Optimax has generated a fair bit of interest on these boards recently. Evo have run a 3-page special on it this month, running a few cars on it and looking at the valves before and after, timing the cars on different brands of unleaded, etc.

worth a read, but if you can't be bothered (or you hate Evo for all the anti-S2000 comments), the bottom line is.....


...run your car on nothing else


s

 

Phew!

Thanks for that, haven't got Evo this month, but nice to know its worth spending teh money. Can you fill in a little more detail please......

 

sgrant

Funny you should bring up the subject of Optimax this eve I was about to do the same.

I found the following link on the Shell website and it may interest members when looking for a Shell station selling Optimax. If you have time to plan your route or want to know the closest station to where you work it's great.

http://www.shellgeostar.com/share/form.asp...e=En&sessionid={99D2F65F-0173-4403-856C-B79BA8D7C3F3}&ID=default

(sorry it's such a long link)

End of advert for Shell!!!

 

ok. here goes

they ran a civic type-R (note), BMW M Coupe and XJR-R for 3000 miles. the first 1500 on non-optimax. the second stint on optimax. after each stint they performance tested the cars and examined the inlet valves using a bore scope (it says here).

conclusions:

1) the bmw was quicker with optimax than on whatever it ran before (the article is unclear whether the first 1500 miles are on RON97 or a mix of 95/97/whatever). not much quicker, but a couple of tenths here and there. The beemer's valves were perfect before, during and after.

2) the honda had previously been run primarily on supermarket 95. the valves had heavy deposits on them, despite only having done 9k miles. the optimax made a really significant performance improvement - ie. 1.2s quicker from 50-70 in 5th (why you'd be in 5th at 50 i dunno). Running on optimax for 1500 miles removed a lot of the deposits. the driver claimed to notice much more poke under accelaration

3) the jag had nasty deposits on the valves when run on nasty fuel - optimax cleaned them up. slightly improved times. slightly worse fuel consumption, but then he is driving a brick.


note that they seem to be largely comparing optimax with nasty supermarket 95. i'd guess you'd get quicker acceleration using esso 97 as well, but they don't seem to compare super unleaded with optimax.

conclusion: optimax is clearly better for your car and your acceleration than nasty supermarket premium unleaded. more than that we cannot say.

s

 

26th May until it comes here, they promised the beginning of 2002 last year.

 

That's not right...I filled up my s2k on Optimax a couple of weeks ago in Leamington spa....and though I wasn't timing anything I did get a slight impression of better performance.

Might be just psychosomatic tho'....

PS - what;s the best oil to use for an s2k, 13k miles????

 

Having read many comments about the Kangaroo problem of S2000s, which mine has suffered from too, I'd have to say Optimax has pretty much cured my car.
I have run Harry on his 3rd gearbox and 5th clutch for some 2500 miles using Optimax, and after 2 1/2 years I finally have the car I thought I'd bought in 1999.
Even my Honda Accord has taken well to Optimax, feeling far stronger in the mid-range and achieving higher mpg figures, perhaps as I don't need to work it so hard.
Best performance mod I have ever made on a car!

Cheers,

James

 

cnicho

I've just changed to Mobil1 0-40 at 8500 miles and notice a definite improvement in "smoothness" between 3 and 6k RPM and also quieter running from cold.

I think it's worth the price!

John