RallyJon

Front diff won't be much help if one front wheel is spinning.

For slippery conditions, you would want a tighter center diff (more viscous) and a limited slip in the front too.

fast_freddy

All season tires are rubbish in the snow. My wifes wagon (MB E500 4-matic) used to have A/S tires and they were frightful in the snow. Now it has Blizzaks and is unbelievable in the snow. My C4 has the same and is even better in the snow than my wifes car.

Tires are everything...

ChicagoFX(993)

I have to say I somewhat disagree. I have Falken 512's on my Audi A4 (supercharged ic'ed 2.8) and I have NEVER had a problem in the snow/ice here in Chicago, and a lot of driving in norther IL and southern WI, as well as up in Door County WI (the "thumb" of WI).

But for the 993 S I DO have dedicated winter tires simply b/c it's RWD and not AWD. If I had AWD I would probably still go with the 512's.

RallyJon

C'mon now, there are people who are happy on all-season tires in the summer, too. Standards vary, and there's no way of discerning them from web forum posts. If you're happy with all seasons, congratulations! you'll save lots of money. I hear Pep Boys will sell a set of four for $149.95 with an 80,000 mile warrenty.

But if you're sliding down a hill backwards, only the tires can be to blame.

993Dude

While I am a fan of getting tires that fit the requirement - in other words, having a set of rims with winter tires - I am not a fan of Blizzaks. I found that on my Mercedes sedans they did not grip well and were noisy as heck on dry pavement. I switched to Nokian snows and the difference was amazing. Not only do they grip better, but they are quiet enough to run all year which is what they do in the Netherlands where they are made. They also have a very novel treadwear indicator imbedded in the track. I run the WR series but their "Hakka's" are also renowned snows as well.

ChicagoFX(993)

Yeah, I don't think pepboys off brand tires will suffice. And, I would never run all seasons in the summer, I guess I shouldn't run all seasons in the winter using that logic....

Brett - 1996 C4

XTC, are you sure that the Pilot Sports are all seasons? I always thought those were summer performance tires. I have those on my C4 and their performance (or lack thereof) in the snow we had last week up here in Seattle leads me to believe the latter. Plus the tread pattern is nowhere near what I would characterize as all season.

DJF1

The Pilot Sport A/S are supposed to be "All seasons". If you ask me, I can tell you they are not. They are more of a summer tire than a winter one. When you hit the "all season" category there are significant differences between the tires. As the lines are blurred some are geared towards better dry performance or rain or even snow. The WR's I have on the BMW are called "All Season" by Nokian, yet they have a snowflake symbol on the side. In reality they are really good in snow and slush, decent on ice, really good in the rain and adequate on the dry. Its an all around great tire if you have to be stuck with one type year round for sure. Simply there is not a single tire out there that will perform excellent in all 4 categories ( dry,wet, ice, snow). Having said that with so much snow and ice I had to deal with this year, I'm convinced that the best solution is to have a nice performance all season tire all year and a set of dedicated snow's when the white stuff starts to fall. The comparison in the snow and especially ice where most of the trouble comes from, between a dedicated snow/ice and the rest is remarkable.

Wilder

Winter vs. All Seasons: http://www.bchighway.com/myvehicle/a...snowtires.html

Brett - 1996 C4

Sorry, I misunderstood. Just took a look at the Tire Rack page for Michelins and I didn't realize they had so many Pilot Sport variations. I've got the Ribs, which are the summer tires. So, no traction for me in the cold!

geolab

ribbed ones are better known as N1

DJF1

Says who????

Brett - 1996 C4

N1 is just the designation that it is a tire blessed by Porsche. Pilot Sport Rib is the model name. The PS2 and SX MXX3 are also ribbed designs.

geolab

Says Michelin at Clermont-ferrand, the factory where they build this tyre.

When you call Michelin and ask for pilot sport in 285/30/zr18 they will give you two choices.

specification N0 or specification N1
they would not ask you rib or no rib.
I even have the Porsche/Michelin joint catalog for the 993.
they preconize the N0 for 17" and N1 for 18" in Michelin

If asked nicely, I could even scan their catalog where clearly it is written , and pictured.

Pilot Sport Rib is NOT the model name. Maybe at tyre rack it is, but try to call Michelin
and ask for Pilot Sport Rib.
N1 is not just a designation, It is the specification of the tyre where michelin has
developed it in CLOSE colaboration with Porsche.
The only difference with the other Pilot Sport, both ZR, is the Spec. N0 and N1

Although both are "blessed" as you say, Porsche recommends N0 for 17" and
the N1 for 18" when both have the exact MSRP price. So there is the difference, not
just mere blessing.

I purchased 4 new N1's in december, and called the factory to find a close retailer.

billhart

Well, I can testify to the lack of snowworthiness using regular performance tires. Snowed here in the greater New York city area for the first time this season- had no problems making it home last nite in the car, and called the local mechanic this morning, since he had pre- mounted new snow tires on the original 17" rims for the occasion- just needed to drive up this morning to have them fitted. Well, my driveway, which is cobblestones, lined with fieldstone retaining walls and steeper than the price of a new RS, was a sheet of ice. Like an idiot, on the way down the driveway this morning, I spun 180 degrees and managed to clip the lower front bumper and put an ugly gash in one of my nice new MY 02 18" wheels. I was going to do a respray on the lower bumpers anyway, and install the RS splitters, but had planned to wait til spring. So, the car is now safely at the mechanics--he just laughed at me-- and getting repaired, along with mounting the snow tires that should have been mounted before, rather than after the snow.