picking up 2012 X6M on Thursday. 91 or 94 octane?

[moonlight0118]

Hi forum this is my first post.

As said in title, very excited to pick it up this Thursday. This is my first BMW, my previous SUV was a 2010 Range Rover.

Like everyone else here with M, I'd like it to be as fast as possible (without modding it though). So what gas should I use? 91 octane which is easy to find or the 94 with 10% ethanol we have here?

Thanks for the input and looking forward to being an XBIMMERS member.

[moonlight0118]

almost 100 views and no reply at all?

i just need someone to confirm if 94 or 93 octane makes a difference to the performance.

[psalm40]

Yes, the in increase in octane will make a performance difference....the real question is, "will you even notice this difference?" Most likely not. Usually 91 octane is considered "Premium" (some places get 93) and would be perfect for spirited street driving.

[northern2020]

Originally Posted by moonlight0118

almost 100 views and no reply at all?

i just need someone to confirm if 94 or 93 octane makes a difference to the performance.

Mention "I would like to mod" instead and you will have more people post!

Hope you enjoy your beast...and let the mods begin!

[zaha]

94 is 3 or 5 cents more than 91. Why cheap out?

[AndreyATC]

I would always go for highest (non-race) grade fuel for stock car
These cars love 93-95

[Taz@Evolve. P]

We see quite a lot more HP with the two varying fuels and in general would always recommend going with the higher quality fuel for an engine like the S63.

[Ikendiken]

This is an interesting question. I'm no expert, but it is my understanding (at least in the US) that there are two grades of gasoline produced for the mass market: 87 and 91 (with the mid-grade being a blend of these two). So where do the 93-94 grades come from? My guess is these fuels are the 91-grade with an octane booster like ethanol added. I'm not sure I want to pay more for E15. I'll stick to the 91 octane.

[bsiciliano]

I got bored so I wandered over here from M3 post. In CA the best we can generally get is 91. There are a few 76s that carry 100 octane. Not entirely sure about the X6M, but without a tune, the ecu in the M3 is configured to run best on 93, but it can run on 91. I tend to mix 1/4 tank of 100 with 3/4 of 91. This blends you up to 93. I can't tell you if there is any increase in HP, if there is, it is likely negligible. However, I will attest that the car runs much smoother, especially in the lower gears. Unless the ecu is tuned to run the car at a higher octane level, putting anything greater than 93/94 would be a waste.

I have a friend who drives an X6M. With a tune, intake and exhaust, he is pushing close to 600 horses. Not sure of his actual whp, but the damn thing is scary fast for it's size.

[moonlight0118]

Originally Posted by northern2020

Mention "I would like to mod" instead and you will have more people post!

Hope you enjoy your beast...and let the mods begin!

thx

yeah maybe i will mod it but not in the near future.

[moonlight0118]

Originally Posted by zaha

94 is 3 or 5 cents more than 91. Why cheap out?

it's not the price but as far as I know there's only like 3-5 petro-can in ottawa that has 93. but im sure the performance difference will be worth the extra trip.

[moonlight0118]

Originally Posted by Ikendiken

This is an interesting question. I'm no expert, but it is my understanding (at least in the US) that there are two grades of gasoline produced for the mass market: 87 and 91 (with the mid-grade being a blend of these two). So where do the 93-94 grades come from? My guess is these fuels are the 91-grade with an octane booster like ethanol added. I'm not sure I want to pay more for E15. I'll stick to the 91 octane.

I'm no expert of this. but i do know that our Ultra94 from Petro-Canada does contain 10% ethanol so essentially it's 93 octane.

[moonlight0118]

Originally Posted by bsiciliano

I got bored so I wandered over here from M3 post. In CA the best we can generally get is 91. There are a few 76s that carry 100 octane. Not entirely sure about the X6M, but without a tune, the ecu in the M3 is configured to run best on 93, but it can run on 91. I tend to mix 1/4 tank of 100 with 3/4 of 91. This blends you up to 93. I can't tell you if there is any increase in HP, if there is, it is likely negligible. However, I will attest that the car runs much smoother, especially in the lower gears. Unless the ecu is tuned to run the car at a higher octane level, putting anything greater than 93/94 would be a waste.

I have a friend who drives an X6M. With a tune, intake and exhaust, he is pushing close to 600 horses. Not sure of his actual whp, but the damn thing is scary fast for it's size.

thanks for the input. we do have some 94s with 10% ethanol here. wish we had 100. a few simple mod can make such a difference eh?

[moonlight0118]

thx everyone for the opinions. Seems like majority of you suggest 93. I had a 2010 Camaro SS and I know for sure it made a difference with 93. So from now on I'm gonna go with 93.

please check out my other thread with pictures and launch control question

http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540455

[bsiciliano]

Again, I drive a M3 not and X6M, but for what it is worth, I picked up 23whp from the tune alone. Combo that with a good X-pipe and the gain should double. Intake may give you a few ponies, but nothing substantial.

I haven't seen my buddy's dino on his X6M, but it really is a beast. It is funny. He has two kids that are elementary school aged. It is a beast under the hood, but you can play video games in the back seat. Go figure.