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Originally Posted by LGAFF
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Nit pick about the engine power ratings and fuels mentioned in this video. I At 1:00, in refernce to the 806 brake hp of the USA model "and that's on that limp-wristed ferro-liquid the Americans call petrol, if you run this on the more explosive jungle juice we have here in Europe you'll be getting 850 brake hp, oh, and I'll give you a little tip, if you tune this engine to run on environmentally friendly bio-fuel you'll be getting 900 brake hp."
Just a tad of European bias there. The fact is that the highest octane gasolines available commonly at the pump in the EU is:
Ordinary Unleaded-95 octane RON (Research Octane Number)
Super unleaded – 98 RON
Note that these are RON numbers. RON numbers are achieved using a variable compression ICE(Internal Combustion Engine) running at 600rpm. Compression is increased until the engine knocks.
MON(Motor Octane Number)- Is a more real world test as the ICE is ran at 900rpm while encountering a load while varying engine ignition timing is added, the fuel is also heated. MON is usually 8-10 numbers lower than RON.
In North America (Canada and USA) AKI(Anti-Knock Index) is used, this is where the RON and MON numbers are averaged (RON + MON)/2=AKI.
The higher engine power ratings of the European spec cars and the North American spec cars, when comparing the North American and European unleaded fuels, has nothing to do with the fuel, but everything to do with the EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) and the requisite catalytic converters/mufflers and the corresponding ECM/PCM(Engine Control Module/Powertrain Control Module) calibration changes.
EU Spec CCX is 850hp
USA spec CCX is 806hp
The EU Spec of my Uncle's F1991 Ferrari Testarossa equipped with the Ferrari 4.9 liter flat 12 cylinder is 396hp and the USA spec rating is 380hp equipped with USA spec catalytic converters and USA spec ECM calibration. Seeing as the CCX is supercharged, these differences in equipement and calibration will only be magnified.
The one power rating of the CCX that is directly proportional to the fuel being used is the Bio-fuel as mentioned with its 900hp potential. I'm assuming that when Clarkson mentions "Bio-Fuel" that he is referring to some sort of Ethanol product. I think the UK uses E-85(85% ethanol) fuels similar to North America. Not only does Ethanol have a higher AKi than most gasolines, its low latent heat of evaporation, produces a natural intercooling effect, esp. useful in forced induction applications.
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More on fuels and AKI
NA(North American) fuels have a wide array of ratings.
AKI=(R+M)/2
Regular (Cat Urine)=85-88 AKI average being 87
Midgrade/Plus Unleaded=88-90 AKI, average being 89
Premium Unleaded= greater than 90 with the average being 92 (In Canada we have 94 AKI available from Sunoco at the pumps.
In USA Sunoco 260-GT is a non-lead, 100 octane=AKI(105+95)/2 which is non-oxygenated making it street legal. This fuel is also sold as brand names CAM2, TurboBlue, and Trick-P.O.P. fuels.
Here is a Google map of availability, but it is 5 years old now.
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...z=4&dg=feature
Also octane ratings and AKI are a measure of a fuels ability to resists detonation, pre-ignition, "spark knock". The higher the number doesnt translate into, more "explosivity"(my own new word).
In aviation, there is 2 rating systems for AViation fuel(AVGAS). There is an "Aviation Lean" rating for naturally aspirated engines. "Aviation Rich" ratings are used for fuels to be used in aircraft engines that use turbochargers, superchargers or any combination of both. The terms "Aviation-Lean" and "Aviation-Rich" come from the fact that N/A(Naturally Aspirated) engines use a more lean fuel rating as compared to forced induction engines which use a richer a/f(air/fuel) ratio.
Currently commonly used fuels have an "Aviation Lean" rating of 100, and "Aviation Rich" rating of 130.
During WW2, extensive fuel testing was done in attempts to raise the AKI/octane ratings for aircraft engines in order to support the need for more powerful engines for aircraft.
In 1943 the 27 liter (1647 cubic inches) Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engine was producing 1320hp using 100RON fuel.
By the end of WW2 experiments were being conducted with 150 octane RON fuels. The 150 RON aviation fuel was created by mixing 1 liter(1000mL) of 100 octane RON fuel with 25 mL of aniline making it a 2.5% aniline. They had tried adding Lead as was normal, but it Lead tended to foul the sparkplugs and build up in the combustion chambers.
As a little tid-bit, in Saudi Arabia, Super 91 RON and Super 95 RON are available at a price of US$0.12/liter and US$0.16/liter or US$0.45/US gallon for 91RON and US$0.61/US gallon for 95RON respectivley.
For perspective, at the local 230 T/A Truckstop which sells teh most inexpensive fuels in the country, Regular 87AKI just went up to CAN$1.39/liter and Premium 91AKI rose to CAN$1.85/liter.
Conversion from liters to US gallons
CAN$5.26/USgallon for 87AKI
CAN$7.00/USgallon for 91AKI
Now conversion from CAN dollar to US dollar, today trading at CAN $1.0966 Canadian dollars for 1 US dollar.
US$4.80/US Gallon for 87AKI
US$6.38/US Gallon for 91AKI
These fuel prices are the highest they have EVER been. Some provinces of Canada have average gasoline prices of prices of CAN$1.49.2/liter or CAN$5.65/US Gallon or US$5.15/US gallon for 87AKI gasoline.
A liter of gasoline(petrol) in the UK costs BPS(British Pound Sterling)1.40/liter.
BPS1.40=CAN$1.84/L
CAN$6.97/US Gallon or US$9.01/US Gallon for Regular Unleaded.
In Greece gasoline spiked up to €(Euro)2.001/Liter or roughly $10/US Gallon.
Man the price of fuel is no joke. Heck the price of any energy source is going through the roof. US gasoline prices are quite reasonable when compared to the rest of the world.
(I tried my best to describe any acronyms by 1st listing the acronym, then typing the acronym out in full after the 1st usage of the acronym.)