amar_kamath

I just got a 2006 C4 and live in Northern NJ. I am debating if I should drive it in snow. I am curious how many do it and if the power is manageable in the snow. Do you change your tires or just use the summer tires? I have Yokohama Advan Sport tires right now.

Tire Rack says:
"The ADVAN Sport is Yokohama's Max Performance Summer tire developed for some of the world's most prestigious sports cars, sports coupes and high performance sedans. The ADVAN Sport in the 275/35ZR20 size has been chosen as the exclusive Original Equipment (O.E.) tire for the Bentley Motors Continental GT equipped with the Mulliner Driving Package, the world's fastest four-seater coupe in 2005 with the maximum speed of 197 mph (318 km/h).

The ADVAN Sport is designed to achieve both ultra high speeds and a high level of comfort and traction. Like all summer tires, the ADVAN Sport is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

The tire's structure includes a silica blend tread compound developed specifically for the ADVAN Sport provides grip that's less affected by extreme low or high temperatures. The compound is molded into an asymmetric tread pattern featuring five main ribs including a massive, outer shoulder zone to blend handling with ride and noise comfort. Four wide, circumferential grooves help water flow through the footprint to resist hydroplaning. On the inside, a tire structure designed specifically for the ADVAN Sport, offers durability in the ultra high speed zone of over 186 mph (300 km/h) with two wide steel belts reinforced by spirally wound nylon cap plies providing strength and uniform ride quality, while the sidewalls are tuned to resist lateral deflection to provide predictable handling."

This makes me think I gotta get winter tires? But winter in NJ is different from winter in Vermont, for example...

Thanks for opinions and advice. -Amar

greenie

Forget the summer tires. AWD will not help you with the wrong tires. You have two issues here 1)Low clearance and tires. Thers not much that you can do about the clearance but if I were you, I would put a set of Bridgestone Blizzak LN-22 dedicated snows on that baby so that AT LEAST youll have peace of mind when the snow flies.

p-cardriver

Here's my experience and thinking from the Detroit area. I just picked up my 997S yesterday so I have only one day's experience with it at all, but it was low 40s temp and raining the entire 150ish miles home.

My prior car was a BMW Z4 coupe - fantastic on dry roads and I thought with their traction control systems etc I would be fine in winter. After all, snow is really a pretty infrequent event, the salt goes down quickly and the roads are cleared, so I could skate by. And that's exactly what happened. In the first week of December last year, the car's first winter, we had a tinge of ice (frozen frost, really). In my subdivision, driving slowly I went up to a T intersection, cautious as always there. A Jag approached from the right side intending to turn left down the T as I went up intending to turn left myself. So I slowed and gently applied the brakes. ABS engaged and I slid. Zero steering response, zero braking response (either full on with ABS or modulating), zero throttle response. Skating. The Jag driver was somewhat clueless until he realized I was going to hit him - then he gave just enough throttle to pull out of my way and I missed him by inches. All of this at well below 20 MPH. I ended up in the grass of a neighbor's lawn (just my front wheels), backed up, went home and called tirerack. These were the stock summer tires. I ordered winter tires and the car's character changed immediately, confidence restored, and then drove all winter without any hint of trouble.

So that car went when I picked up my 997S - and my plan is, once again, to try to avoid buying winter tires until next fall. This time, however, I will plan to drive our X3 most days (which was my wife's last winter - she'll be driving her CaymanS which does have winter tires mounted). And in really bad days, we'll probably both be home because that seems to be the way of the world these days (everything closes).

We've got snow on the ground (not the roads) today so maybe I'll take the 997 out and see what its like with cold, wet roads. Fortunately they haven't salted yet.

BTW, the 997S was much more firmly planted coming home in yesterday's conditions, with its stock tires, than the Z4 was on its winter tires going there. Those tires only have 5-6k miles and plenty of tread - I think this is due to the Z4 tending to float up on them given how wide the shoes are on it (my winters were narrower than the summers). I was worried enough on the way out that I considered either turning back or staying overnight (not a good idea on T-giving eve for domestic tranquility), because I worried that the 997S would be too hard to manage - but the opposite was the case.

