Robert993TT

I bought my 993TT about 1.5 years ago. I have been using it as a daily driver during spring, summer and autumn. During the winter month I store it i the garage only to drive it once a month in order to maintain it and keep the seals from drying out.

I wish I lived where the roads are free of salt. If that would be the case I would use my 993TT all year round. I reckon its to old to use that way now.

I was invited to drive the whole range 997 (except GT3, and GT2), Cayman, Cayanne on a frozen lake in the north of Sweden last winter. It was an fantastic experience. The 911 is a great car in the winter. The whole range of cars (except Cayenne) had special prepared tires. Very much like rally cars comes equipped with. The rear tires on the 997TT looked quite out of order. However the grip was great and you had perfect control of the car at all times.

If I would live further up north I would love to try the 993TT in winter condition with the special prepared tires and see how it handles. There was a huge difference to drive the Porsches with normal winter tires on public roads compared to the frozen lake. Its like day and night.

I reckon there are a few persons here with 993TT. Are there any of you who has used your car during the winter and want to share your experience?

I posted this in the 993TT section as well. However, since I now posted it here. I can as well extend the question to the whole 993 range.

AM993

I drive my 993 (not a TT though) in winter. My only preparations for winter are: snow tires and spray the suspension components with a lubricant/protectant. During the winter, I wash my car at least once a week, including undercarriage. It's a blast to drive. My only concern is the other people on the road...

DJF1

I did by necessity last winter for a couple of months on Nokian tires which are snow rated. I drove it through slush and light snow and ice without issues. I was nervous however not so much on the capability of the car, but for all the other drivers around me. Stopping on ice patched roads was an interesting exercise, people usually slip and slide and someone plowing into you is a real possibility. So as soon as I bought my daily driver, I parked the 993 in the garage. I do not intent of driving the 993 in the winter unless its a gorgeous snow/ice free day.

RallyJon

After two winters in the C4, I would say it's an OK winter car. There are a few situations that really expose its weaknesses. When the road bends and has a crest in the bend, watch out! Downhill bends where you need to slow down and turn at the same time are pretty scary, too. Once the back end starts moving, you've GOT to be able to get on the power, and unfortunately road and traffic conditions don't always allow that.

Arnaud, would you share the name of the product you use for undercarriage protection? How does it come off in the spring? Do you apply it yourself?

AM993

I am spraying a product called "Rust Check"
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...romSearch=true
It lasts a few months. By the time spring arrives, I wipe off what is left of it (and the dust that it collected) and voila!

Falcondrivr

I drive mine all winter. Actually, I like to drive mine more in the winter because I don't have to use the air conditioner some of the days, so it's faster. My avatar picture was taken this last February.

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist.

richardew

I've only been through 12 winters so far. The first 8 in southern VA where it rarely snows. I didn't do anything special there. The last 4 have been in the Phila area. I run Blizzaks in the winter. They are amazing in the snow and also offer better traction in the cold. There is plenty of salt on the roads all winter long after the first snow and it hasn't harmed my car one bit. I go through the soft car wash regularly.

Rinty

My concern on winter driving would be salt and water mix penetrating various crevices and crannies and then slowly cooking away. While some manufacturers have made significant improvements in corrosion protection, the fact is that the cars do not have a hermetically sealed underbody.

On a related topic, how easy is it to start a 993 when it has been cold soaked at, say, - 20 C? And I wonder how many seconds it would take for synthetic winter grade oil to flow from the pump to the valve train?

I occasionally see liquid cooled Porches driving around in the winter in my home city, but I don't recall ever having seen an air cooled one.

Rinty

Ed Burdell

So true, so true.

Down here in Georgia, ice and snow are rare enough problems, so it's easy to forego a Porsche day in that weather. When it rains and gets slick, however, the same situations rear their ugly heads...getting onto I-75 S from Delk Road, I broke the rear end loose quite unexpectedly on that slight uphill, off-camber left turn.

rome

Snow?...I don't even like to drive mine in the rain...

rome

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Bull

911s of any vintage are great in the snow. When I lived in Seattle, they were the cars that we used for trips into various parts of the Cascades for skiing, etc. White Pass, Mt. Baker, and even Snoqualmie (ugh). All you need is the right tires and a driver who knows how to drive them in the snow/ice. It is a car that will show you quickly if you don't know!

95 C4 993

I do donuts in the Alta parking lot at few times a year. I dont drive in rain or snow but when the roads are clear on a nice day, I take it up to the mountains and play a little. A Porsche doing cookies/donuts in the snow in a wide open parking lot is something I recommend. By no means is this abuse but rather something I have crossed off the "things in life you should do at least 1x". Smiling and grinning is good for your health.

bobesser

I knew people who kept the VW beetle around just because it would start on the coldest days. They would then use it to help start the water cooled cars.

Bob

M. Schneider

Man.... I can think of plenty of cars to drive in the winter ~ and a 911 isn't one of them nor is my wife’s Boxster.
Yeah, Porsche AG has decades of winter tire testing etc., and in the recent decade there's even Porsche USAs Driver Experience held in Vail, Colorado; my home town. All very nice and surely a two day hoot with like minded 911 enthusiasts on the frozen snow, but do you really want to challenge every day roadway adhesion in your 993tt?

As others have mentioned, when the 911s tail end has lost adhesion you’d better get on the throttle – difficult or next to impossible to execute in downtown every day traffic even with the best of winter tires or not. There are other car choices as you know, but if you must 993tt in the winter the planets best snow tires are your first move. In the past Porsche AG had winter tire tests using the 993 chassis and IIRC the Dunlop M2 snow tire was at the top of a list of equally excellent snow tires. Drive slow ~

My 993 has an additional set of OEM rims with the Dunlop M2s M/S which I use as a cold temperature/seasonal tire and I can say first hand the tires are pretty good all-round performers on dry pavement. As for every day snow performance, I'd never know as my 993 is hibernating.