sgrade1979

I fear I will be parking the new car for the winter if the evil powers that be decide to salt the roads!

Must fight the urge to buy winter wheels and a hard top! My daily driver can get me through the season can't it?

996FourEss

The car handles brilliantly on winter tires, strongly recommend you try it out.

sgrade1979

My parents used to ice race Porsches ages ago, I know they can do it, and very well. My concern is more about the salt and other drivers

beentherebaby

^^^ Very reasonable concerns but if I lived in Germany I'd drive it. A clearbra and some TLC with paint sealant/regular washings and you should be OK.

Edgy01

I used to live in Heilbronn--a bit north of Zuffenhausen and Stuttgart. I drove my Porsche 911S throughout the winter. Just wash it weekly to keep it from getting too screwed up with the chemicals they use on the roads.

chrcook

I drive my ’09 C2S everyday in Michigan (and with two child seats in the back). A set if winter tires & rims and I’m off through the snow, salt and potholes. These machines are designed to be used, so why not? And, it’s a hoot to drive in the snow.

Chris from Cali

This will be my first winter driving the C4S. I've got my 18" OEM bolt-ons, Michelin PA2s, and whole bunch of good insurance! I told my wife today that we'll be getting the cars washed every week through the winter whether they "need" it or not...

Edgy01

The real issues for those of us who will drive these cars in the winter is that you have to contend with the others out there who may or may not be able to control their vehicles in bad conditions.

Minok

Salt is not that much of an issue anymore... really. The cars are now so corrosion resistant compared to 30 years ago. The aluminum is not going to corrode at all, the steel is all zinc coated and behind paint. Just be sure to give it a good rinse down with lots of water in after you encounter some salt, or early in the spring and you should be good. The rusty cars were really old, not properly protected or the owners just never wash them and the salt from the winter sits on them throughout the whole year.

If anything, its the other drivers or just the issues every driver can get into on ice and snow that would worry me more, but why would you own such a car if you are going to park the thing in the winter? Run it up the A8 damnit!

JW911

Porsche invented and introduced zinc plated steel body panels in 1976 and the rest of the auto manufacturers soon followed. When have you ever seen a rusty Porsche post 1976 model?

Drive it!

beentherebaby

Let's not get carried away with enthusiasm here on corrosion protection... Over time aluminum does corrode from salt brine as does steel. Will driving your Porsche in the snow be a problem however, not likely if you do an occasional car wash. Enjoy the snow and your Porsche.

Edgy01

Keep in mind that zinc is designed to sacrifice itself for the sake of the steel. However, over time, that zinc will run out, and then the steel will start to be attacked. And yes, I have seen rust on post-76 Porsches.

Alan C.

Also keep in mind that the zinc is typically less than 0.001" thick. If you get into an accident and need repairs odds are that the repair shop will grind right through the zinc to the base metal.

w00tPORSCHE

Yes there is rust even in the Carrera 3.2 and SC models (79 through 80's). This is my routine. After winter the paint gets clayed, polished and protected with wax. Wheels also get protected with synthetic wax which makes for a easy clean for the future. Before winter the paint gets clayed, not polished but protected with sealant (not wax) as it is affords more durable protection in the winter months.

Highway travel in winter: When I do travel over the pass, immediately upon return, I use a garden hose hooked to a garden sprinkler and move one feet every 3 minutes to give the undercarriage a thorough rinse to get any salt off (although in my area they usually use loose gravel for traction and not salt).

My only fear since I park outside at work is that how the electronics will hold up after say 5 to 10 yrs of cold exposure. It does not matter for people who dont keep cars for that long but it does to me. In the older cars there is not much electronics to worry about. In the newer ones there are far too many electronics and computerized gizmos.