BP Ultimate or Shell V-Power?

What do you prefer?

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    40
Cruiser89

Cruiser89

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Hey guys,

Decided I want to use a better quality fuel in the new car. Which one do you use / prefer and why...

Does it really make much of a difference?

Ta much...
 
Have to be honest....I have only ever used either V-Power or Ultimate in all my Audi's.

I figure we spend so much on the car, and then either 'modding' it or keeping it on the road that it would be a bit silly in my opinion to then put cheap fuel in it.

Maybe i just believe the hype, but I've seen enough tests of premium fuels v cheap fuels to get comfort that the extra cost of premium fuels is worth paying.......I wouldn't get myself in top physical shape and then eat crap food....it's the same principal !! ( actually, I just wouldn't get myself in top physical shape :))
 
Cruiser89 said:
Does it give the same sort of extra benefits as it would if it was Shell or BP?
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yeah i think so mate its 99 octane so it gives a small increase in power but it makes my engine run so much smoother it was a little lumpy on idle on tesco99 its fine also i get a good increase in mpg too , but i do run a tank of shell in her every 5 tanks of tesco99 as its got really good cleaning qualities in it , i know my car is only a 1.6 but audi recommend all fsi engines to run on super unleaded so they know what they are doing :) it says so inside the fuel filler cap on mine to run it on 97 I'm not going to argue for more mpg lol
 
FranA3 said:
yeah i think so mate its 99 octane so it gives a small increase in power but it makes my engine run so much smoother it was a little lumpy on idle on tesco99 its fine also i get a good increase in mpg too , but i do run a tank of shell in her every 5 tanks of tesco99 as its got really good cleaning qualities in it , i know my car is only a 1.6 but audi recommend all fsi engines to run on super unleaded so they know what they are doing :) it says so inside the fuel filler cap on mine to run it on 97 I'm not going to argue for more mpg lol
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Sounds good... Think i may follow the same principle as you.
 
Cruiser89 said:
Sounds good... Think i may follow the same principle as you.
Click to expand...
its like i said in an earlier post i only use tesco99 over shell because its 9p cheaper and the shell garage is way out of my way like the other way from where i live so its my chosen fuel
 
Little while back fifth gear did a test on fuels, videos still on YouTube. Proven torque and bhp increases through the rev range on performance cars. No improvement in run of the mill 1.3 fiesta.
Best fuel was tescos super (or whatever the call it) better than ultima/optima etc
 
leeroywarner said:
Little while back fifth gear did a test on fuels, videos still on YouTube. Proven torque and bhp increases through the rev range on performance cars. No improvement in run of the mill 1.3 fiesta.
Best fuel was tescos super (or whatever the call it) better than ultima/optima etc
Click to expand...
its tesco momentum99 mate
 
used bt ultimate once in an old skyline and hit quite high knock (between 70-80 on WOT) ,tesco 99 is my preferred choice as my clubcard likes it and its decent fuel,i think bp is 97 octane too whereas tesco and v-power are both 99
 
Tesco 99 for the R32 - the missus does thw weekly shop there.

Shell V-Power for the Polo and the S2000 as its rated at 99ron when it comes out the pump.
 
leeroywarner said:
Little while back fifth gear did a test on fuels, videos still on YouTube. Proven torque and bhp increases through the rev range on performance cars. No improvement in run of the mill 1.3 fiesta.
Best fuel was tescos super (or whatever the call it) better than ultima/optima etc
Click to expand...

the thing is a 1.3 fiesta has a simple ecu and wont react to fuel like a car such as an S3 etc will,in fact there was a test with an impreza (think it was evo mag) and the results were surprising,think there was about a 20 hp difference
 
Normal stuff for me, I've read mixed reviews about the 'high octane' fuels and have decided its not worth the cash ( IMO of course )
 
For a modified car,running high levels of boost,it's essential to use as high an octane fuel as possible,i.e 99RON if available,to avoid timing pull at high boost and intake temperatures.

I don't think in overall terms it makes a lot of difference using V-Power,Ultimate,or Momentum,as long as you use something in that range.

If the car and settings are stock,it won't make a huge difference.
 
i use v max when i can and when i run back to wales once a month my mpg is always better on the vmax than other fuel
 
S3Alex said:
For a modified car,running high levels of boost,it's essential to use as high an octane fuel as possible,i.e 99RON if available,to avoid timing pull at high boost and intake temperatures.

I don't think in overall terms it makes a lot of difference using V-Power,Ultimate,or Momentum,as long as you use something in that range.

If the car and settings are stock,it won't make a huge difference.
Click to expand...
on my car i need as much extra HP otherwise its so slow lol
 
markie A3 said:
I might be wrong, but back when I had my scooby, im sure it was posted on scoobynet, that Tesco fuels are ESSO??
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yea tesco buy there fuel from esso as they dont have their own refinerys, but tesco add there own addatives to the fuel so the normal stuff is not as good as buying it from esso.
 
1st choice Shell V power, 2nd BP Ultimate and if i'm caught short the nearest bush for a quick squirt then a top up at prev choices.

