Vehicle fluid and filter recommendations, selection and change intervals are based on some level of our costs less than theirs to run and getting past warranty. Beyond advertising worthy bragging rights no manufacturer really wants your vehicle to go 3 decades and 1/2 million miles. Running an engine at low speed, high load, stressed, using low viscosity lubes for 10,000 mile change intervals using filters that barely stop beach sand, operating at high temperatures, running on lowest cost fuel all help to reduce engine life and can often contribute to that sudden failure.
So while there are knock sensors and controls to help prevent "spark" knock, they are limited as to what they can actually accomplish and under load retarding spark, reduces power, you add more fuel you also add more heat. Things can actually get worse and then comes the "Low Speed Preignition" (LSPD). This is the out-of-control combustion before the spark. GM recognized some time ago that oil can be a contributor to this and partly addressed that in the Dexos specifications. Now that is known and is addressed in the API "SP" specifications. Even for non turbo engines this can take well running engine and destroy it in minutes.
This is the situation you may be able to avoid using higher octane and top tier quality fuels.
