Luxury Cars Will Run On Regular Gas

An adorable drop-in-the-bucket announcement about your favorite luxury-car-providing automakers from BloggingStocks.com:

U.S. automakers, late to recognize the sales implications of spiraling gas prices, have started to adjust their business models, in at least one modest respect: some luxury cars are now being designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline, USA Today reported Thursday.

Regular unleaded gasoline, with an 87 octane, typically costs 20-40 cents less than premium gasoline, with a 91 octane.

Ford (NYSE: F) and General Motors (NYSE: GM) are encouraging dealers to promote their no-premium-gas luxury cars' potential, as a selling point for consumers with budgets pinched by $4 per gallon gasoline, USA Today reported Thursday. Ford rose 5 cents to $4.99, while GM fell 15 cents to $10.10 in mid-day Thursday trading.

Read the full story here

Of course, there are those who say most cars don't need higher-grade gas anyway...

Comments

[JScott]

I thought they changed it so all engines had to run on unl regular whenever possible due to the catalyst installed. The early 1986 Lexus 4L V8 was able to do that, and I guess the latest model doesn't?
Seems kinda a step backward to still have to require premium grade anyway.

[IntrepidReader]

Funny that it doesn't mention that both Honda and Toyota strongly recommend premium for the Lexus and Accura models, and of course Mercedes and BMW do, too, for their non-entry level models. I guess that would spoil some of the ridicule factor because some of us just love believing that only American car companies build over-powered gas guzzlers while all imports get 50 mpg.

[Tom95134]

Head in the sand, or where the sun doesn't shine?

[totaldisbelief]

Detroit just doesn't get it.

[totaldisbelief]

HYDROGEN

[GeorgeP922]

Anybody buying an American car would be dumb enough to buy a performance car detuned to run on 87 gut rot gasoline.

Whats funny about this too, is there are no outright "Performance" American motors.

So really, this isn't news.

The only American cars I have heard of call for anything but regular are the supercharged GM motors being sold in Buick cars.

[einherjar]

My Dodge Charger calls for high grade.

I accidently put low grade in it once and there was a significant and noticeable performance decrease.

I don't know what American cars you've been driving, but there are plenty of performance cars out there if you want them. Unless you consider 340HP/390 torque from the factory non-performance. With the few minor modifications I've made I dyno at around 400HP/437 Torque.

In addition to performance, I get 25 MPG out of it because it has the multi-displacement system which lets it run on only 4 cylinders instead of 8 on the highway.

[KillTheMessenger]

It's still a stupid looking car.

[MzTexas]

Most cars are designed to run on regular unleaded and do not need high octane. Look in your owner's manual. Ex used to bitch and moan about how much his high octane cost for his Montero . . . told him to look in his owner's manual. Sure enough, he'd been spending a heckuva lot of money for nothing. Car didn't run any different on the regular. Waste of money.

[KillTheMessenger]

What about

"If you can afford the car, you can afford the gas."

do US car makers not understand?

[joebaggadonuts]

They are the modern version of the buggy whip manufacturer you hear so much about in business school talks. Of course they don't understand.