Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: skyship
The Germans demand the best possible performance from an oil due to hard driving and very long OCI's, they also make more high performance cars than any other country. The number one engine oil company for private sales is Liqui Moly but Castrol are only just behind and Mobil are way back at around 5%.
The reason why LM is ahead is just that they make very good oils BUT are cheaper than Castrol. In technical terms Castrol are some way ahead of any other company, which is why they don't get as many OEM contracts as Mobil, because they don't need the advertising that results from such loss making contracts. Shell are about on a par with Mobil.
In purely technical terms I would say Castrol is no 1, Shell and Mobil no 2, BUT with Liqui Moly and Fuchs almost equal, although in reality it does not make a big difference in engine oil performance terms.
This post makes absolutely zero sense.
1. The German (auto makers, not skyship) demand the best possible performance. And they ALL use one of the major oil brands for initial and service fills. The most common being a Mobil 1 product followed by BP/Castrol products. Not one of them uses Liqui-Moly.
2. Liqui-Moly is possibly (I've never seen any proof presented by Captain Skyship of this claim) more popular in the aftermarket due to price and the fact that it is German. Patriotic appeal here. That doesn't in any way mean it is better, or even as good as what the factory and manufacturers use.
3. Technical terms Castrol is way ahead how? In producing vague data-less product data sheets that are so obscure that you have no real idea as to how the product is going to perform? If that's way ahead, well..... And if they WERE better than Mobil, they'd get more OEM contracts. Your point here is completely insane. Loss making? Right, the most profitable oil company in history specializes in "loss making contracts". Do you hear yourself???
4. Your classification of "purely technical terms" is pulled out of your "purely technical" posterior. This is nothing but a fluff/opinion piece masquerading as factual diatribe.
Where did I say LM do OEM contracts, as they don't, they are no 1 in private sales in Germany only.
I think there is a chance Castrol might get the lead back due to price reductions, as they are only just behind.
Loss making contracts that produce good marketing spin off in press releases and new web site sections are very common, it just depends on what the marketing folks want to do and the budget.
We are all entitled to an opinion and I think Castrol is better in engine oil terms than Mobil, although Fuchs are possibly equal in hydraulic fluid terms.
If you want to interpret my posts as factual diatribe that is a personal decision, it won't effect the way I comment.
Liqui Moly top in 2012 article link:
LM top brand in 2012 in Germany.
They do seem to be expanding as their turnover increased 17% in 2012 to 400 million Euros, although that is partly because they are exporting to 110 different countries.