Monday, September 12, 2011

Only the good stuff!

I find it interesting that there are quality grades in pretty much everything you can buy. With most consumer products there is a non-linear price/quality curve that starts out steep and flattens off into sometimes astronomical prices. For example, a $500 pair of speakers will sound a lot better than a $100 pair. A $1,000 pair will probably sound better than the $500 pair but the jump in quality won't be as much. I have listened to madly expensive speakers, $50,000 and up and yes, they sound good but you have to have an extremely good ear to tell the difference from the $1,000 pair.

The B&W Nautilus speakers, $60,000 / pair
I digress though, the intent was to talk about gas. Fuel that is, for cars. Most gas stations sell different grades of gas and try to differentiate them by adding mysterious compounds (Techron!, V-Power!) that presumably make your car engine a happier, healthier machine. The higher-end the car, the higher-end the fuel it wants. High-performance cars want the good stuff, 93 RON or higher. RON is the fuel grade, it starts at 82 and goes up to 94 here in Canada for regular consumer grade fuel. The problem is, 80% of gas stations top out at 92. For obsessive car owners like myself, that won't do. I can't put anything other than 94 RON fuel in my car. Given that the only gas brand selling 94 RON around here is Chevron, I have now memorized the locations of Chevron stations in Vancouver as well as the BC interior. I plan routes around them. I obsess over mileage when going to the US where 94 RON seems impossible to get. How US sports car owners manage, I have no idea.


So yeah, nothing but the good stuff.

And don't get me started on chocolate. Or any other food for that matter :-)

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