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IMG_1053 TOMS, originally uploaded by Look.

This has always been a very good question, and depending on who you ask, you will get different answers. Over the years I have heard that certain brands have better gasoline than others. Beyond the politics involved with each brand, that is not always true.

Where Does Your Favorite Gasoline Really Come From?
The base gasoline that comes to your favorite station may come from anywhere. While it is true that each brand of gasoline has its own blend, refineries, and source for oil, the base gasoline at the pump may not always come from where you think. In other words, a Texaco station may occasionally use Shell base gasoline, and vice versa.

It doesn’t make sense for refineries to ship their gas hundreds of miles, if there is a competitor’s refinery within miles. During these occasions, brands may use each others base gasoline. This is not to say that each brand has the exact same gas, because they don’t. The difference is what additives are mixed with it.

Each brand has its own brand of additive, meant to protect valves, burn off deposits, and keep fuel injectors clean. Every brand’s additive works just as well as another, but there is a catch.

There’s always a catch…

The Truth of Fuel Additives
For every fuel additive you use, you are cleaning certain power robbing and fuel economy reducing deposits at the expense of adding new ones. Additives in themselves are known to leave trace amounts of themselves on your spark plugs and in your oil, etc. There is no escaping this.

The only way to truly keep your vehicle clear of the residues left behind from these various chemicals is to alternate brands. Alternating the chemical additives found within each brand, will discourage excessive deposit build-up by allowing each additive to clean up after the other. In a sense, the additives of the various brands work best when used along with each other.

Premium vs. Regular
There is a big debate on which gasoline is better for a vehicle. Of course if your vehicle requires premium, it is a good idea to follow the manufacturers advice. But if your manufacturer advises regular, will using premium offer any benefit? Well, yes, and maybe no.

The Additives found in gasoline today are meant to even the score between premium and regular. Premium gas in its base form is a cleaner burning fuel, and leaves behind less deposits. It is just the way it is refined that gives it that quality.

However, the additives used in regular gas give it the same advantage, leaving less deposits. So in general, there is no real advantage to using one over the other, other than perhaps more piece of mind, which is sometimes worth its weight in the premium price.

If you have a strong allegiance for certain brands of gasoline than others for one reason or another, you can decrease the chance of deposit build-up by switching between two or more of your preferred brands every few thousand miles. Doing this should give your engine the best chance of remaining deposit-free over its lifetime.

The General Rule of Thumb
There is no one gasoline brand that offers better performance and fuel economy than another, but you can take advantage of their slight differences by switching brands often.

Moderation in all things, including your brand of gasoline!

2009 Chevrolet Aveo 1LT, originally uploaded by JDPower.com Photography

Being on top of a list is usually a good thing, but here is a list that no car company would be proud to top. The most toxic list. Each year HealthyStuff.org scans over the interiors of several makes and models of vehicles, looking for levels of toxicity in the vehicles interior.

Interior toxicity can come in many forms, such as the chemicals that make up the dashboard plastics, leather seats, vinyl door panels, and cloth headliners. It could be said that most all manufacturing processes contain some amount of toxicity, but some are much less than others.

To understand the danger of these chemicals, you have to realize that the true danger is not so much in handling of these car parts, as breathing the chemicals once they are released into the air. All interiors are subject to releasing chemicals into the air as they breakdown over time.

Healthy Stuff organizes their findings into a list that ranges from 0.1 to 5.0. A vehicle with 0.1 would be primarily made of soybeans and coconut fibers, and a vehicle topping the list at 5.0, would have measurable amounts of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chlorine, bromine, tin, and/or chromium within the fiber.

The Worst Offenders for 2009
Out of all the vehicles tested for 2009, there were three within the range of 4.0 and up, which is considered moderately dangerous for passengers. The worst offender of the group was by far the Chevrolet Aveo. It would appear in this case, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality of interior materials, with a 4.8 on their rating scale.

The toxicity of the Aveo is surprising, considering that the Chevrolet Cobalt is only a 0.7 on the scale. The Aveo was found to have a surprising amount of lead in the carpet, door trim, front seats, and arm rests. There is also a notable amount of Chlorine found in the shift knob.

Down from the list is the 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, which is not much better at a rating of 4.7. The offending chemical for the Eclipse is not lead, but rather excessive amounts of Chlorine and Bromine. The most excessive amounts were found in the carpet, seats, steering wheel, door trim, arm rests, and center console.

The 2009 Hyundai Tuscon rounds out the list with a rating of 4.1, which is mostly due to its high amounts of bromine found in the headliner, front seats, arm rests, and center console. The door trim was also noted as having large amounts of Chlorine.

Interestingly, on most of these vehicles the key offenders appear to be the seats and the center armrest. In some cases, a simple aftermarket replacement may make all the difference, such as a simple fiberglass shell covered in cloth.

photo originally uploaded by technoholic19

The question of whether or not we will ever see a Z28 has been answered. Ed Welburn, Design Chief of GM has confirmed that the Z28 program is back up and running. The design itself had been signed-off clear back in April of this year, but as GM was unfortunately nearing the throes of bankruptcy, the cost and labor of such a vehicle was obviously not a priority.

With UAW contracts and labor costs leaned out, GM figures now is as good of time to get the ball rolling as any. They also have the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 to tend with, which has been up to its own improvements.

As things stand today, the Camaro SS with its 6.2-liter powerplant worth 426 horsepower, makes a pretty mean customer for the 4.6-liter, 315 horsepower Mustang. But Ford knows there’s only one replacement for displacement, and an intercooled and supercharged 5.4-liter was a good start for the Shelby Stang.

The 2010 Ford Mustang GT500 has been upgraded to the horsepower status of the GT500KR, which saw upwards of 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque last year. That is a solid 40 horses and 30 lb-ft of torque over the previous GT500. Shelby has also upped the ante to a 3.55:1 rear end ratio (compared to 3.31:1). Despite a rather hefty curb weight of 3900 pounds, the Mustang can still hurl itself from 0-60 in the low 4-second range, which is more than enough to take on the 5-second Camaro SS.

But the story does not end here…

photo originally uploaded on Facebook

The Ford Mustang GT500 has a new foe, and the Camaro Z28 will not be limiting its aspirations… to non-aspiration. The Z28 is noted to receive the very same 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V-8 that powers the Cadillac CTS-V. This combination will be good for about 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque. Figuring the Z28 will likely weigh-in at around 4000 pounds, its 0-60 could likely dip into the upper 3-second range, with a top speed nearing 200 mph (manual transmission).

So we know it will be fast, but what other changes will signify the Z28 from the SS.

The front end fascia will look a bit more fierce, with deep set fog lights and a slightly different grille. The hood could also receive a forward facing scoop (like the one on top of the page) or heat vents (such as the version featured at 2009 SEMA- directly above). Completing the package will be a new aggressive rear fascia, longer rear spoiler, exhaust cutouts, and “tuning-fork” 20-inch dubs.

The unofficial word at the GM headquarters, is this could be the baddest Camaro to come off the line since the ZL-1 COPO. As all good things must come with a very long wait, EPA certification will likely drag this beasts unveiling at your local GM dealer until the late 2011s. Considering the long line of VIP buyers that will be waiting at the door, don’t expect to get your hands on one until 2012.

Source: Motor Trend