A couple of weeks ago I went to the press launch of Shell’s reinvented premium fuel. Shell V Power is technically no more, it has been superceded by Shell V Power Nitro+. It all happened overnight on the evening of 17 April across Shell’s network of petrol stations across the country.
Shell are of course always developing their fuels; it’s not a stationary business if you’ll pardon the pun but the latest developments have been substantial enough that they have felt the need for a rebranding to really show how much difference the latest changes have made.
Developed with Scuderia Ferrari, the innovation behind Shell V-Power Nitro+ Unleaded lies in what Shell refer to as Friction Modification Technology (FMT). FMT has been around for a few years, it’s something Shell introduced to their F1 fuels that power Alonso and co to give the cars a bit of a legitimate boost.
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| A Shell scientist. Note the lab coat |
The new formulation contains 25% more FMT which is designed to instantly reduce friction in critical engine areas that engine oil and conventional lubricants can’t reach. This helps the engine to turn more freely, unlocking valuable energy which can help lead to improved acceleration and power delivery. It also reduces wear and tear, which is nice.
If you drive an oil burner (a diesel apparently, look at me with my trendy jargon), Shell V-Power Nitro+ Diesel has also had a reformulation in terms of the detergents. As I found out first hand a couple of years ago, getting your injector nozzle mucky is no laughing matter, however smutty it might sound, so any fuel that actively removes deposits and cleans them is a fairly good idea as far as I’m concerned. Clean injectors in a diesel mean more efficient combustion, which in turn increases efficiency and performance.
I have to admit, ever since being involved with the Shell Network of Champions, I’ve put V-Power in our cars; I’m happy to pay the premium over supermarket fuel which after all is always less than a fiver a tank, because I know all fuels are different and I’m actively enhancing the performance and life of our motors.