Spotted on ITV News
The significance of the high octane rating is that the engine's ignition can be remapped so that more power is produced without the risk of engine damage that would result if you used standard fuel. BP says that in testing it was able to remap ignitions to provide power benefits of between 4% and 7.5% without sending conrods through the walls of the test bay. In the case of a turbocharged car running higher than standard boost pressure an increase of 8.6% in maximum power was seen, with a 16% improvement elsewhere in the rev range.
On top of that, BP claims that Ultimate 102 is also cleaner than other forms of petrol, thanks partly to superior evaporation properties (therefore less unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust), a "sulphur-free" formula and a benzene element of less than 0.1%.
"BP is widely acknowledged for its fuels technology expertise across a range of transport fuels," says Paul Beckwith, Vice President of Fuels Product Management, "and has an excellent reputation in Formula 1 circles, having been involved in the development, manufacture and supply of fuels to the F1 community over the last 20 years.
"Fuels of this type have not been readily available to the public previously, but now we have introduced BP Ultimate 102 unleaded specifically for private motorsport enthusiasts based on our product technology in this field. This fuel has a range of features to allow increased performance from the most highly tuned engines, alongside all of the benefits that drivers expect from BP Ultimate fuels. We are delighted to make this remarkable fuel easily accessible from our forecourts."
To begin with, there won't be many forecourts. The fuel is currently available only at six outlets in the south east: Tudor Filling Station in Maidstone, Chicheley Park Connect in Newport Pagnell, Wavendon Gate Connect in Milton Keynes, All Saints Self Service in Portsmouth, Newbury Centre Filling Station in Ilford and Newham Way Service Station in Canning Town.
Since Ultimate 102 is, as they say in the business, "handmade" (it's manufactured in small quantities at BP's Speciality Fuels Technology Centre), it's pretty expensive. BP is quoting £2.42 per litre, "subject to change dependent on market conditions", and we all know what market conditions are like these days.
Suppose this is what M S was using in his winning car???
The significance of the high octane rating is that the engine's ignition can be remapped so that more power is produced without the risk of engine damage that would result if you used standard fuel. BP says that in testing it was able to remap ignitions to provide power benefits of between 4% and 7.5% without sending conrods through the walls of the test bay. In the case of a turbocharged car running higher than standard boost pressure an increase of 8.6% in maximum power was seen, with a 16% improvement elsewhere in the rev range.
On top of that, BP claims that Ultimate 102 is also cleaner than other forms of petrol, thanks partly to superior evaporation properties (therefore less unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust), a "sulphur-free" formula and a benzene element of less than 0.1%.
"BP is widely acknowledged for its fuels technology expertise across a range of transport fuels," says Paul Beckwith, Vice President of Fuels Product Management, "and has an excellent reputation in Formula 1 circles, having been involved in the development, manufacture and supply of fuels to the F1 community over the last 20 years.
"Fuels of this type have not been readily available to the public previously, but now we have introduced BP Ultimate 102 unleaded specifically for private motorsport enthusiasts based on our product technology in this field. This fuel has a range of features to allow increased performance from the most highly tuned engines, alongside all of the benefits that drivers expect from BP Ultimate fuels. We are delighted to make this remarkable fuel easily accessible from our forecourts."
To begin with, there won't be many forecourts. The fuel is currently available only at six outlets in the south east: Tudor Filling Station in Maidstone, Chicheley Park Connect in Newport Pagnell, Wavendon Gate Connect in Milton Keynes, All Saints Self Service in Portsmouth, Newbury Centre Filling Station in Ilford and Newham Way Service Station in Canning Town.
Since Ultimate 102 is, as they say in the business, "handmade" (it's manufactured in small quantities at BP's Speciality Fuels Technology Centre), it's pretty expensive. BP is quoting £2.42 per litre, "subject to change dependent on market conditions", and we all know what market conditions are like these days.
Suppose this is what M S was using in his winning car???
