ljibis

Does anyone have experience driving a 944 in the winter, in the snow, etc?

I'm wondering how the cars do through snow with a good set of snow tires mounted up. The weight distribution and very light weight seems like it would be good in the snow...the downside, of course, being how low they are to the ground.

I bought an Audi for winter, but I don't really like it and found another 944 n/a that I want to buy.

M758

I heard from a friend who lived in colorado that a 944 NA was great snow car with snow tires. It only got bad when the snow got deep as the front end turned into a snow plow.

No personal experience however.

Andre

Drove it for 2 winters now. SNOW TIRES are a must. The low weight i would think would be a bad thing. I may be wrong though. With good tires its not bad, make sure they are thin though. Drove mine for one snow day with my regular 225 on the rear and it was a disaster.

In my opinion, yes you can drive it, it'll work fine....but dont BUY a 944 as a winter car. I mean the whole advantage to owning it...nimble, light fun car goes away because you cant play around with it on the street if its snowy (big parking lots are great though) and you still have all the disadvantages, only fits 2, still not GOOD traction in snow, breaks down all the time.

Just my opinion...but to answer your question WITH good snow tires, yes it'll get you around in the winter.

Scott at Team Harco

Yes - I tried to move my car into the driveway a couple of years ago after we had gotten about 1" of snow. No dice! It wasn't the fault of the car - it was the tires. S-03 Pole Positions have no traction in snow. Had to leave the car in the street until the snow melted a few days later.

Anyway - if you do decide to use a 944 in the winter - proper tires are mandatory. Do not even consider "all-season" tires. They aren't worth crap in any condition. Get a dedicated set of winter tires. Nokian, Hakka, Blizzak, etc. will work well. You'll have a ball in the snow with a 944 and the right tires. Also I would suggest going a little taller (larger diameter) than the stock size. A higher aspect ratio will give the car a little more ground clearance. Also keep the tread width narrow to help cut through the slushy stuff. for example: a 205/65R15 winter tire will make a good replacement for the stock 215/60R15.

Ask if you need recommendations on sizing. Be sure to include the rim dimensions...

Jfrahm

I have driven many sports/performance cars in the snow and they are generally pretty terrible. Ground clearance is the biggest problem. If you get enough snow such that you are plowing, you lose a lot of steering authority. Rutted roads make this a lot worse. Icy overpasses can get interesting too.

A lot depends on where you live and if you need to drive. If you can take the bus or walk on bad days, race home before it gets too icy, etc. you can get by with anything. It's a lot more liberating to have a good snow car with AWD or FWD, decent tires and some ground clearance.

-Joel.

yellowline

As an HS senior, I used my NA through the winter. I put Goodyear Assurance all-seasons on the back of the car. I assume you know how to drive well in snow. I just mention that because I totally forgot my car's lack of ABS and went Flexible Flyer style through a (rural) intersection. Depends on what'll force you to stay home...I didn't really go out in snow with the 944 unless I had to get to school. If it got called off, I stayed home.

My parents have an old Volvo 740 (RWD) with Swedish snow tires. Cuts right through snow with a bag of sand in the trunk. We've gone out in storms that have stranded FWD cars, SUVs, 2WD pickups, etc. No particular drivetrain will bail you out in snow, but 4 quality snow tires will.

Dave in Chicago

I have driven 944's and 968's year around as daily drivers in the Chicago area for 5 years now. Really, a front drive little car with a stick shift is better, but it can be done.

Snow tires are a must! Get all four, narrower is better, slightly taller doesn't hurt either. The car is galvanized, makes heat fast, has heated outside mirrors, and starts after sitting out at the airport -10 F.

When the snow gets deep, clearance is a problem. I've driven with it up past the door sills, but that's rally car mode at that point. Not recommended.

Most of the time, it's just cold or light/plowed snow. For that, I never hesitated to light up the 944/968 and hit the road.

JustinL

I've driven my 944 in our cold Edmonton winters for 5 years now. Never hit a curb, never put it in the ditch. With blizzaks I have yet to have any white knuckle traction problems. I ocasionally fill the airdam with snow, but thats about the worst of it. Now I will say that the battery placement in our cars is pitiful for extreme cold as the engine heat never warms it up. If you park in an unheated place and see temps in the -20°C range, get yourself an electric battery blanket.

Fantastic winter cars IMHO.

ljibis

Wow! Thanks for all the information.

I live in Minneapolis, MN and grew up in South Dakota, so I have been driving in snow all my life. In high school I had a 1971 Chevy C-10 2WD pickup with a big block and Posi-traction...horrendous in the snow unless it had about a ton of sand in the back. I don't think any Porsche could be that bad, but I do know what it's like on slippery stuff without ABS, traction control, etc.

My Audi is a 1992 100CS non-quattro that is lowered with H&R springs. I don't think it has any real advantage over a 944 in ground clearance. Thus the only net gain would be from the front wheel drive and ABS, and since I'm usually dealing with plowed (or semi-plowed) streets I'm not sure the 944 is giving up my ground. Plus my garage at home is heated, as is the one I park in at the office.

I need to think about this a little more. Anyone have information on dedicated snow tire sizes for stock phone dials?

Holson

Would 15" 944 wheels fit on the 951?

If I decide to keep my 944, i'd probably drive it in the snow too. If it gets too bad I'll take the bus.

Scott at Team Harco

Yes - try the tire size I recommended above.
If this link works, you can see what Tire Rack offers...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...=All&x=21&y=11

I would not recommend the last one listed (Winterforce, unless you get it studded). The best winter tires are not available from Tire Rack. They are Nokian (also the maker of Hakkapeliitta) tires. See their offerings at www.nokiantires.com

DanG

Scott, aren't you a Hakka dealer?

Also, partially on/off topic, does anyone have a single (slightly used, preferably cheap) Blizzak WS-50 205/60R15 in good shape? The beautiful MI roads chewed up one of mine for no particular reason at the end of the winter. I swapped over to summer tires and need to find a new one before the snow flies again.

ljibis

Thanks very much, once again. This is truly a great forum.

It seems that Blizzaks are kind of the standard. There is a Nokian dealer here near my office that I am going to go visit. It may be a good idea to just get the best I can afford, since come next spring I am planning on updating to 17" Mille Miglia Cups with summer tires....

Scott at Team Harco

Ahhh...yes, I am.

And yes - I think I have one WS-50 in that size. Send me a PM if you want to talk.

Stan944

With snow tires it drives just fine in winter. Now I have Michelin X-ice tires (new model last year), which are good on snow/ice, and still quite OK on dry highway. I went narrower than stock: 205 65r15 (stock is 215 60r15).