That's a long ramble, but my advice is if you're going to use the car regularly in cold, wet, ice or snow, then get winter tires. Unless you have a tire guy you trust, call tirerack and talk to their reps. They can tell you if you need an ice tread (blizzaks are really good for that), snow tread, cold weather performance tire, etc based on your location and driving preferences. And they'll sell you some winter wheels too - unless you want to stick with a factory product. Me, I like cheap winter wheels because I don't feel bad about them getting salty and dirty and neglected all winter.

p-cardriver

RonCT

Welcome. Take some time and page through the forum and run some searches on people's experience with Porsches and snow. Others have been posting their findings for many years.

In general, you never want to run summer compound much below 40 degrees. Yes, my PS2s are fine for street / track use down to 28 degrees (the coldest spring DE I can remember at Lime Rock), but grip is not optimal.

If you are going to run in the snow, you need snow tires -- the narrower the better.

mal28

I have been driving porsches in the snow for 10 years (993,996 and 997), Do NOT even think about driving in the snow with the summer tires! I put on snow tires and the car is great in the snow.

call Dave Martin at http://www.wheelenhancement.com/ for advice

sharmat

To answer your question amar_kamath: I dont drive my car in the snow. Mainly because of the road salt exposure. There is no need for me to get all that nastly stuff all over the car. I just just use my other car for those bad weather days.
But if you dont care about salt exposure (ie. you are leasing the car) than a good set of 4 snow tires are a must, just as others have pointed out.

printemps2001

The difference between summer and winter tires is not just tread, but the compound. The summer tires don't work in the cold. Period. A couple years ago, I took my S4 out late night (roads were empty) in a storm with the summer rubber just to see what it was like. My curiosity was quickly satisfied. The car went ok, but the ability to turn and stop were pretty much non-existent. I would never do it again.

I had put Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S (all season) on my S4 (after the above experience) and that car drove quite well in the snow.I just had Michelin Alpins put on my 2007 C4 last week. Although it hasn't seen real snow yet, compared to the Audi, I think the C4 should perform well for the following reasons:

1. The Porsche has dedicated snows.
2. The weight bias of the Porsche means most of the weight is over the primary drive wheels (the Audi has a front-drive bias versus the C4 with a rear drive bias).
3. The clutch and throttle response on the Porsche is far smoother and less jumpy than the Audi making for smoother launches.

I hope this comparison gives you some help. I'll have to wait until it snows to see if my ideas have merit, but I suspect they do. At the end of the day, ground clearance will be the limiting factor in a C4, not traction. Also, if you do get in a position where the tires spin and you can't get rolling, turn off PSM and be gentle on the gas. That will help get you rolling.

amar_kamath

Thanks guys. I am off to tire rack/ebay/local tire shop...

Amar

Cesko

I've got the Michelin Pilot Alpines. But whatever brand you get...you have to get winter tires.

Arnzo

I made this mistake with my S4. I scheduled an appointment for a Saturday morning in December to have winter tires put on. It snowed about three inches the night before but I was not too worried. Despite knowing that my PS2s would be crap in the cold, I thought AWD would be enough to make the 4 mile journey to the tire shop. Wrong. I ended up in a ditch on the side of the road 200 yards from my house. I was cautious, maybe hit 25 MPH before she slid off the road. The best analogy I can give you for summer tires below 40 degrees is its like driving on four hockey pucks.

Deanski

No snow driving with my 997 C2S. Too worried with the other idiots out on the road for one, and two, I use a beater car for winter driving.

Deanski

yell03

What tires did you end up with?

For next season I am considering some All-Season Toyo Proxes 4 as insurance in case I get caugh in snow.

Most likely I will leave them on Year Round.

My problem is I have the Turbo rims with 305/30/19s out back, nobody makes a Snow or All-Season tire in that size.

Most likely I will thrown on some 295/30/19s on the rear, supposedly that is what Porsche recommends and it is close enough in size to the 305s as not to damage the AWD system.

Howard

p-cardriver

Howard,

I'd suggest you get some 18 inch rims if possible and winter tires for them. That's what I ended up with, and I've had no trouble except when the snow is too deep for underbody clearance (not a tire issue). That way you've got your summer tires for warmer weather and winters for the cool months, best of both worlds. Shop the wheels because they represent your true cost of this approach (you'll buy tires based on the mileage anyway, having two sets just defers the time to buy again and provides a few spares if needed). My car is a C2S, btw.

yell03

I wonder if I can get Turbo rims in 18", I love how they look on the car.

Howard

amar_kamath

I actually ended up just driving my pick up. The original plan was to sell it, but we got more than our fare share of snow in sussex county, nj. It was more like global cooling up here...Amar