Quaker State is huge here in the MidWest. It's funny to be on BitoG and not hear much about an oil that is such a big deal to most around here. They have a very large and very loyal following. The funny thing around here is Pennzoil YB... that old sludge wax rumor still persists and I can walk up to anyone here and ask them what oil and the first words out of their mouth is "anything but pennzoil". It's maddening! But you ask them what they would like to put in it and you get a lot of Quaker State's. Which is comical to me b/c these people don't realize the tie with Pennzoil. lol
We have people around here that love to spread rumors and badmouth Pennzoil. Saying things like: if you bring a pennzoil receipt to the dealer your warranty is void on the spot! or people talking about being a mechanic and saying they seen 100's of cars come in all sludged up w/ pennzoil.
It [censored] me off to no end b/c it's complete fabrications and old rumors that are still spread by word of mouth.
This imo is why Pennzoil has so severely concentrated all of their marketing around "cleaning" and being "factory clean" etc. I think this is to finally KILL these stupid word of mouth talk that is spread so much.
Pennzoil YB is probably THE very best conventional oil in the world and does keep a car's internals amazing spotless. I'd say Mobil Clean 5000 is right there w/ it, maybe a tab better even. But the point stands, Pennzoil YB is an awesome oil and in the MidWest it still gets treated with venom and hate. I love to tell the people that hate it and love Quaker State how Pennzoil owns them too and watch their faces. lol
On topic: Pennzoil Ultra is a very fine oil but the problem is and always will be Pennzoil Platinum. PP had really started gaining momentum and becoming a real favorite oil of so many. They had all those killer oil rebate specials that got BitoG into it and then followed up w/ amazing UOA after amazing UOA. So Ultra comes out and we find out it's just another Group III like PP so what's the point? PP already does an amazing job keeps everything spotless. If Ultra had came out as a Group V with a bit of some Group IV in the mix, I think it could have a nice niche following and it would have a very marketable space for it. This would be so much easier for people looking to get into a botique oil like Redline or such, could easily get the Ultra off the shelf instead. Ultra also shouldn't have tied into exclusively with Wal-Mart. They should have came out with oil deal specials at a more high end minded oil place like the parts stores. Autozone, Pep Boys, O'Reilly's, Advance Auto and the like. Have an oil special like 5 quart jug of Ultra with a Pure 1 filter for $29.99 and do things like add the Ferrari hats with the jug would have been a nice touch. Think of a Group V and IV high end oil w/ a name like Pennzoil to market it and in a better place like parts stores where more hot rodder's and high end minded buyers are, make it a monthly special and these things would have found their place.
Ultra as it stands now, really doesn't offer anything over Platinum. It really doesn't. Factory clean was already achieved w/ Platinum and Platinum has a great following and highly respected, even here in the Midwest, where the PYB is so accosted. Ultra is a huge huge strikeout imo. The only way to save it now is to eliminate Pennzoil Platinum and sell the Ultra for the price that Platinum is sold at now. $21 at Wal-Mart now to compete with M1 and when M1 goes back to $26 so can they.
