"MY" Ultra Story

[Johnny]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Ultra needs some more builder approvals if they want to sell.


Meeting Honda HTO-06, GM4718M, and having Ferrari in their back pocket isn't enough?

I wonder if the Corvette rumors have any truth to them? It would be an impressive marketing coup for Pennzoil if true.


Not true. Corvette signed with M1 A couple of months ago.


Actually who sign an agreement with Mobil was the Corvette Racing Team, not GM.

Originally Posted By: Capa
A lot of the Wal-marts in my area don't carry Ultra, though everyone of them carry Mobil's multiple products. Mobil has built up a stellar record from decades of usage, they have great advertising, and all of the big names (with one exception---Ferrari) on their side.


Let there be no mistake, Mobil 1 is the number one selling synthetic and no one in our lifetime will displace them, unless Exxon/Mobil goes out of business and I don't see that happening either.

 

[buster]

It was dumb to bring out another oil, and not back it with some form of extended interval change.

 

[Johnny]

Here is what they should have done:

Done away with PP, introduced the Ultra at the same price, then raised the price when everyone else does when GF-5 and API SN are officially licensed in October.

Then the product would have taken off. No doubt they have put the advertising in to it. A lot more than Pennzoil ever did with Platinum.

It's not the product, it's the price.

 

[fdcg27]

First, nice score!
At that price, I'd have done what you did.
Second, never say never.
M1 can and will be displaced.
It is just a matter of by what and when.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
Here is what they should have done:

Done away with PP, introduced the Ultra at the same price, then raised the price when everyone else does when GF-5 and API SN are officially licensed in October.

Then the product would have taken off. No doubt they have put the advertising in to it. A lot more than Pennzoil ever did with Platinum.

It's not the product, it's the price.


Or that. PP and Ultra just doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure what PZ is thinking or going by.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
Here is what they should have done:

Done away with PP, introduced the Ultra at the same price, then raised the price when everyone else does when GF-5 and API SN are officially licensed in October.

Then the product would have taken off. No doubt they have put the advertising in to it. A lot more than Pennzoil ever did with Platinum.

It's not the product, it's the price.

I agree,,always said PP sitting right next to PU for $8 cheaper is going to kill PU sales,they dropped the ball.

 

[Audi Junkie]

The thing is, nobody with American cars will buy spec oil, yet alone expensive spec oil.


I returned another brick of PP today, lol. I simply have too much.

Started w/ 6x6q PP bricks, 6 5q PP jugs, 3 5q jugs QSS, 15q VSP, 5q Quaker State Truck & SUV, 50q Havoline DS, 10q FS, 15q GC, 12q Mobil 1 0w30 SL, 15q Edge, 2G GTX, 1G RP, and about 20G of Delo 30. Something's gotta go.

I gave 2 bricks of PP away and returned 2.

 

[Panzerman]

Not to mention that they picked a bad economic time to launch a top tier oil. Most shoppers are going to walk in and see the Ultra for $28 and look over and see the Mobil 1 for $5 to $6 less and remmember the reputation that Mobil 1 has as factory fill and Nascar racing oil and all that, since they have had that oil out forever, nevermind they changed the recipe to reflect the price, 90% of people arent oil fanatics and only remmember seeing or hearing about Mobil 1, Although the jug looks cool and sexy, they dont know much about Ultra, never heard of it or whatever, regardless its more money so they move on. The rest of the people come in and grab the cheapest oil on the shelf, kinda leaves Pennzoil Ultra, high and dry, I am surprised how many Walmarts are already clearance shelfing it.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
The rest of the people come in and grab the cheapest oil on the shelf, kinda leaves Pennzoil Ultra, high and dry, I am surprised how many Walmarts are already clearance shelfing it.

Yea like ST,that stuff is always gone off the shelf at my store.

 

[crazyoildude]

$28.00 for the ultra ? That is too much i will stick with Mobil 1 or pennzoil platinum when the price is low...When it goes up i let them sit on the shelves and collect dust

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: buster
PP and Ultra just doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure what PZ is thinking or going by.


Same basic setup as Mobil 1 / Mobil 1 Extended Performance, Syntec/Edge, it seems Pennzoil chose to differentiate Ultra from Platinum through superior cleanliness instead of superior drain intervals. I honesty thought that would appeal to a good number of people who don't like the idea of extended drains but like the idea of a "better oil". I guess the price keeps them from trying it.

