Turbocharged Engines & Premium Fuel

Many of today’s automotive engines are complex and incorporate sophisticated technologies such as direct injection and turbochargers to squeeze more power and better fuel efficiency out of a smaller engine. Your engine may need premium fuel in order to run efficiently, but in some cases premium fuel may be a manufacturer’s requirement.

Octane Choices

Generally, two grades of unleaded fuel are sold across the US: regular and unleaded. Regular produces 87 octane while premium typically delivers 91 octane. Some gas stations sell a mid-grade blend returning 89 octane while a few stations sell a super premium octane blend of 93 or higher.

Cost Differential

Premium gas also carries with it a premium price, usually twenty to twenty-five cents higher than regular grade gas. Letting cost alone determine the best grade of gas for your car is a mistake.

Fuel Performance

The higher the octane, the more efficient some engines run. Most late model cars can run on regular fuel just fine, but a loss of performance versus premium fuel can sometimes occur. You’ll notice a difference when going from zero to sixty as your time will be off by at least a half second when using a lower grade.

Engine Knock

Late model cars come equipped with knock sensors to eliminate engine knock. If your engine knocks, a higher grade of gas may be needed otherwise damage could set in. Pinging and knocking should always be taken seriously.

Manufacturer Guidance

Regardless of what anyone says, follow your manufacturer’s requirements when it comes to fueling your car. If your owner’s manual says that premium fuel is required, then only use that fuel. If it says that it is recommended, then you can use a lower grade.

The difference here is between required and recommended—read your owner’s manual carefully because you don’t want to do something wrong thereby messing up your warranty!

Reference

Edmunds.com:  Do You Really Need Premium?

Corvette Redesign In Global Hands?

2010 Chevy Corvette

I love to use the word “iconic” when I describe the Ford Mustang, America’s enduring pony car. For nearly a half century, this particular steed has filled a need in the heart of many sport coupe enthusiasts.

Though the Mustang has certainly earned its place in the halls of American autodom, I would give the hot car nod to the Chevrolet Corvette, a true sportscar by every definition. Importantly, the Corvette has a longer product run with the first model rolling out in 1953 well before the muscle car era got its start.

Corvette Appeal

The Corvette’s appeal in America is well known, but less so in markets around the world. Sure, the Corvette is available overseas including in Europe, but it has a miniscule following as it must go up against some of the finest sports cars in the world. Like Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati and Lotus to name just a few. That has put the Corvette at a distinct disadvantage, one that GM management hopes to erase by inviting global designers to participate in the Corvette redesign process.

Yes, the next generation of America’s sports car may still be built in Bowling Green, Kentucky but its design may be hatched in a design studio in Germany, Japan or elsewhere. Sounds almost sacrilegious doesn’t it?

New Design

Well, yes and no. GM knows that the key to the Corvette’s enduring success is to attract younger buyers. Unfortunately, the Corvette comes across more like your granddaddy’s sports car, one that today’s up and coming buyers are not identifying with. That’s not good news for any car line as you must keep that attraction strong from generation to generation. Today’s Corvette, though fast and stylish, is not as refined as a Porsche. GM isn’t giving buyers any reason to consider Corvette at least in its current iteration.

In the Mar. 8, 2010 issue of “Autoweek,” GM’s VP of global design Ed Welburn noted that the Corvette’s redesign was opened up to ten design studios around the world in 2009. With those designs now in hand, GM appears pleased with what they have received although a final design has yet to be chosen.

The current Corvette is criticized for looking too big and for having a cheap interior. Just under 14,000 Corvettes were sold in 2009, a drop of 48 percent from the year before. A new model is about two to three years out, but expect that the new design will be settled this year in order to stay on target.

Real Corvette

Changing the Corvette will be a delicate act, one that can take the model into a different direction completely which raises an important point—will the next generation Corvette no longer be a Corvette? Let’s hope so because this “iconic” model deserves to be given the chance to not only survive, but thrive.

Photo Credit: GM Corp.