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It snowed a foot in the mountains near Seattle yesterday so today I decided to try out my 2003 C4S on a 300 mile drive over three passes. The roads actually were well cleared and just wet but I did go through a couple of unplowed parking lots at Stevens Pass ski area. When I pulled in, I saw a Subaru being pushed to get it moving so I knew the snow was pretty wet and slippery. I have a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport AS3s. These may not be ideal for serious winter climates but are probably a good choice for Seattle. It is hard to say definitively without testing real winter tires directly against the AS3s but they seemed to do just fine combined with the Porsche 4S system. In addition they are very quiet and smooth. It made for a fun excursion. Now the car is in serious need of a wash.
People who don't drive their Porsche in the snow are missing out on a fun experience. I wouldn't do it with summer tires, but with proper rubber it's really fun. Up in the mountains where I live, I need proper winter tires. All seasons simply don't cut it.
The challenge with all season tires is they compromise both warm and cold weather performance. On my C4 I run Michellin Super a Sports in the spring summer and fall and Blizzaks in the winter. So I feel that I get the best performance all year round. Of course in the Chicago area we have a distinct difference between winter and the other seasons. Perhaps not so much in Seattle?