V-Power...

[Nickm]

Anybody tried to fill up with Optimax lately? It's gone!!!! and been replaced with Shell V-Power which seems to be 99 RON at about the same price - 99.9p a litre in my area. I've only run one tank through my car, but it seems better than 97RON Optimax - it maybe 100% in my head!!! Does anybody out there have any experience of V-Power yet?

[carlp]

not experienced it yet....sounds good though - I think Optimax was only 98 RON ? so V-power will be better.

[Davey_B]

Apparently, and I'm no expert here, but Optimax degraded over time from the point of refinement so when it finally got into your tank the RON level could be 97 or less. I'm no expert, I'm just repeating what I heard on another forum.

[Nickm]

SureOptimax was labelled 98 Ron, but as you say it was only 97 Ron by the time it was used...

Also it seems that V-Power is somewhat different from say BP's 97 Ron which is created using additives. I believe that V-Power is refined 99 Ron.

[simple1]

Shell called Optimax V-Power in Ireland and Europe for some time, obviously uped the anti and brought it into line with the rest of Europe. Filled up with v-power in Dublin a week or so ago, and did not really notice much difference to super unleaded other than the price which 10 € cents more.

[Nige_RS4]

Don't expect instant results! It will take a while for the ECU to adapt to the higher RON, as it changes the ECU parameters in small steps until it reaches what it thinks is its optimum setting, meaning that you might never feel the extra power (but you should be able to log it!).

HTH

[Merlot]

I think that Optimax was listed as 98.3 RON and was refined in only one place if the UK so its quality depended on where you lived and how quickly your filling station emptied a tank.

I've no idea in how many places they will refine V-Power or how fast it degrades or indeed what its RON is - it could be 98.51 and still be 99 on the rounding!

Given its billed as 'ferrari fuel for the road' they should have called it F-Power or FF-Power!

[ashleyadam]

Guys I'm running an S4 have used 2 tanks of V - Power no difference! Garage confirmed is replacement and will be paying 7p more than unleaded cant moan not going to use any other petrol.

[ashleyadam]

If you fill up on Monday you get double pluspoints

[PetrolDave]

I try to use Tesco 99RON, it only costs 4p per litre more than their 95RON standard petrol (that means 96.9p per liter today for 99RON). The extra that Shell are charging for Optimax (V-Power) is just getting silly.

TBH even on 95RON my RS4 is so much quicker than my S4 was on 98/99RON that until I get used to (= full throttle acceleration no longer makes me say "sh.t!") it I might just stick to 95RON for a while.

I could certainly tell the difference between 95RON and 98/99RON in the S4 - a bend just after a standing start could be taken WOT on 95RON but I had to back off with 98/99RON.

[j964]

By coincidence, I was just browsing the RS4's technical specs. on Audi's site and noticed a fuel octane requirement of 98 RON, which would be super unleaded or equivalent, I think.

Will a B7 RS4 run happily on ordinary unleaded?

[Nickm]

Normal unleaded is only for emergencies.

[PetrolDave]

It actually says the same for the S4.

Since both have multiple knock sensors (2 per bank), they adjust the ignition timing to get the most out of whatever the octane rating is of the fuel currently in the tank. The range of adjustment makes anything between 95 and 100 octane usable. Any less and you WILL get pinking and possibly destructive knocking. Any more and you're wasting your money.

Don't forget also that our US cousins normal fuel is 91RON and "super" for them is 95 - and they get RS4s!

[simple1]

RS4 will run on normal..........not very well I add, had no alternative the other night but to put Sainsburys noraml in, only thing I could get with 5 mile range left......... car is pants...