I heard that the higher the performance engine the more noticable gains can be had.
 
Petrol using premium fuel (tesco 99) does make it run better

Diesel using premium fuel can't see a difference

From the research I did a while ago, all the fuel comes from the same refinery except for premium fuel like ultimate

the brands like esso and shell will put additives into the tanker on regular fuel on collection

Where as someone like asda will not. That's my 2 pence.
 
Some of you will remember the write up I did on this a few years back with Tesco std and Tesco 99 + 4 runs on the RR over the month.
Tesco 99 gave exactly 10 bhp more on my mapped 3.2. Not noticeable when driving, about 2.5% increase.
Its the most extra power you can get out of a 3.2 this side of a few £grand .
I have always been an advocate of Tesco 99 and a few years ago i was shouted down by most here for saying it was as good as V.Power. :) How times have changed now people area a little hard up :)
Only time any fuel really made a difference that you would notice on the road was a tank of BP Ultimate that was like un-mapping the S3 for 300 Miles.!!!! Must have just been a bad tank full but never again !!
 
Interesting that BP have dropped their '102 Ultimate' unleaded now citing that they didn't sell very much of it. Or could it be that at £2.40 a litre its not actually that expensive now!!

My two cents is v-power or Tesco 99 in petrol cars. My 350z hated BP ultimate for some reason!! I'm a real believer in the cleaning qualities of V-Power and that premium fuels just seem to make a car 'feel' better. I'm sure its a placebo effect but considering i'm now paying upwards of £70 to fill my car up, £2.40 on top makes very little difference to me.
 
Time for the water/meth kit Paddy!
 
Tesco 99 in my S3, or VPower if I get caught short on the motorway.
 
I filled my 3.2 up with normal bp unleaded ( accidentally ) when i first got it, and it ran horribly with a noticable lack of power. Now its always tesco 99, runs a hundred times smoother. Not sure about an increase in mpg though, the missus has got a heavy right boot!
 
I use Sainsburys 98RON Super-unleaded and at 128.7p/litre cannot grumble. Ive tried a few tanks worth of BP and seems to be roughly the same performance and MPG. I dont know if its a main stream supplier of Sainsburys fuel but seems OK to me.

Brodster
 
.
 
Last edited:
V-POWER adl.. :thumbsup: i have three of them in close proximity.
 
Always used V-Power in both S3s, apart from once or twice when I couldn't get to a Shell station I'd use Tesco99 but only enough to get to a Shell station.
 
Have to be honest only ever used Shell V-power in mine as i have V-power membership card and get money off fuel by accumulating points via vouchers.

V-power does make a difference as throttle response is improved, acceleration and MPG if driven sensibly.

I tend to only use shell, BP fuels with past cars as i find the supermarket fuels dont feel as responsive.
 
I use v power. Have used Bp ultimate on two occasions and both times felt the s3 was alot slower. Not again.
 
BlueSpark said:
Have to be honest only ever used Shell V-power in mine as i have V-power membership card and get money off fuel by accumulating points via vouchers.

V-power does make a difference as throttle response is improved, acceleration and MPG if driven sensibly.

I tend to only use shell, BP fuels with past cars as i find the supermarket fuels dont feel as responsive.
Click to expand...

I got one of them cards....I bought a 1000ltrs and got a £5 voucher....Thats half a pee a ltr back..And the fuel is 6p a ltr more expensive than Tesco 99.
Work it out :) It cost £3 more to fill the tank and they give you 25p back for loyalty..........lol
 
Brodster said:
I use Sainsburys 98RON Super-unleaded and at 128.7p/litre cannot grumble. Ive tried a few tanks worth of BP and seems to be roughly the same performance and MPG. I dont know if its a main stream supplier of Sainsburys fuel but seems OK to me.

Brodster
Click to expand...

Sainsbury's super is 97 isn't it?
 
Ok. I work very closely with this and know much of what goes into all the fuel from major retailers in the uk and can tell you the following. V power is the best fuel you can buy as its 99 ron and has enhanced additives, tesco would be the very next best imo especially if its cheaper. BP is poor old stuff due to lower octane and the experience comments are pretty near to the reality. You will get more go out of your turbo nutter petrol with a premium fuel its a fact, again I know this from test data. Forget the diesel equivalents.

No placebo my friend and you should be a fuel tester.

"My two cents is v-power or Tesco 99 in petrol cars. My 350z hated BP ultimate for some reason!! I'm a real believer in the cleaning qualities of V-Power and that premium fuels just seem to make a car 'feel' better. I'm sure its a placebo effect but considering i'm now paying upwards of £70 to fill my car up, £2.40 on top makes very little difference to me."
 
audi upgrades
I use Sainsburys super unleaded, would love to be able to use Tesco's but the closest one to me is 8miles away!!! :(
 
My Leon cupra r was mapped to v power so swore by it.

I put tesco 99 or vpower in the s3 though.

Bp is only 97 so wouldn't touch it.

Clive Atthowe who does revo etc in Norwich said he has proven shell is the best in scoobies which he also tunes and usually run 15bhp more.
 
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