 

[NightRiderQ45]

PU is too much and honestly it hasn't proved that it can do any better than PP. Especially after I saw that high mileage UOA on PP last week, that futher confirmed what I've been saying once this product hit the market. I think what Johnny said would've been the best way to bring PU on the market. I'm sorry but BITOG hype alone isn't going to push it off the shelves. You have to remember that A LOT of people STILL don't purchase SOPUS products because of the sludging problem back in the days. I still hear old timers speak on that.

So do you all think that oil prices will go up after October with SN is introduced??? If so, I will stock up before then. I'm not into having oil stashed like a lot of you all but if have year's worth at 5k oci's I'll be ok.

ST syn used to be a great value until they bumped the price up...but if I were into syn, I would probably use it since it should easily do 7500 oci's.

 

[Johnny]

"A LOT of people STILL don't purchase SOPUS products because of the sludging problem back in the days. I still hear old timers speak on that."

I personally don't think this has anything to do with it. Pennzoil is still the number one selling oil in North America. Shell wants everything to be as close to the same world wide as it can. In the rest of the world they have Helix Ultra, so in North America they wanted it to be Pennzoil Ultra. They just need one synthetic oil.

 

[demarpaint]

IMO PU is too similar to PP. They should have marketed it as an extended drain, top tier oil to compete with the Boutique oils, and really set it up above PP. I have yet to try it, and honestly for about $8 less for a 5 qt jug I'll stick to PP. If they roll out a really solid 0W20 on the order of Edge, Toyota, or Honda 0W20 I will try it. Otherwise no thanks.

 

[NightRiderQ45]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
"A LOT of people STILL don't purchase SOPUS products because of the sludging problem back in the days. I still hear old timers speak on that."

I personally don't think this has anything to do with it. Pennzoil is still the number one selling oil in North America. Shell wants everything to be as close to the same world wide as it can. In the rest of the world they have Helix Ultra, so in North America they wanted it to be Pennzoil Ultra. They just need one synthetic oil.

Honestly I think M1 is the number one selling oil in North America. If you go to Pennzoil site, they take the claim and vice versa with M1. I can't actually find any hard facts to support either claim. I personally think that M1 is more popular than Pennzoil throughout the US.

You are right, they need just one oil.

 

[steve20]

I would thinkthe SN oils would be higher priced, but SM will go on sale to clear the way for the higher priced stuff--?

 

[ryan2022]

I think Pennzoil could probably swing two syntethics, BUT they need to market it better.

For the average buyer, extended drain oils are hard enough to buy into, but when youre asked to pay more for an oil that isnt boasted to go longer than the standard PP, its a tough sell.

I think if they pushed it like Castrol Edge, or Mobil EP, it'd work for them.

 

[NightRiderQ45]

Originally Posted By: steve20
I would thinkthe SN oils would be higher priced, but SM will go on sale to clear the way for the higher priced stuff--?

Ahhhh...makes sense. Guess that I will wait for them to clear out the old stuff. So is this something they typically do when they change the oil ratings? Obviously I never paid attention to this prior since I wasn't into the oil thing. Heck I didn't even know wal-mart sold oil until joining this site! I used to always wait on the monthly oil/filter specials from AAP and AZ.

 

[HondaMan]

Ultra stock here in Texas is plenty, as it is not moving. M1 is always having to be restocked. PP does move as does Valvoline.

GTX sells as I ways see the techs having to come and grab bottles off of the shelf for customers calling for GTX in the oil change bays.

 

[Johnny]

Originally Posted By: NightRiderQ45
Originally Posted By: Johnny
"A LOT of people STILL don't purchase SOPUS products because of the sludging problem back in the days. I still hear old timers speak on that."

I personally don't think this has anything to do with it. Pennzoil is still the number one selling oil in North America. Shell wants everything to be as close to the same world wide as it can. In the rest of the world they have Helix Ultra, so in North America they wanted it to be Pennzoil Ultra. They just need one synthetic oil.

Honestly I think M1 is the number one selling oil in North America. If you go to Pennzoil site, they take the claim and vice versa with M1. I can't actually find any hard facts to support either claim. I personally think that M1 is more popular than Pennzoil throughout the US.

You are right, they need just one oil.


Let me be more clear. The Pennzoil brand is the number one selling motor oil in North America and Mobil 1 is the number one selling Synthetic Oil in most of the world. Conventional Mobil oils are way down on the list in North America.