Written by special guest editor Carter Jung, editor of Import Tuner. Carter is an automotive enthusiast, journalist and photographer.

Shell is committed to providing drivers with gasolines that can help improve vehicle performance, and by now, you should’ve heard about Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines. But what are they and how are they better than other fuels? First, in the world of gasoline, there are different standards for fuel and top automakers agree that all gasolines are not the same and that a clean engine performs better. In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the minimum additive performance standards that all fuels had to meet. The EPA standards might not be enough for all cars on the road and could reduce your vehicle’s ability to maintain emission standards, leading to engine deposits and reduced performance.

In response to the market moving towards only meeting the EPA’s minimum detergent requirements, four automotive manufacturers (BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota) raised the bar for fuel by calling for enhanced detergency (Volkswagen and Audi later joined the list). The TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Standard (www.toptiergas.com) was established to combat the increasing amount of carbon deposits on critical engine parts.

But for Shell gasolines, this is not where the story ends. Going an extra step beyond the TOP TIER requirements, Shell recently introduced the patented Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system in all three grades of Shell gasoline. Shell Nitrogen Enriched gasolines have an active cleaning molecule engineered to seek and destroy performance-robbing carbon deposits – more commonly known as "gunk" – that can be left by lower-quality gasolines. Having gunk build up on critical engine parts, specifically intake valves and fuel injectors, can cause the inefficient mixing of air and fuel necessary for proper combustion. This can rob your engine of performance. Think of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines as a detox system for your engine.

For automotive enthusiasts with high compression, direct injected, turbocharged motors or for those drivers who expect the most from their car’s performance, there’s Nitrogen Enriched Shell V-Power®. As a high-quality premium gasoline, Shell V-Power boasts the highest concentration of the Shell Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system. With five times the cleaning agents found in fuels that only meet the EPA requirements, Shell V-Power is designed for those looking for maximum engine performance, especially for those with vehicles that recommend or require a premium gasoline.

But how do you know it works? Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines have been thoroughly tested, logging more than a half-million miles in various makes and motors, from the conventional normally-aspirated engine to the extreme temperature and pressure of a turbo-charged and direct fuel injected application. Additionally, proof came from a dual fuel engine test, where half the cylinders ran on Shell Nitrogen Enriched gasoline and the other on lower-quality gasoline at the same time. From this direct comparison, after only 5,000 miles of use, the intake valves in the engine half pumping Shell fuel had significantly less gunky build-up than the valves using lower-quality gasoline.

For more information about Shell gasolines, including Shell V-Power premium gasoline, check out www.passionate-experts.shell.com.