# V-Power is here



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

Filled up with 99RON Shell V-Power yesterday at 97.9p/litre.

Let's see if I can notice a difference in the Cayman S, shall we?


----------



## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

Bloody hell 97.9p I'm still paying 100.9 for old school optimax


----------



## Guest (Aug 24, 2006)

BAMTT said:


> Bloody hell 97.9p I'm still paying 100.9 for old school optimax


you think thats bad: paid 104.9 for Optimax at the weekend!!!    :evil:


----------



## Adam RRS (May 25, 2006)

i paid 95.9p for tescos 99 RON 2 days ago in watford... its like rocket fuel compared to stadard 95 RON.

I dont know if its just me but when i put in any petrol above 95 RON it seems to go quicker (not the car, i mean the petrol itself!) and i dont change my style of driving?!


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

Widget said:


> Filled up with 99RON Shell V-Power yesterday at 97.9p/litre.
> 
> Let's see if I can notice a difference in the Cayman S, shall we?


 :x I paid 105.4p for Optimax.

Rogue


----------



## bilbos (Jan 16, 2004)

I paid about 49p a litre for 94 (UK 98 equivalent). :roll:

These petrol prices eh? :wink:


----------



## Johnwx (Oct 31, 2004)

You don't use much fuel at 55mph either :wink:


----------



## GW1970 (Jul 4, 2005)

Whats the deal with V Power? Rebranding to match the international name?

Or is it as I've read elsewhere - 99 Ron, an upgrade from Optimax?


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

GW1970 said:


> Whats the deal with V Power? Rebranding to match the international name?
> 
> Or is it as I've read elsewhere - 99 Ron, an upgrade from Optimax?


Exactly the latter. It's 99RON and replaces Optimax.


----------



## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

i really dont see what the fuss with optimax etc etc is, i just stick in the normal stuff and it goes pretty well!

do you guys really notice a real performance difference? or isit in yer heads :?:


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

You're gonna need less 15% wine to get drunk than you are 12% wine, aren't you?


----------



## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

Widget said:


> You're gonna need less 15% wine to get drunk than you are 12% wine, aren't you?


so lets say ive had a glass of 12% compared with a glass of 15% on another day, although theoretically i should be more intoxicated on the 15% glass, is it really a tangible difference?

i'll shut up now :?


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

To be honest, I don't know, because I've never used anything else.

However, general consensus indicates that it does make a tangible difference.


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

Dr_Parmar said:


> i really dont see what the fuss with optimax etc etc is, i just stick in the normal stuff and it goes pretty well!
> 
> do you guys really notice a real performance difference? or isit in yer heads :?:


Considering your only talking a difference of about a fiver for a full tank of fuel on V-Power versus normal unleaded, I can't understand people who put lower quality fuel into their performance cars.

There is a DEFINITE improvement when using the higher rated fuel.
Try filling your car up 3 consecutive times (to give the car time to adapt) with V-Power and see if you can notice a difference.

Rogue


----------



## whirlypig (Feb 20, 2003)

I received my V-Power Club reward scheme card through this morning.




Dr_Parmar said:


> i really dont see what the fuss with optimax etc etc is, i just stick in the normal stuff and it goes pretty well!
> 
> do you guys really notice a real performance difference? or isit in yer heads :?:


There's a difference, most noticeable on fuel economy, I've never really noticed any performance difference.

However my car's now remapped with an Optimax program based on 98 RON fuel. I presume 99 RON fuel isn't going to upset this, I guess APR will be looking at testing a new map?


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

whirlypig said:


> I received my V-Power Club reward scheme card through this morning.


Me too. And what a nice, wallet friendly design it is.


----------



## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

Dr_Parmar said:


> i really dont see what the fuss with optimax etc etc is, i just stick in the normal stuff and it goes pretty well!
> 
> do you guys really notice a real performance difference? or isit in yer heads :?:


Makes little or no difference to normally aspirated engines according to consumer & car mag reports.

IIRC, it's only forced induction engines that see any real benefit & i know Optimax in my RS6 was far more pleasing than regular U/L. I've tried BP Ultimate, Shell Optimax & regular BP & Shell U/L & found no difference with the M5's performance.


----------



## davidg (Sep 14, 2002)

Widget said:


> whirlypig said:
> 
> 
> > I received my V-Power Club reward scheme card through this morning.
> ...


Me three


----------



## stephengreen (May 6, 2002)

W7 PMC said:


> Dr_Parmar said:
> 
> 
> > i really dont see what the fuss with optimax etc etc is, i just stick in the normal stuff and it goes pretty well!
> ...


 Not true
there is a difference in both types of engine PROVIDED the engine management self adjusts between the differing octane parameters. The only likely explanation concerning your M5 is that there is no DISERNABLE difference, which is understandable given the huge power output with either fuel. With my daughters c2 vts for instance (which has a modest 125 bhp on 98 ron) Using 95 ron has a big effect on lost performance.


----------



## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

davidg said:


> Widget said:
> 
> 
> > whirlypig said:
> ...


Me four :lol:


----------



## GW1970 (Jul 4, 2005)

er.. me six!


----------



## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

stephengreen said:


> W7 PMC said:
> 
> 
> > Dr_Parmar said:
> ...


stupid question, but HOW does my car know what fuel i stick into it? Wouldnt that require some special lab based testing? where is the sensor?


