So I just picked up a 2011 Chevy Camaro SS. In my owners manual it specifically states that 93 octane gas is recommended, with 91 octane being the bare minimum. However, I cannot find anywhere in OKC (or OK for that matter) that sells 93. Right now I have to settle for ethanol free 91, which helps with gas mileage. However, when I was driving in TX (I picked it up from a dealer in Ft Worth) and put 93 the car had much better pick up.

...can't tell you about 93 octane in the metro -- but, when you used the 91 octane, did you hear any 'pinging' noises? The compression ratio for the '11 SS is 10.7:1 -- 91 should suffice.

I don't know any off hand, but auto parts stores (autozone etc) sell octane booster. That would work in a pinch. Just make sure you don't over do it.

Why would a lame american car require 93? You can get 93 at the Shell in Nichols Hills, as well as the gas station in Edmond on Danforth and Broadway used to carry it, but heard they didn't carry it anymore. Also, I know there are a few other places in the metro that carry it, and you might check with some of the racing shops, they could tell you. Be prepared to pay up the wazoo for it.

Check the texaco just north of 63rd and Western. I've seen Ferraris and Lamborghinis getting gas there.

Another thought to go along with Metro's racing shop suggestion...Check with municipal airports.

Thanks for the responses.


Check the texaco just north of 63rd and Western. I've seen Ferraris and Lamborghinis getting gas there.

Are you thinking the Shell there? I have not seen a Texaco (although I could have missed it). Unfortunately they sell 101 octane which last time I checked was like $7/gallon. Same with airports.



...can't tell you about 93 octane in the metro -- but, when you used the 91 octane, did you hear any 'pinging' noises? The compression ratio for the '11 SS is 10.7:1 -- 91 should suffice.

Nope no pinging noises or such, but my MPG has varied wildly from station to station. I asked a mechanic friend of mine and he said that certain stations that do not get a lot of usage out of their premium tanks will let them sit and eventually the octane rating of the fuel will go down. I'm still trying to figure out what stations to go vs. avoid. In the mean time the only way to really avoid this is buying 93 (according to him). Plain normal 91 runs just fine in my car. In fact my car runs on 87, but it has the performance of a bus.


I don't know any off hand, but auto parts stores (autozone etc) sell octane booster. That would work in a pinch. Just make sure you don't over do it.

If I can't find any 93 this will probably be the best choice. Although I will probably be the idiot that overdoes it and ruins his car.

You won't hear pings if you use less than 93 octane... the new engines are designed to "de-tune" the engine based on the octane of fuel you put it the tank so that it prevents possible damaging pings. The good news is you won't damage your engine using less than 93... the bad news is that when you do you aren't getting the best performance out of your engine.

My engine is the same but it is designed for 91 octane. When I tested it using lower octane fuel the engine de-tuned enough that the fuel efficiency went down too. So any money I saved at the pump was lost by getting worse gas mileage.

You don't see much 93 around here because we're at an altitude of 1200-1300 feet. (Call us the Quarter-Mile-High City.) As altitude increases, the demand for higher octane relaxes. When I was in western Montana a few years back, regular was 85 or so and premium was 89, maybe 90. Didn't stop anyone from owning high-performance cars.

For that matter, in Lubbock (altitude 3200 feet), about as high as you can find is 90.

...can't tell you about 93 octane in the metro -- but, when you used the 91 octane, did you hear any 'pinging' noises? The compression ratio for the '11 SS is 10.7:1 -- 91 should suffice.
My 71 Ranchero had a 351HO int it, that had 10:7:1 compression and pinged like a demon, the owners manual said a minimum 103 octane, a 351 Boss was 107. I used to get gas at Fill-Ups where the Shell is at 39th & Meridian, they had leaded 95 octane premium (about $1.25 a gallon when regular was 0.75), it would still ping with a pint of Moroso Octane Booster but quit pinging with a quart.

As WichitaSooner stated, with the electronics controlling everything now the same damage that might have occurred in my 71 won't happen now. Also, are you looking at the AKI number or a RON number? Most of the pumps have the AKI (R+M)/2) number on them which is different, the AKI number is about 5 points lower than the RON number. My BMW car and Triumph motorcycle both require premium (93 RON), both are fuel injected and adjust the ignition timing to all sorts of conditions, I have run some bad, low octane gas found in some small towns and while I noticed a difference in performance and mileage but it never harmed anything.

Most AvGas contains some lead, which could screw up a catalytic converter. You would be better off buying unleaded road racing fuel (like VP Racing Fuels (http://www.vpracingfuels.com/)) from a place like Parr Automotive (they used to carry it), Stephens Brothers Racing in Tulsa or at Hallet would have it as well.

You don't see much 93 around here because we're at an altitude of 1200-1300 feet. (Call us the Quarter-Mile-High City.) As altitude increases, the demand for higher octane relaxes. When I was in western Montana a few years back, regular was 85 or so and premium was 89, maybe 90. Didn't stop anyone from owning high-performance cars.

For that matter, in Lubbock (altitude 3200 feet), about as high as you can find is 90.

I've actually heard this but I have never got an accurate scientific explanation for it.

Also, Tulsa doesn't sell 93 octane but aren't they at an elevation of 700-800 ft?

Closer to 700 feet, though of course it varies across town.

Your quick-and-dirty scientific explanation: The engine, because of the reduced density of the atmosphere, draws in a smaller mass of air, which has the effect of reducing the compression ratio slightly (without actually doing it), thereby reducing the tendency to knock, thereby requiring lower octane. (This is not so good for turbos, which have a reduced compression rate anyway to compensate for the extra air being forced in. I admit to being fuzzy on superchargers, having never messed with any.)

Check with municipal airports.

AVGAS is generally 110LL. Yo might get by with a tankful but avgas for car motors is NOT a good idea.

Closer to 700 feet, though of course it varies across town.

Your quick-and-dirty scientific explanation: The engine, because of the reduced density of the atmosphere, draws in a smaller mass of air, which has the effect of reducing the compression ratio slightly (without actually doing it), thereby reducing the tendency to knock, thereby requiring lower octane. (This is not so good for turbos, which have a reduced compression rate anyway to compensate for the extra air being forced in. I admit to being fuzzy on superchargers, having never messed with any.)

Ahh, makes sense. Thanks for the rundown. Although I have heard something about evaporation in the tanks at higher elevations as well. Who knows?

An any event, I found out from a coworker that there is a Shell station off of 104th and 44 that does sell 93. Thats quite a ways from me (I'm in midtown) but I do go down to that Crest off May and 104th from time to time so I might just swing by on my next trip. I am going to take my car down to E as low as possible and see if it really makes a difference.