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Shell have Optimax, BP have Ultimate, Mobil have Synergy 8000 and Caltex have Vortex Gold.

Is there a clear winner in anyone's opinion?

My tip is on Optimax.

this question. She spoke to some of her colleagues and they basically said as far as performance they are pretty much all the same. However the Mobil version has more cleaning agents in it and the BP version is a cleaner burning fuel. The BP Ultimate we get in Melbourne is refined in South Australia and is not from Mobil.

BP and Caltex both told me they refine their HO fuels in Victoria, and they are then supplied to SA. Apparently bcoz the Pt Stanvac refinery in SA is too old and not sophistcated enough to make high-quality fuel.

Mobil owns Pt Stanvac and supply almost all outlets in SA. Shell owns a small refinery at Birkenhead, but it is not large enough to refine Optimax for SA demand, so it's not available here.

Mobil do refine Synergy 8000 in SA hence I don't use it. I'm told its just the old premium unleaded with a new name, and it doesnt work as well as BP Ultimate or Caltex Vortex.

Optimax is a fuel available in Europe as well. It's not just a local brew (as far as I can tell) so I assume to be called Optimax it meets the EU4 standards which is what German makers tune their engines for.

Shell say they won't release Optimax in SA because it's too difficult and too expensive for our small population :(

I think there all pretty close but on a run to Melbourne from Adelaide I used Shell Ultra and didn't have enough to get to my destination. On the return leg I filled up with Shell Optima and used the air all the way back, I made it back home. So for a staight out run Optima was better than Ultra from the same company. I would use optima all the time if it was available in Adelaide.

I've been told Shell Optimax will be available in Adelaide as soon as they can increase production. Apparently demand in the eastern states is too high at the moment. Mind you that was almost 12months ago. Hmmm, maybe one day.

I have compared all premiums, and have found Optimax and synergy 8000 to be the best performers; all other premiums are just your basic unleaded fuel. Also rand Audi Australia, and they recommend Synergy 8000 and Optimax, as these have been found to have max performance in Audis..