andy7777

Another Michigander here, what others said, do not drive high performance summer tires under 30 degrees or so. For get about cracking, they will feel like hockey pucks and you get way less traction than from the cheapest all seasons because you can't warm them up while driving.

I don't drive my 987s in the winter but if I did, I'd think about putting real snow tires on them. Pirelli Sottozeros on my BMW wagon don't have a particularly aggressive pattern like winters used to have, but are soft and grippy at -0 F temps. They're expensive but outstanding tires. Come April they come off the car. I think all-season tires are fine if you use them all year around. If you're going to use two sets of tires, maximize their properties for their design.

danschy

Yeah, when I first got my Cayman it had high performance summer tires on it and I figured I'd be OK over winter if I just avoided snow. Tried to drive a couple times when it was around 20F and was shocked. It was like I had rocks for tires - absolutely no traction - could barely start the car moving without spinning the tires and braking was scary. I then found out about the tire damage issue so stopped doing that, sold them, and bought some Pilot Sport A/S 3's which work great for me year round.

ekam

Continental TS830P have summer tires performance in dry winter road.

Boxsterman

I'm with Andy7777 here, I run Sotozero's in the winter. Living in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area, we get plenty of snow, ice, wet, and cold weather. Worth the investment.

PorscheAddict

DWS06 is the ****. I've driven in 8" of snow in them in my Audi A3 and they're still fine. Don't try that in a Cayman.

SomnoBoost

Thanks for all the info. The more the merrier. I'm not looking to have two sets of wheels though. I've driven it about 4-5 times this winter for no more than 1 hour at a time. Not worth spending $1k+ on a 2nd set of wheels just for that.

fast1

If your Porsche is not your DD, summer tires will give adequate traction in temperatures under 45 degrees. Of course the colder it gets, the less traction you have, and in the snow you'll have no traction. If the temperatures fall below 30 degrees, I'd keep the Porsche in the garage. When temperatures fall below 45, just abide by the speed limit.

badabing

Traction is one thing but all major manufacturers warn of cracking of the rubber compound in temps below 45 degrees so you will risk ruining your tires regardless of speed driven.

I'm sure there is some margin there but I definitely wouldn't go out on summer only tires near freezing temps.

fast1

I live in Md and the last three months have been very cold, 30 degrees and lower for about 70% of the days and below 20 degrees for about 30% of the days. There are four Porsche dealers within an hour of where I live, and my guess is that at least 90% of the Porsches on their lots have summer tires. So should buyers steer clear of these cars for fear of tire degradation?
In an ideal world Porsche owners who drive in the winter should buy winter tires. But for owners like me who drive their Porches less than 10% of the time in the winter, I don't see the need for winter tires, provided that the driver is cautious when the temperatures dip below 40 and refrain from driving when temperatures fall into the 20s. In my case I have never experienced any tire cracking on my summer tires, and my tires typically last about 15K miles. I'm certainly not a tire expert, and am just sharing my experiences.

benben01

Piling on... Have them on my C63 and Audi SQ5.. Ran thru 3 sets on my S4 when I used to put on 30K/yr for work...

SomnoBoost

Ok I'm leaning towards the A/S 3. Still exploring a bit.

Mike Murphy

ramans

Another vote for the DWS06 I use them year round on my Boxster, and the difference in the winter between them and the super sports on my cayman on cold wet pavement is astounding. The difference in the summer is way less than you'd expect. While I wouldn't track them I certainly don't mind them for hauling up a country road.

SomnoBoost

Thanks for all of the replies. Very helpful info and I'm sure others will benefit from it in the future. I ended up ordering some Continental DWS 06 in OEM sizes. I'll share my opinion after I get them installed.