The lubricant industry is a big and lucrative one for the fuel brands. Each new product promises better protection, improved fuel economy and performance, neatly presented in slick marketing campaigns with strong motorsports connotations.
The newest one to hit the market is Shell’s Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0W-30, which the company says is its most advanced product to date. Formulated with their patented PurePlus Technology and featuring Emissions Compatible Technology (ECT), the API SN rated lubricant also meets the internal standards for lubricants set by major car brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and, their Formula 1 technology partner, Ferrari.
Breakthrough technology doesn’t come cheap and though Shell claims their new product has the highest specifications for a lubricant in the market, a retail price of RM338 for a four-litre pack places it firmly at the premium end of the price scale. Its advanced composition and performance though justifies the pricing.
Turning natural gas into base oil
Shell’s PurePlus Technology for instance uses base oil obtained via a Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) process, which converts natural gas into a crystal clear high quality base oil with none of the impurities you find in crude. It also delivers an even and stable molecular structure, which is important as it accounts for 75% to 90% of the final product. The base oil is then enhanced with Shell’s proprietary Active Cleansing Technology that delivers higher levels of protection against sludge and the build-up of engine deposits.
Emissions Compatible Technology (ECT) meanwhile means the lubricant was developed to help protect the emissions systems of modern diesel and petrol engines, which is increasingly critical for all new cars. Test results obtained by Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0W-30 speak for themselves. Shell claims their new lubricant has achieved unsurpassed wear protection of four times better than the industry standard, setting a new record for the Helix product line. They also claim 45% cleaner pistons and 2.6% greater fuel economy in the same tests, which is equivalent to 16km more per tank of fuel. In other words, it translates to lowering your fuel bill and putting more money in your pocket.
Multi-fuel compatibility
So which cars should use Shell’s most advanced lubricant formulation ever? Well, the company claims to have designed it for multi-fuel capability thus making it extremely well-suited for the most advanced, low-emissions vehicles. Therefore, cars powered by diesel engines with particulate filters, high-performance petrol engines or gas, bio-diesel and ethanol blend engines are particularly well suited to it. It’s also backward compatible with many OEM and industry specifications so if you want to use it in your Ferrari F50 or perhaps you have a McLaren F1 in the garage it should meet and exceed the performance requirements of those cars while delivering the same economic benefits.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for the best lubricant for your high performance petrol or diesel vehicle the premium pricing of Shell’s Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0W-30 is unlikely to be a hindrance even if it means an oil change requiring two packs will set you back RM676 for the product alone. Getting the best in anything costs a lot anyway and right now, pole position in the premium lubricant market belongs to Shell.