No more 92; Premium octane rating drops in California.(Brief Article)

While it's hardly news compared to rolling blackouts, Californians are now dealing with another energy crisis: In August, the octane rating

of premium gasoline in the state quietly dropped from 92 to 91.

For many, the drop in octane won't make much of a difference, as most late-model vehicles that need premium fuel only require 91-and most will even run on 87, albeit with reduced performance when the knock sensor kicks in and retards the timing. Hardest hit: Owners of older,

carbureted cars and trucks or those running hot-rodded engines; it's hard to lower compression once you've dropped in those flat-top pistons.

And the owners of Porsches with fuel filler flaps that clearly recommend 93 octane? Don't worry, your cars are designed to accommodate fuel as low as 91 (it says so in your owner's manual). And the difference between 92 and 91 isn't all that great.

``I don't think you will notice,'' says Walter Lewis, Porsche senior compliance engineer. ``On a dyno you might, but it would be very minor.''

Okay, but what happened? Another Big Oil conspiracy? The work of the notorious California Air Resources Board? Well, as is anything involving energy and California, it's complicated.