Hula

DD through winter including mountain blizzard conditions. Dedicated winter wheels and tires. I've taken damage a couple of times due to low clearance but minor stuff. Never had a control issue but it doesn't feel planted when it gets deep. I attribute that to the staggered setup. It just means I have to drive a little slower, like a normal person. Xpel on the whole front but the windshield takes a beating since we use sand as well as salt and mag-chloride in Colorado. I'll powerwash the crud when I get the chance but it gets dirty. I figure Italians are the shiny garage queens and Germans are for the road.

Cramp

All year DD'er here - NE Indiana.. So, it doesn't get too crazy here but enough to warrant snow tires. Snow tires transform any car but I've honestly never had a car that did better in the snow than my C4S. It's essentially what my B8 S4 and '11 STi wanted to be but couldn't because of their weight issues (and more).

Bruce In Philly

1 - Protection is crap, just trying to sell you stuff and prey on the weak. 2 - Of course protect it.

In short, I try and put a nice coat of Carnauba wax after my last wash of the fall (I use Mother's because it is easy, good, and does not contain any oils that make it look shiny but lasts days before evaporating). I suspect the wax coating lasts maybe 30 days. Then I don't wash it until the 1st good day of spring and my hose unfroze. The wax evaporates and dissolves away despite claims IMO. I always use Zaino... a polymer, but I would never claim that to be a "protectant". Modern paints are pretty darn amazing..... I wash the car quite a bit, and about once a year, I polish the micro scratches out with my Porter Cable random orbital and use a mild abrasive, Meguires Ultimate Polish.... followed by Zaino. Some folk claim that this polishing will wear down the paint... burn the finish blah blah blah...... and you have to protect your paint with some expensive crap...... BS.

BTW, Zaino is stupid easy.... and again, I don't consider it a protectant at all. Even Sal Zaino says it is only a few molecules thick.

Below are a few pics of my 2000 Boxster S with 150K-175K miles on it after I just polished and then Zaino'd it. The paint is mostly original except for the front bumper, hood, and I suspect the front fenders from blending. Not only was this my only car, daily driver for 13 years and 197K miles, it was parked outside in Center City Philly with only the front half kinda parked under an overhang. It is from these experiences I have become.... "grizzled".

Peace
Bruce in Philly

140.6er

Balr14

Amen to that! I get the smallest, narrowest wheels I can fit on my car and some good snow tires; the narrower the footprint the better. Narrow tires cut into snow much better. I have been doing this with every car I've owned for over 50 years and I have never got stuck. The biggest problem I have in snow is traffic!

Petza914

Some of us higher HP guys need more braking than a 17" wheel will allow for, and a fully forged wheel made with US forgings like the Forgelines I run really don't bend when you hit a pothole - you might cut the tire, but the wheel usually holds up fine - ask me how I know. A cast wheel usually does not fare so well.