Our cars are probably the biggest or second biggest investment we’ll ever make, and it’s only fitting to provide it with the best lubricants that extract the most performance and provide maximum protection for its engine. When it comes to choosing fully synthetic engine oil for your ride, one can’t really go wrong with Castrol Edge, the flagship high performance fully synthetic oil from lubricant specialists Castrol.
Castrol Edge has been engineered to meet and exceed the toughest industry performance standards and specification across seven critical engine factors. They are protection against wear, lifespan (oil should remain in the engine throughout the service interval, not burnt off), performance in extreme conditions, to ensure that engines remain cleaner for longer, protection at full load/power, thermal control (seen the ad where Cristiano Ronaldo drives his M3 “to hot places” and “to cold places”?) and fuel economy.
To achieve the above, Castrol put its Edge on the edge, litreally. Tests were designed to push the lubricant all the way in extreme hot conditions, extreme cold conditions, maximum power and fuel economy.
For the power test, Castrol took two identical cars with 4.6-litre V8 engines, filled one with Castrol Edge Sport 0W-40 and the other with a competitor synthetic oil. Using a special test chassis dyno the cars were run flat out at maximum power (225 bhp) without oil top ups. The Castrol engine was still running strong 40 hours after the other engine seized, proving that Castrol Edge performs better at full load up to 45% longer than other synthetic oils.
Cold starts are very taxing on engines and Castrol Edge’s superior cold flow properties is one of its trump features. In tests, the rival oil was slow and stiff at -52°C, solidifying at -55°C, while Castrol Edge continued to flow.
More interesting, and relevant to us here in Malaysia, is the extreme heat test. The test started by putting Castrol Edge into a regular engine. For hours, the poor engine was surrounded by flames until the plastic parts disintegrated. Next to melt were the hoses, before the metal parts liquefied and ran down the side of the engine. As for the oil, it reached an amazing 340°C, way hotter than any real life scenario.
Castrol then took the tortured oil, filtered out the debris and sent it to a leading independent oil test laboratory (ISP Labs, Grand Couronne, France). It was then put through the toughest European industry high temperature test (72 continuous hours of 5600 rpm, 150°C oil temp). The result was a clear pass on all criteria: deposits, viscosity control, and piston ring sticking.
A good lubricant also increases engine efficiency, and Castrol Edge chalked up over 2.5% better fuel economy that the benchmark 0W-40 synthetic oil in European tests, making it an impressive all rounder.
The Castrol Edge range consists of the Castrol Edge Sport 0W-40, Castrol Edge Sport 10W-60 and the Castrol Edge 5W-40. If you want to try it out, this is the best time as Castrol is having a contest where the winner gets to meet the most famous footballer of his generation – Castrol brand ambassador Cristiano Ronaldo – in Spain. The winner will also get to watch a La Liga match at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium, plus a visit to the club’s Valdebebas training ground in his/her four nights in Spain’s capital.
The contest is called Give It Your Best Kick, and all one needs to do to win this grand prize worth RM20,000 is to purchase a pack of Castrol Edge engine oil and submit a photo of yourself giving “your best kick” along with the entry code from the contest label. Once you’ve done that, ask your Facebook friends to vote for your photo. Here’s a tip to increase your winning chances: go to any Castrol Auto Service outlet and you’ll find a Ronaldo standee. Include him in your photo for 10% additional votes!
