Friends. Did some more reading up.
There is a really excellent write-up at
http://www.carbibles.com/snakeoil.html
My spin on this is:
Synthetic oils were originally developed for use in gas turbine engines.
Engines that run at 50,000 rpm. The exhaust from a gas turbine is hot enough to roast a motorcyclist behind you.
Synthetics and synthetic blends do offer a wider range of protection than standard petroleum products.
The question is, is it necessary?
This extended range of protection reaches into a temperature and pressure zone virtually impossible to attain inside most engines and transmissions. In other words, while it won't hurt anything - it's just unnecessary.
That is, unless it makes you feel better knowing the extra protection is on board, in which case the added expense may be well justified. So can spending money on a psychiatrist.
As a basic rule of thumb, using the standard engine oil recommended by the manufacturer and changing it about every 3000 miles will afford you all the protection you'll ever need.
Wonder why the author titled his write-up: Snake Oil!
It's commonly a derogatory term for fake, fraudulent, and usually ineffective medicine. Also a metaphor for any hoax product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.