----------



## Chip_iTT (Nov 14, 2003)

Dr_Parmar said:


> ...
> stupid question, but HOW does my car know what fuel i stick into it? Wouldnt that require some special lab based testing? where is the sensor?


Not a stupid question... how do u learn if you don't ask...

Basically the ECU is continuusly trying to advance the timing to maximise power output and uses the knock sensor to determine where that point is under differing loads... Initally the ECU starts off with a fuel and timing (and in a turbo car - boost) map known to be OK with low octane fuel and gradually 'learns' the adjustments it can make to the map under the current fuel within limits set by the basic map parameters. A 98 octane 'map' will start with defaults closer to the expected 'learnt' parameters and will allow the ECU more flexibility. As soon as it detects conditions that suggest a poor fuel quality it backs off to the default for safety and starts the learning process again. It takes about 3 tankfuls of typical driving cycles for the ECU to get a good adjustment across all revs/load conditions... the reason it is more noticable with turbo cars is that the octane rating of the fuel has a much greater impact on the timing v fueling v boost map under high boost conditions, i.e. high demand, and so turbo spool and acceleration are discernably better (even more so with a remap). normally aspirated cars will not show such a great differential even tho they will get more power out of a higher octane fuel.


----------



## ozcancak (Jul 8, 2006)

good explanation and add to this you can see your car loves that fuel by monitoring block 25 at vagcom via knock sensor correction factors ...
over 6 degrees of correction it is said that your engine is pulling to safety levels of timing and loss of performance... To make your ecu learn the high octane setting quickly yo can cut the battery feed at least for 10 minutes and your ecu history will be reseted...



Chip_iTT said:


> Dr_Parmar said:
> 
> 
> > ...
> ...


----------



## Chip_iTT (Nov 14, 2003)

ozcancak said:


> good explanation and add to this you can see your car loves that fuel by monitoring block 25 at vagcom via knock sensor correction factors ...
> over 6 degrees of correction it is said that your engine is pulling to safety levels of timing and loss of performance... To make your ecu learn the high octane setting quickly yo can cut the battery feed at least for 10 minutes and your ecu history will be reseted...


not so sure about that... resetting will take it to a basic map which will be for poor quality 93/95RON fuel... i think it will take longer to work up to best settings for 99RON from there than from a well learnt good quality 95RON map... I could be wrong tho...


----------



## stephengreen (May 6, 2002)

Chip_iTT said:


> Basically the ECU is continuusly trying to advance the timing to maximise power output and uses the knock sensor to determine where that point is under differing loads...


Any idea what the maximum ron the average ECU will learn up to?
I understand that 102 ron fuel can be purchased at a hefty premium but if the parameter limit is limited to 99 ron, as many believe, there wouldn't of course be any benefit to road cars.


----------



## ozcancak (Jul 8, 2006)

Chip_iTT said:


> ozcancak said:
> 
> 
> > good explanation and add to this you can see your car loves that fuel by monitoring block 25 at vagcom via knock sensor correction factors ...
> ...


sure about that mate i was using sps device and revo software and every time i changed the fuel ron .. i used this method and see the cf goes down and higher the timings ecu adapts it in 5 minutes after reving the all gears through 6500 rpm one of the must thing in turkey becouse they are selling 98 octane fuel but i blieve it is only 95 or a little bit higher 100 oct v power is more better but i m sure there are differences in istanbul 100 v power and london 100 octtane v power


----------



## Guest (Aug 29, 2006)

filled up with V-Power at the weekend - it does make a difference in fuel economy!
Went away for the weekend and managed to average just above 40mpg - (country road driving not m-way driving) and before you say it, no i dont drive like a granny :roll: see it for yourself!


----------



## MikeyG (Sep 17, 2005)

Until reading this, I wasn't aware that V-Power had a higher ron than Optimax; however, whilst overtaking what I can only describe as a flock of caravans on the way to the gym this evening, I thougth that the car felt noticably quicker (second tank of V-Power went in this afternoon). I'd thought it was a straight Optimax re-brand, so I wasn't expecting to notice any change. Maybe it really does 'work' 

By the way, why's this in Off-Topic?! Fuel type seems pretty much on topic for a performance car forum to me.... :?


----------



## Guest (Aug 30, 2006)

MikeyG said:


> By the way, why's this in Off-Topic?! Fuel type seems pretty much on topic for a performance car forum to me.... :?


well, the thread was started by a Cayman S driver.......need i say more :lol:


----------



## Guest (Aug 30, 2006)

GW1970 said:


> er.. me six!


an a late seven from me :roll:


----------



## QuackingPlums (Mar 10, 2004)

whirlypig said:


> I received my V-Power Club reward scheme card through this morning.


So is that different from the PlusPoints/Optimax one? Do I automatically get the new V-Power card or do I have to apply for it?


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

If you already have an optimax card then it should automatically be 'upgraded'.

If you just have the pluspoints then I don't think they'll be changing that as that applies to all shell fuels, doesn't it?


----------



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Widget said:


> If you already have an optimax card then it should automatically be 'upgraded'.
> 
> If you just have the pluspoints then I don't think they'll be changing that as that applies to all shell fuels, doesn't it?


Mine has migrated through all of them. Used ot have Plus Points and then was sent an Optimax card (presumably to encourage trading up)

My letter stated that 'we realise that your preferred choice of fuel is diesel, but wanted to convert your points' or something along those lines.


----------

