BP ultimate vs Shell V Power, is it clear cut?

[ChrisC]

I wonder what your experience of BP ultimate is vs Shells V Power.
Now I must disclose that I'm a big fan of shell both in the UK and when living abroad so am a little biased. However my hyposthesis is that v power is the best fuel avaliable on the UK roads today (excluding BPs race fuel). The reason for me saying this is that is shells ron 99 vs bp ultimates, sort of normal, ron 97 plus some extra detergents and "stuff" thrown in should be no match.

What are your experiences with both normally aspirated and boosted cars?

(Note: BP do sell a ron 102 ultimate variant at a hand full of stations but im excluding that here, though would be intrested if you have tried both v power and bp 102 to see any differences there)

[TheArchitect]

i found on my 1.8t that the shell was much nicer running and "felt" a happier running on it over BP ultimate, however i find little difference between shell 99 and tesco 99, there is again a slight improvement in general running with shell but not worth the price increase for me.

[Harsh]

The 360 and the M3 both run much better on V-power than on anything else.
smoother, more responsive and better mpg.it's more than worth the extra over 95ron fuels.

i dont find BP ultimate any improvement over the 95 stuff.

we had 100ron V-power racing in Norway..that stuff was like rocket fuel :)

[Dizeee]

Wouldnt bother with BP at all, waste of time.

I used to use Tesco 99 as it came out on top in Thorneys fuel test of the 3... http://www.thorneymotorsport.co.uk/tuning/Fuel_Test_Results_Update.shtml

That said when I changed to V Power I gained 30 bhp on the same RR from having previously used Tesco, so V Power it was for me.

You get what you pay for and V Power has the proper ingredients. Tesco is a bio fuel and made up partly of that so not the same authenticity of fuel.

[Dan H]

My lawn mower is currently running on V-power - can't say I've noticed any performance benefits :D

[scrubberamit]

My lawn mower is currently running on V-power - can't say I've noticed any performance benefits :D

i wouldnt call the S2000 a lawnmower mate:sifone:

in all seriousness - i can safely say that in my CSL, BP superunleaded is super indifferent.... Have been using V power for the last 3-4 tanks now - and you DO notice a difference - car is just less jerky when in higher gears and at low speeds

[Harsh]

so basically we're saying it's V-Power all the way?

unless someone else has a different view i'm going to declare V-Power the PN fuel of choice

[S B - Nigel]

As I drive an old car (1973 MG Midget which requires 97-99 RON) I usually use Tesco 99 as it isavailable close to where I live and usually a reasonable price

If I can't get Tesco 99 then I also use Shell V-Power and if required BP Ultimate

I feel my car runs best on Tesco 99, but it's only a feeling and I might be influenced by price

We're away touring week after next and visiting a lovely foriegn country (Wales) so will conduct fuel tests as a matter of course and report back

ETA: Harsh you must have got a 102 key ring too (apparently they weren't to be handed out as they promoted the wrong image at the show!)

[ChrisC]

Thanks for the views folks, especially Dizee for that great fuel test. I didnt even think of tesco fuel so great that you all brought that up.

It sounds like the view is bp 102 is too expensive for the gains, though it might suit track use if fresh and maybe very high booseted cars.

In terms of experience, sounds like every body here is on for v power being the winner even though thes tests show it to be marginally weaker than tesco.

The only thing that springs to mind that might make the difference are the determgents in the tesco vs v power. Certainly shell market v power as having lots of detergent in it. Clean engine means less pinking and more power (lots of experience of that for sure!). Anybody have any insights on that?

Harsh, think unless there is a new revelation, Shell's the one!

[scrubberamit]

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the US has risen to $2.60 from around $2 in early May. It hasnt been up there since the middle of last Nov. This is problematic for an economy thaht's debating how sustainable the green shoots are. Asking consumers to cough up more for motoring costs is not going to do the recovery much good at all.

Meanwhile, the increase in retail gasoline costs lags someway behind crude oil, so the implication is there are further pump price rises to go...

So - to rephrase all that in simple English - STOCK UP ON PETROL NOW!!

[Dan H]

I filled up last night if that helps :D

Not sure what stock levels I'll be able to maintain - where the feck can I keep it & in what?

[jumplead]

I'm not following any of your advice amit. I'm still reeling from the losses when you told me to invest 50 million in zimbabwe dollar because you'd been tipped off. Besides it goes off after a short while so unless you are using it quickly.

[scrubberamit]

I filled up last night if that helps :D

Not sure what stock levels I'll be able to maintain - where the feck can I keep it & in what?

Dont you have a spare bedroom?

[scrubberamit]

I'm not following any of your advice amit. I'm still reeling from the losses when you told me to invest 50 million in zimbabwe dollar because you'd been tipped off. Besides it goes off after a short while so unless you are using it quickly.

i think we just buy a big tank by the base of ventoux - fill it up with V power - and then just :party:


and by the way - keep faith in ZWR!!!

[Dan H]

Mt Donut - again, again, again :party:

[ChrisC]

you could buy bog standard WTI oil futures to hedge some of the increase away as futures prices are quite low (50% of traders think oil will actually go down $40 a barrale is the view right now, the other half arent so sure!)

That way you wont blow up if you forget and smoke too close to the tank...

[Silent1]

V-Power all the way my 240bhp MINI Cooper S (supercharged, none of this silly turbo malarky :p) it makes a huge difference the ethanol content is higher in tesco so it's a sort of hollow power and it rapes my inlet temps as it seems to need more fuel at each throttle position as for BP it's my second choice but only if I'm going to run out on the way to a shell ( it's hard work earning 30,000 points a year!)