They can push alignments, but that doesn’t mean that you need to do one.
With that being said, a 911 is just a car. I wouldn’t have any issue with a reputable independent doing the alignment.

I do want to echo the other comments here about having a second set of wheels. Repeatedly, removing and re-installing tires on the same set of rims is not ideal for the tires. Plus, you’ll see evidence of changed wheel weights, residue, and even scratches. It’s a good idea to have a complete second set of rims. If you buy an official Porsche wheel set, you’ll discover that Porsche uses different offsets on the winter wheels to keep thrown rocks/salt in the wheel wells — smart.

 

Just one of the advantages of living in Southern California . . . . my Summer Tires ARE identical to my Winter Tires. Come to think of it, they are exactly the same tires.

 

True. But I've lived in Orange County. And while CA has some great roads, some of your highways often feel like parking lots at times.

 

I am in the middle of making this decision now. While i see the benefit of an extra set of wheels, I am not sure I can justify the cost. It will take me 6+ years of rebalancing/mounting to make up the difference between getting just tires vs tires + wheels. I also have tire and wheel insurance so even I bang up my current wheels I can just have them fixed. Plus I love the look of my current wheels and not having them on for almost half a year defeats the purpose. Leaning tires only!

 

I live in the mountains in Colorado. Snow 6+ months of the year. I've had winter to all season and back again tire changes done on 3 vehicles for 11 years. Not a single problem with damage to tires or wheels with the local tire shops. I will continue with this routine with the C4 with no concerns.

 

Your analysis omits the residual value of the wheels (and maybe tires) when you sell the car or are otherwise done with them. That's why I have always bought factory winter wheels and have had no problem at all selling them for at least half of what I paid for them. Net the purchase price out of the cost and if you can store the wheels at home and don't mind swapping them yourself its a no-brainer I also use the semi annual swap time to do an extra good inspection and cleaning of the wheels, wheel wells, brakes and suspension..

 

I just bought a set of winter Pirellis, so I agree with you. I'm going to spend the extra bucks to have my Porsche dealer mount the tires in the fall and spring, figuring that in the unlikely event they damage either the wheels or the tires, they will make it right. Going to NTB or Discount Tire is a gamble if there is a problem, I believe. One other reason I passed on getting winter wheels is that I sprung for the Carerra Exclusive wheels for almost $3000, and I didn't want to be without them for four or five months out of the year.

 

Vote to ban Bluehighways!

 

I hope to just avoid winter tires altogether. Here in SW Ohio there are probably only 30-40 days in winter where driving on summers would be a bad idea. I have been driving my Z4 every month all year around and just avoid snow or very cold days. The same I plan to do with the C2S Cab.

 

I do exactly the same thing and prefer it versus buying a separate set of wheels.

My trick is to have my local Audi dealer do the swap. Great service, they have the right equipment for 21" wheels and ~30% cheaper.

 

Don’t drive on the summer tires below 40F.

 

From the Pirelli website: "When temperatures fall below 45° F, winter tires reduce braking distance by 10% on wet surfaces and by 20% on snow compared with summer tires." What they don't say is that everything is fine in the dry below 45° until you turn the steering wheel and the front end has all the precision and feedback of a set of flat tires. If you want to drive it like a Porsche in the cold, consider the winter wheel/tire set. Though, with snow and ice you might want to take it back a notch on those curves.

 

On many days in the winter, it may be 35 degrees in the morning when I leave, and warm to 55 degrees by the afternoon. Is the handling of the car compromised when driving with winter tires in temperatures above 45 degrees? I know that winter tires will wear very quickly in warmer temperatures, but my question is what happens to performance-- steering, braking, cornering-- when driving with winters at higher temperatures.

 

I know there is a lot of passion on this topic. My DD, a M235 Coupe gets a set of winter tries and I drive it in snow and ice as long as I have clearance (4"). My Roadster (and in the future C2S Cab) I am driving with MPSS all year around and in winter dry conditions. As the car is garaged, the tire temperature in the garage rarely falls below 50F. When I drive it, the tires stay even in the cold above 50F. Now, if the car is parked outside overnight or during the trip, the tire temp falls well below and indeed you feel like driving on hockey pucks, i.e. not recommended. Also wet / cold and snow / ice is a no-go on summers.

 

They will feel squishy and vague compared to summer tires at non-winter temperatures but it's no big deal - winter tires are meant to feel squishy and vague. They're actually pretty consistent at a wide range of temperatures (from below freezing to normal summer temps) while summers drop off noticeably in the cold. But a winter tire's peak performance (which again is pretty independent of temp) is like 30% off of a summer tire's grip, feel and precision at its peak temperature.

In my experience, real winter tires (blizzaks, etc) last about 3 winters - 4 if you're pushing it.