON at the refinery, as soon as it's moved it degrades, it only adheres to something like 90 RON regulations.

It's mentioned in that article I posted before.

[Anonymous]

So is BP Ultimate any good? Optimax (i always used till now) has lied in its advertising about performance. What does Ultimate promise?

[Anonymous]

Optimax is 98 ron... says so on the pump. On my car, if i put standard stuff in it runs rough as hell and all i hear is "tap tap tap tap" so i keep it on the good stuff   s:) s:)

[Tem]

JMHO, but I believe higher octane does something, even with stock ECU. Of course it could be just my imagination and dyno error, but I did get 140hp after using 95 octane and 149hp after using 98+ octane. Also the car seems to suck if I have to use 95 sometimes, though butt dynos are proved to be very inaccurate.

I'll keep using 98+ anyway  s8) s8)

[Anonymous]

tem: so your saying you dyno'd your 2 with 95 and 98 fuel, and there was 9bhp difference?

not sure whether to beleive it or not as dynos can be 5% out either way...

[Tem]

tem: so your saying you dyno'd your 2 with 95 and 98 fuel, and there was 9bhp difference?

not sure whether to beleive it or not as dynos can be 5% out either way...

Yes and yes (the "98" is 98+, so more of a 99-100). But like I said, could be just dyno error and my imagination...

[MRMike]

Optimax is 98 ron... says so on the pump. On my car, if i put standard stuff in it runs rough as hell and all i hear is "tap tap tap tap" so i keep it on the good stuff   s:) s:)

Kris, I've only ever read that Shell is '98 Ron' I've never ever seen it on the pumps..Even looking at Shell's website it doesn't mention if it's 98 Ron.

 m http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?sit ... _1602.html m

[Anonymous]

Kris, I've only ever read that Shell is '98 Ron' I've never ever seen it on the pumps..Even looking at Shell's website it doesn't mention if it's 98 Ron.

Im off work this week so will take a look at a couple around here as im sure one i used to fill up at (till it got too expensive) said it on the pump. Unfortuantly, im digital cameraless this week but will get a snap if i can.

[MRMike]

Just read an article in the Sunday times 'Driving' pull out on Optimax.  And despite the article condeming the fuels, I actually think it did a pretty good job of promoting them. The article criticises the fuels for not living up to the claims of "for an extra burst of power when you need it" but they do a dyno test which shows the fuel gives 1bhp over reg fuels, which to be honest is not a a bad gain per pound per fill up, esp at 20 p a gallon more.  (Although i concede if you look at the price per power on total fillups in a year its not great.)

Anyways still haven't relaly made my mind up about it. Just wondered if anyone else had seen it?