What octane petrol should I use in my JCW MINI?

What octane petrol should I use in my John Cooper Works MINI? The handbook recommends Super Plus, with 98 RON. One of the leading supermarkets sell a 97 RON, which is significantly cheaper than the 98 or 99 RON Super Plus fuel available from the major oil companies - am I likely to experience any loss of power, or damage to the engine, in using cheaper supermarket fuel?

Asked on 15 August 2022 by Peter Ede

Answered by Lawrence Allan
Supermarket fuel goes through the same testing and processing as the fuel in other outlets, although Shell, BP etc will make claims about their fuel being more efficient or better at clearing carbon deposits. Regarding the RON rating, you will not experience any damage to the engine but you might find Shell V-Power (the most highly regarded premium fuel) gives the engine a fraction more power than the 97 RON supermarket premium fuel. It'll be a very slight difference if at all, so we'd try both and see how it drives.
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