Another thing to consider is altitude. Here in Colorado (~5000 feet), for
instance, all the pumps start at 85 octane. In West Texas (~2000 feet) you
can't find anything less than 87. I'm not certain, but it would make sense
that at higher altitudes fuel burns slower (and mixtures are richer) and
thus the octane need not be as high. Of course, in the UK they're at an
altitude of about 200 feet, and at a rate of 1 point per 1000 feet that
would mean the UK would need about 90 or 92.
This is all conjecture, of course.
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So US 87 equals British 92, or something like
that. That's while the UK has 97 octane unleaded available, while the US
only has 92 (94 in Texas, apparently) -- it's the same thing.
>>
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