Independent Review conducted by WHEELS Asia Editorial Team and published in the Apr ’06 issue of WHEELS Magazine (page 50).

How well Lub is your car?

In our previous report, we were awed by the lubricant property of Xrev ZeroFriction 5W-40. The Xrev ZeroFriction did indeed meet its claims.

But there is no one universal formulae to suit every car. Like a thumbprint, each and single one has its own unique characteristic, which is why the latest XREV RACING 10W-50 is introduced.

Backed by popular demand, the XREV RACING 10W-50 is carefully formulated to cater to the extreme needs of a performance car. The main unique components in this Racing Formulation are:

2. Racing-grade viscosity index improvers which provide excellent high temperature and high shear stability to deliver excellent oil film thickness and engine protection at high operating temperatures and shear rates. This ensures that the oil does not breakdown easily.

3. Premium Performance Fully Synthetic Base Oil which contains Polyol Ester (Group V) – the most expensive and most stable base oil even under extreme turbo-charged conditions.

The last time we tested the Xrev ZeroFriction 5W-40 was on a MY05 Subaru Impreza WRX. This time round, we test it on a MY02 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. The STi was chosen as it falls under this niche – the higher-end spectrum of performance cars.

First Impression

Initial cracking, the engine felt a bit smoother. But then again, every oil change feels the same well. We can’t determine much from this, can we?

We noted from the oil temperature gauge though, that the temperature takes longer to hit its usual running temperature. Is it XREV RACING’s highly acclaimed magic at work?

Previously the subject car was running on another brand of 5W/40. The oil temperature eventually did hit the usual operating temperature, but 2 degrees higher than usual.

According to Victor Leong, the General Manager of Xtreme Lubricants Lab, the higher viscosity flows a little slower through the oil cooling system and therefore tends to retain heat a little longer.

Conversely, there was another STi owner who was using a 10W-50 viscosity oil and when he changed to the Xrev ZeroFriction 5W-40, he reported a substantial drop in oil temperature – almost 10 degrees of difference.

The slight increase in oil temperature should not be an issue especially at operating temperatures of about 80-90 degrees. The important thing is how the oil behaves at higher temperatures during the hard driving.

Litmus Test

On a drive up to Cameron Highlands, we put the subject car with XREV RACING to the test. Some 600 plus kilometres plus were covered in less than a day. The subject car only stops for fuel refills.

The mountainous curves towards Cameron Highlands provided the crunch-test for the XREV RACING. Under high-load, normally the oil temperature would hit 110 degrees but surprising with XREV RACING, the oil temperature meter barely touched the 100 degree mark. More importantly, there was no drop in performance despite the high altitude. The engine felt smooth and quiet as if we had just changed engine oil at the last fuel stop.

Yet despite the ‘bat-from-hell’ driving, fuel economy appears healthy. Normally I would need to fill up much earlier. It is important to note the engine remained smooth, quiet and responsive even after a hard and long drive. The lubricantion property of XREV RACING 10W-50 is unquestionable.

XREV RACING is specially formulated for engines that frequently explore the higher end of their rev range as it provides maximum lubrication in these extreme conditions. On the other hand, the previously tried and tested Xrev ZeroFriction is targeted for street performance.

For more information, contact Xtreme Lubricants Lab at 62784414 or check their website at www.x-lube.com.

(written by Ren Yeong, Assist Editor)