Hi,
as posted here earlier I am selling my STI as I'm moving from Australia to Italy in 2 months. After a little research I now know that:
1 - no STIs are sold in Italy
2 - EVOs are sold but there is a 10month waiting list, and apparently they are not modified for the 95ron petrol that Italy has
3 - I can buy a standard Impreza turbo
4 - or I could go for an Integrale Evo2

However....I am now toying with the idea of buying an STI or Evo elsewhere in Europe, however how will they cope with the 95ron Italian petrol? Does octane booster work? If so, how? And is it readily available?

Thanks for the help,

Wall

 

Hi Wall.

I have a 98 STi4 which I run on SUL (97 RON in the UK) with 1% Silkolene pro-boost.
The reason I do this is that when UK SUL dropped from 98 to 97 RON there was a noticable drop in performance and smoothness. The "reverse" difference was even more noticable when I started to put OB in the car. I literally heard the engine go "smooth" as I got about 100m up the road from the petrol station after my 1st fillup!
Before you say to yourself "it's in your mind mate", I am far from alone in experiencing this, personally knowing at least 3 others who have noticed this with STi's as well as other postings on this bbs.
If you consider an STi5 or later (phase II boxer engine) there have been some scare stories about melted pistons although this in reality tends to only occur on track days by all accounts.
You have to remember that STi's in Japan run 100 RON fuel so it won't "feel well" on 95!
Personally, I get a local bike store to get me a case of OB at about 22% discount which lasts a few months.

Neil.

 

Wall/Neil,

Neil is spot on. I experienced exactly the same on 97RON with my Version 5. Half a can of Silkolene Pro Boost with every tankful gives much smoother running. Engine pinks without. I would never use 95RON in an STi, though, not even with octane booster. It's not worth the risk.

 

Well I guess then, given the 95ron in Italy, even with OB buying the STI and importing it is out of the question. Ralliart Italy sells remapped EVO VIs which run on 95ron (only loss is 10hp) but at 90M lira (75,000 Australian Dollars!), which is some 30% more than an STI and almost double a normal Turbo. So I guess I will choose between a normal Impreza Turbo (maybe MY01) with some mods, or perhaps go for an Integrale EVO2 cat, one of the last ones.

Wall