stevepow

How far do you think you can go like that? I'm thinking a distance so short that I'd soon save the $1500 and wait for RA. But for incidents in the real world - the one with spotty cell service and miles to go before you sleep - a spare is a better bet.

Mike in CA

Really? You're kidding, right?

morecarl

I saw that on TV once after someone ran over a spike strip.

LeNoah

Anyone with real life experience or opinions on Rhinotire?

zanwar

Thanks for the link, much appreciated.

stevepow

Talk to the Suncoast guys about the rear seat mount before you order - that "cradle" for the tire is ~$100 - that you don't need to order.

Mike in CA

My pleasure.

I had thought about that, but thanks!

Sweeper

I had this happen last summer, in a very populated area of NH. I waited 4 hours for a AAA ramp truck to show up. Apparently AAA will only send a "certified exotic car trained driver". Only one of which exisits in southern NH..
THe local and state police showed up to giggle that the $100K car doesn't have a spare. One guy asked me, "what kind of car is that" Duhh!!!

It did cost me around 1500 for a nice summer ride in cowhampshire

JW911

Sounds crazy but in an emergency it may well be very possible. I once watched an LA police chopper film a chase that went on for like 2 hours at times nearly 100 mph and the guy was missing at least 2 tires.

Too bad the runflat tire has not been perfected. Seems like the perfect solution. But BMW uses them, and I'm told the ride is exceptionally harsh and I imagine not up to the roadholding expectations of Porsche and Porsche owners.

stevepow

I RFs on my 550i - didn't seem harsh and the handling was decent the few times I took it up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Of course a 550i is no 180MPH track car so maybe there's some reasoning behind that and a BMW doesn't handle like a 911 and a lot of these car's feel comes from the rubber.

Ironically, the 550i also included a donut spare and I would have put Pilot Sports on it had I ever needed new tires before my lease was up.

Mike in CA

Our cars have fairly minimal ground clearance as it is. With a tire cut down, lots of choice (and expensive) underbody parts and mechanical bits would be at risk, not to mention the strain and potential harm to driveline, suspension, and brakes. Add in the body damage after driving for miles with a shredded, flailing tire and you'd likely be talking a lot more than $1500 for a wheel and new rubber.

Unless I was fleeing a nuclear attack or being chased by terrorists or something, I think I'd pass on the example of the fool in the police film, and go with another alternative.

LeNoah

Our 5 Series Bimmer came with Dunlop run-flats. I hated them. Very harsh and noisy. Rears were shot with 17,000 miles, fronts were fine. Finally pulled them off and put on Conti Extreme Contact DW's (not run flats) at 1/2 the price of the Dunlops. The Conti's are soooo very quiet and smooth compared. They come very highly rated from Tirerack.

On the Carrera S my rear PS2's lasted 12,000 . Swapped them to the NEW Pirelli PZero N2's. So far I like 'em but we'll see as they get a bit more wear. After the experience with the BWM I would not put run flats on the Porsche even if they were available.

Any comments on Rhinotire??

TAI2

Thanks for all the stories..... I just imagined myself along some highway, in cold temps, trying to squeeze the crap out of the bottle of goop, in the hopes that at some point during the evening, I might actually make it home.

Last night I just picked up a 996 spare for my 997 for $225 and hope I never have to use it nor the bottle of black goop.

JW911

Very good point

FI Flyer

My C4S is the best touring car that I have ever had and I love to use it for trips but I am hesitant because of the risk of a flat tire. I fear breaking down in an isolated area without cell coverage and, almost as worrying, I worry about getting a replacement wheel and tire(s) in a reasonable time frame.

I have driven across the USA (and back) in an Audi Allroad and a Cayman S. I've had two flats but fortunately, they were both in relatively accessible areas. Even so, each incident cost me a lost day or two. Unlike some here, I am not competent to plug tires myself.

I am headed to Vermont over Christmas. One of my previous flats was in Maine. Being stuck with everything closed and the temperature well below zero is worrying. Probably nothing will happen but it seems to me that a car as competent as a Porsche should not burden its owners with uncertainty about the wisdom of driving it in the way for which it is intended.

How much should I worry? Are there any precautions that I should take? And is driving cross-country a bad idea?