An innovative testing system developed by Castrol combines motorsport simulations, advanced telemetry, and bench testing to evaluate engine oil performance under extreme and controlled conditions.

  • New 30,000km-plus, 14-day drive cycle on a chassis dynamometer is shaped by a programme of motorsport simulations and advanced telemetry analysis
  • Endurance demo simulates maximum-pace laps of iconic race and rally venues, completed by pro racer Tom Randle
  • Provides new insight into performance capabilities of Castrol’s most advanced engine oils, including EDGE 0W-20 LL IV

Castrol has developed an innovative new process to explore how its advanced engine oils perform when pushed to extremes under controlled test conditions. Building on its ‘data engineered’ ethos for product development, Castrol’s new ‘Ultimate Performance Demo’ combines motorsport simulations, advanced telemetry analysis and endurance testing on a chassis dynamometer

To create the new drive cycle for the Ultimate Performance Demo, Castrol challenged Australian Supercars Championship and Castrol Racing Ford Mustang GT driver, Tom Randle, to drive at maximum pace in a professional-grade race simulator on a carefully planned sequence of iconic motorsport circuits and rally stages. Each was chosen to maximise the demands placed on the oil and simulate a variety of real-world driving scenarios, all featuring dramatic changes in engine load.

The routes included some of those currently used for F1 (Shanghai, Monaco and Miami), NASCAR (Daytona), Rally Raid (Dakar), and the World Rally Championship (Finland and Sweden), as well as the Pacific Coast Highway as a conventional ‘experience drive’. Castrol also added simulated drive cycles used for industry-standard engine tests*, as currently required to meet the latest OEM specifications for engine oils.

These multiple simulations resulted in a combined 250km sequence, which Castrol then repeated 120 times to create a punishing 30,000km-plus drive cycle. When programmed into a chassis dynamometer, the full Ultimate Performance Demo takes a real vehicle over 14 days of non-stop running to complete.

The creation of the new demo is part of Castrol’s focus on developing premium-grade engine oils that are ‘data engineered’ to meet or exceed industry benchmarks across seven critical factors: power, high temperature performance, pressure, wear, cleanliness, fuel economy and endurance.

Putting Castrol EDGE through its paces

Castrol initially used its Ultimate Performance Demo to validate the performance of its most advanced EDGE engine oils, including Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV. Using a Mercedes-Benz C300 C-Class coupe as the test vehicle mounted on the chassis dyno, Castrol found EDGE 0W-20 LL IV completed the demo cycle showing no degradation in maximum engine power, an ability to continue to deliver protection based on the remaining capacity of the advanced additives and base oil ingredients, and negligible levels of wear to the engine’s steel and aluminium components.

Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV is a next-generation 0W-20 low viscosity long-life engine oil that contains Additive Technology which responds to the changing pressure conditions to reduce friction and support engine efficiency. Rigorously tested for over 10,000 hours, Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV has been designed to address many of the challenges associated with modern engines. While smaller, powerful units offer better fuel economy, the greater use of turbocharging can increase the amount of pressure inside the engine. Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV’s low viscosity formulation minimises the energy required to move it around an engine’s internal components.

Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV has secured, simultaneously, the latest low-viscosity approvals widely regarded as among the most demanding in the industry: BMW Longlife-17 FE+ (from BMW Group), MB-Approval 229.72 (from Mercedes-Benz), VW 508 00/ 509 00 (from Volkswagen), JLR 5006 (from JLR), and Volvo VCC C6SP (from Volvo). In addition, the new lubricant is approved for Porsche C20, meets Ford WSS-M2C956-A1 specification, and also meets the requirements of OEMs recommending the use of ACEA C5 or ACEA C6 0W-20 oils.

It is suitable for use in petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles, and is available to consumers and workshops in one-litre, four-litre and five-litre packs.

Vincent Panel, Head of Product & Communications – Europe at Castrol, said: “Our new Ultimate Performance Demo combines the precision of virtual simulations and the robustness of real-world conditions. The Castrol EDGE range has been data engineered to withstand demanding driving conditions, while maintaining the high performance. This demonstration reflects our efforts to continue to produce highly advanced engine oils in the market, enabling motorists to unlock the EDGE of performance.”

To learn more about the Ultimate Performance Demo, visit: Castrol EDGE Ultimate Performance Demo.

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Notes to editors

*Tests included Sequence IVB and VH tests, and WLTC and FTP-75 fuel economy tests

10 June 2026

Anicecommunication Press Office and Media Relations Castrol Italy