Shell’s premium fuel for every driver
The practice of putting premium, high-octane fuels in performance cars is well established, but what’s not so well known is that it’s still very much worth filling up any car with Shell V-Power.
Shell V-Power is our premium, high-octane fuel. Originally launched in the UK back in 2006, it has been reformulated again for 2023 by Shell’s scientists and engineers, becoming our most effective fuel yet at keeping your engine running in optimum condition. Thanks to its ability to remove up to 100 per cent of performance-robbing deposits inside your engine, Shell V-Power brings real benefits, whatever car you drive*.
A cleaner engine
Just like any machine, an engine performs best when its critical engine components are clean from the dirt and deposits caused by its everyday operation. Over time, vital parts of any engine can become covered in performance-robbing deposits, resulting in less efficient running and an inability to perform in the way it did when it first left the factory.
These carbon deposits can form on intake valves for port fuel injection (PFI) petrol engines, or on the injectors for direct injection (GDI) petrol engines that squirt fuel into your engine. You can’t see it, but over time your engine is slowly being held back by these performance-robbing deposits, where some of the fuel is absorbed instead of allowed to burn, restricting the flow of petrol into the engine itself. The modern car is a finely tuned piece of engineering, and such restrictions inevitably hurt the performance and efficiency of the engine.
To combat this, Shell has formulated its most advanced fuel ever, that can clean up to 100 per cent of critical parts - PFI intake valves and GDI injectors - inside an engine. Even better, once the surfaces are clean and the performance-robbing deposits have been harmlessly burnt off inside the engine, the molecules then form a protective layer over the metal so that deposits cannot re-form.*
An optimised combustion
Shell V-Power has a higher octane rating than our regular fuel, at 99 RON compared to 95 RON. But what does this mean? Essentially, the octane rating - expressed numerically in units of RON (Research Octane Number) - tells you how much a standard measure of the fuel is able to withstand compression without detonating. You’ll hear the word ‘knock’ spoken a lot in this context, which simply refers to a situation inside your engine where the combustion of fuel and air from the flame of the spark plug is not happening exactly when and where it should. Small pockets of air and fuel mixture can explode away from where the main burn should be happening, and this can potentially damage your engine.
With modern engines, a sophisticated computer manages every aspect of the engine’s running, and if it detects knocking it will take steps to prevent it happening. This usually means a reduction in the performance of the engine leaving you with less power and response at your command.
A high-octane fuel, such as Shell V-Power, has a greater resistance to uncontrolled combustion and so can withstand higher temperatures without detonating, meaning the engine’s computer can run the engine more precisely, and take full advantage of its potential. Given the increased pressures found within engines that have higher compression ratios, or that are turbocharged, Shell V-Power is particularly effective for high-performance cars.*
A happier car, a happier driver
Any engine will run better when its critical engine parts are clean and in top condition. Running your engine at its optimum can help improve your engine’s fuel economy
*Actual effects and benefits may vary according to vehicle type, vehicle age, vehicle condition and driving style. No guarantees provided. See shell.co.uk/vpower for more information