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[Ralph]

I tried BP ultimate in my Scorpio several times, it certainly gave the impression of more urgency, I never actually checked the mpg but I seemed to be the pumps much as before.

[davlad22]

"cheap Sainsbury's stuff"

.....should actually be BP sourced fuel  :-?

[Ford Prefect]

I lived in Iowa and then California for many-years and both states have 87 RON and 91 RON std. at the pumps.....in Iowa they also have 10% Ethanol-enriched 95 RON.
I used all the major-brands of 95/91 & 87 RON fuels in my trucks and cars then (big and little engines) and did not ever notice much 'real-world' difference in performance/economy....or perhaps electronic fuel management is very good at disguising any shortcomings?

Would U.K branded-fuels be formulated very differently from the US types?

Actually there is very little differance, as US fuels octane ratings are PON not RON, and 87 PON is about 95 RON

Stewart

[tmx]

just had my mig powerchipped and on super unleaded (OPTIMAX) the mig runs alot better

[zirk]

Theres a Airfield near me sells Avgas, my Cossie loves the stuff (no Cats to worry about) not cheap though.

[Mike Collins]

If you use avgas, be aware that it contains quite a lot of tetra ethyl lead, it's generally labeled 100LL, low lead, low is relative. It probably will destroy the cats very quickly.
An interesting article in Flyer by Miles Mcallum describes the aviation petrols available. 100LL is 100/130 octane, weak/ rich mixture, but octane measurement is done differently for aviation fuels. The motor equivalent is around 105.

There is 80/87 sometimes available, perhaps 95 motor octane, probably contains enough lead to turn politicians into idiots ands cats to junk.
Although the excise duty appears to be lower, avgas is significantly more expensive than motor fuel per litre. It also has a fairly distinctive smell.
Be interesting to see how it performs.

[Debs.]

I`d be very cautious about using AVGAS in any engine/fuel system not designed for that specific fuel....it`s not just about having a higher octane level than road fuel.
  
I have an aircraft with a Lycoming engine designed to run on AVGAS 100LL which has seals/diaphragms etc. formulated for use with only that one fuel; aircraft-engines with approvals for use on MOGAS have to have their fuel system`s seals/diaphragms/plastic-components etc. changed completely for use with that fuel.....and of course vice-versa.
.
I`ve seen hoses and seals perish within a very short time when exposed to the wrong fuels.  

[Richard A]

I hear all the arguments regarding running the car on Shell V- Power, on a personal note I filled up 9 times in February, 6 times with V-Power, the engine sounds just a little quieter and is a more responsive, the breathers are also kept clean. Current price is £107. 9 a litre against £101.9 for 95 octane so cheaper than a additive.
Please give it a go, fill the tank a couple of times see what you think.
regards
richard

[jerry]

Hi,
When I had the Prelude ,which was a Jap Import I certainly noticed a difference in using Optimax (as it was then)as the car was designed for use with a higher octane fuel. I was once forced to use a supermarket fuel on a long journey and experienced what felt like "pinking " in the drive. When I first got the car I don't think the previous owner had bothered with a higher octane fuel and consequently ,on initiallly using Optimax it seemed like it cleaned it up a bit . I,m not at all mechanically minded really but I've also got a turbo diesel Emina and in order to get it through the m.o.t. emissions test I had to add a cleaner to the fuel and thrash it up and down the dual carriageway for a bit for it to de-coke as , at the time, it was only being used for short journey's. I can only liken the initial use of Optimax in the Lude to this. As for whether it's all hype, I do remember a test in Jap performance or Banzai mag where they compared high octane fuels from places like Tesco to Optimax and BP Ultimate and there WAS a marked difference in performance with Optimax being out in front then Ultimate and with the others lagging a way behind. In respect of these Jap cars and my experience with the Prelude , Optimax did make a difference. Like anything else you gets what you pays for,- just don't swallow all of the hype!I still use V-Power in the Omega(V6 2.5) but I certainly don't notice such a marked improvement over ,say, standard Shell-and there can be quite marked differences between the quality of some supermarket unleaded and brand unleaded-maybe I'll do what a lot of others do which is to alternate between the two, in the meantime I'll have to stick to the V-Power as my little lad's still got a few more toy Ferraris to collect!!
                                               jerry

[The Doctor]

I've used optimax in a variety of vehicles and have always noticed some difference. It varies on the complexity of the engine management and or state of tune. My Cavalier 2lt ecotec, Senator 24v and a tuned Carb'ed motorbike were all faster, more urgent rev response, and returned better MPG. In the Senny it actualy cost me 4% more and returned 7% better economy (there abouts) so overall saved me money to use a more fun fuel.

It does take a full 2 tanks to see all the difference, give the ECU chance to adjust, dilute down the old fuel and a few miles to clean out the system.

So its hard to feel an 'instant' difference, as it happens gradually. What i do say to nay sayers, is put it in for two full tanks, then as you about to run out, take her out for a propper taz around, then refill with supermarket fuel and try again straight away.