I would say that, with modern cars, make sure you have the exact right specification oil matching the manufacturers requirements. For example, most 4-cylinder turbo engines (an increasingly popular engine type) absolutely require oil formulated to prevent LSPI (Low-Speed Pre-Ignition). The super-dense charge from the turbo makes it important to ensure the oil doesn't ignite. Not using an LSPI oil will significantly increase risk of engine damage.
In our street/track Alfa Giulia 2.0t, we started using Motul 300v a couple months ago (from Pakelo oil previously), which is one of the "best" race oils out there and is also one of the few race oils suitable for a few thousand miles of street use. We've been battling a new temp problem on track for while. The temps are perfect on street, but temps rise to slow-down levels in a lap or two on track. The last thing I suspected was that it was due to changing oils (even though it's the only thing we changed). With further reserach, it turns out that while 300v is one of the best race oils, it doesn't work well with the Alfa 2.0t. The esthers in the 300v are exceptional at pulling the heat out of the engine -- that's what make it a great race oil -- but only if you have a standalone oil cooler that can disipate that heat. The Alfa Giulia QV model has a separate oil cooler -- so it is the best race oil for that application. The Alfa 2.0t has the oil cooler in tandem with the radiator -- so that makes it the worst oil for the 2.0t. The heat the oil pulls out of the engine immediatly heats up the radiator at the same time. Motul 8100 X-clean Gen2 5w-40 looks like the ideal formulation to use -- better than the Pakelo for track -- doesn't have the high esther content of the 300v.
Getting the "right" oil is getting complicated on newer cars. It's not just a matter of getting the right weight of a particular brand -- need to look at the type of oils offered under that brand in those weights. If you follow the manufacturer recommendations for required ratings, you should be good to go though.
In our street/track Alfa Giulia 2.0t, we started using Motul 300v a couple months ago (from Pakelo oil previously), which is one of the "best" race oils out there and is also one of the few race oils suitable for a few thousand miles of street use. We've been battling a new temp problem on track for while. The temps are perfect on street, but temps rise to slow-down levels in a lap or two on track. The last thing I suspected was that it was due to changing oils (even though it's the only thing we changed). With further reserach, it turns out that while 300v is one of the best race oils, it doesn't work well with the Alfa 2.0t. The esthers in the 300v are exceptional at pulling the heat out of the engine -- that's what make it a great race oil -- but only if you have a standalone oil cooler that can disipate that heat. The Alfa Giulia QV model has a separate oil cooler -- so it is the best race oil for that application. The Alfa 2.0t has the oil cooler in tandem with the radiator -- so that makes it the worst oil for the 2.0t. The heat the oil pulls out of the engine immediatly heats up the radiator at the same time. Motul 8100 X-clean Gen2 5w-40 looks like the ideal formulation to use -- better than the Pakelo for track -- doesn't have the high esther content of the 300v.
Getting the "right" oil is getting complicated on newer cars. It's not just a matter of getting the right weight of a particular brand -- need to look at the type of oils offered under that brand in those weights. If you follow the manufacturer recommendations for required ratings, you should be good to go though.
