Write In The Driving Seat

Tom Byers, Midhurst

In 2008, according to Government source, the average UK household spent more on purchasing and running their vehicles than on food and drink. However, although many people know that it’s beneficial to check the ingredients in the food they consume, significantly less seem concerned with what goes into their fuel.

If we could somehow ‘talk’ to our engine, what could it tell us about the importance of the ingredients of fuel? Fortunately, in the laboratories and testing facilities at the Shell Technology Centre in Cheshire, this has already been done for us. What has been the result of the conversation? The answer is two rather special fuels: Shell V-Power and Shell V-Power Diesel.

Shell V-Power, developed in close conjunction with Ferrari, is more than just a high octane performance fuel, adding in powerful cleaning action and Friction Modification Technology (FMT) into the formula. FMT reduces friction where it’s most important – at the piston rings, helping the engine run smoother and resulting in more efficient power transfer to the wheels. Shell V-Power Diesel on the other-hand utilises a process known as GTL (Gas to Liquid Technology). The result is a translucent fuel which, as the name suggests, comes from gas rather than crude oil. This burns cleaner and produces fewer performance impairing deposits which can accumulate on fuel injector nozzles. Critically, with prolonged use, both fuels have been shown to remove deposits left over from previously used fuels.

In real terms, the difference you will notice with a Shell V-Power fuel will be when you find yourself on the right road (which you will), when you need to pull away a little sharper than expected or just plain and simply getting the maximum benefit from your investment. For all these occasions you might well agree with Shell’s statement that ‘Not all fuels are the same’.

Tom Byers, Midhurst1.85449