As promised, Mobil's Response to my question:
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Kirk,
Thanks for writing to us. While there are some slight formulation differences, the most important difference is going to be availability. Mobil 1 Annual Protection has never really been a big seller during its 3-1/2 years on the market, and is in the process of being discontinued.
Mobil 1 Extended performance has been very successful for years as a 15,000 mile oil, and is taking over as a 20,000 mile oil this year. This upgrade comes with no changes to the formulation, but rather is based on years of in-engine testing. The conclusion was that the previously recommended 15,000 mile interval was too conservative for the capabilities of the product, leading to the upgrade of both the labels and the warranty this year.
Now, if you find a retailer closing out their inventory of Mobil 1 Annual Protection and you can get a great deal on it, this could be a good opportunity, but once stocks run out, I don't see it coming back anytime soon.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for choosing Mobil,
JIm
Mobil Help Desk Team Lead
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