It may not seem like it, but Shell V-Power Racing is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, marking a decade that it has served the upper echelon of performance drivers in Malaysia. The high-octane petrol has long been the premiere fuel for high-performance vehicles, which have highly-tuned engines that require higher grades of fuel to keep them running at their absolute best.
But how exactly does Shell V-Power Racing provide superior performance to other fuels? Shell was keen on exalting the benefits of using the fuel, and arranged a session recently with its fuel expert, Mae Ascan, to explain its finer points.
Shell’s expertise in fuels stretches back nearly a century, when the company – in its current iteration, Royal Dutch Shell, after the merger between the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Transport and Trading Company – sold its first branded gasoline, Shell Spirit, in 1907.
More recently, the company introduced its high specification petrol, Shell V-Power, in 1998 starting in Hong Kong, paving the way for the range-topping fuels we know today – like Shell V-Power Racing.
Over in Malaysia, Shell began selling Shell V-Power Racing in 2006, and has been the company’s flagship performance fuel ever since. It was also one of the first fuels in Malaysia to be upgraded to the current Euro 4M specification in January last year, nine months ahead of the government-mandated start date of September 2015.
Shell also counts on its technical partnership with Scuderia Ferrari – dating back to when the team was formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 – to learn and understand how to extract maximum performance from its fuels. There really is no better way to do so than on the Formula One track, and the lessons learnt are transferred to Shell V-Power road fuels.
In fact, Shell claims its Shell V-Power race fuels supplied to Ferrari contains at least 99% of the compounds used in the Shell V-Power petrol available for purchase at its forecourts, such as Shell V-Power Racing. “The other 1% is where we play around to give extra performance to cater for the Formula One track conditions,” said Ascan.
So, how exactly does Shell V-Power Racing keep the engine working at its absolute best? One of the key components of the fuel is its powerful detergents that help remove engine deposits and prevent them from building up further. But what are engine deposits, and why are they so detrimental to engine performance?
In port-injection engines, fuel is sprayed directly onto the intake valves, and the heat of the combustion chamber can dry up the fuel on the tops of the valves, creating rough, porous deposits. These deposits can then absorb the fuel going into the combustion chamber, robbing the engine of power and increasing fuel consumption.
To demonstrate just how much fuel is absorbed by these deposits, Ascan dipped two valves – one with deposits, one without – in a beaker of Shell V-Power Racing, then ignited the fuel on both valves. The fire on the valve without deposits was extinguished almost instantly, while the valve with deposits continued to burn for some time because of the fuel trapped on its surface.
As mentioned, Shell V-Power Racing combats these deposits through the use of detergents – these cleansing molecules attach themselves to the deposits and remove them from the valves, before being burnt in the combustion chamber. As such, the engine can run more efficiently, providing instant response and power when you need it.
Another technical benefit of using Shell V-Power Racing is the Friction Modification Technology (FMT) used in the fuel. As the engine oil is primarily located at the bottom of the engine, the cylinder walls and piston rings get very little lubrication. The FMT molecules in the fuel form a protective layer between these two components, reducing friction losses.
Last but not least, the main differentiator that separates Shell V-Power Racing from other fuels – its octane rating. As Shell’s highest octane fuel, it is more resistant to knocking, or premature ignition, than other fuels. This means that the fuel-air mixture can be compressed further without detonating on its own.
This is ideal for more performance-tuned engines with higher compression ratios, and enables the use of more advanced ignition, delaying the spark until the last possible moment for a more efficient combustion. Again, this extracts more power from each drop of fuel, contributing to better performance on the road.
So that, in a nutshell, is Shell V-Power Racing – it helps clean your engine of deposits, reduces friction and improves combustion efficiency, all in the name of better performance and reliability. Give it a try at selected Shell stations nationwide to feel the difference for yourself.
While you are at it, do also try out the Shell easiGO Prepaid Card, a safer and smarter way to refuel at Shell outlets nationwide. The card allows you to preload your desired amount to budget for your fuel needs, and you may also use it to shop at American Express merchants both in Malaysia and also around the world. You can also withdraw cash from Maybank ATMs nationwide, earn Maybank TREATSPoints and BonusLink points, and enjoy discounts on Shell lubricants as well as other privileges.
