42empress

It is all about the tires...Never had a problem with my DD, multiple VT trips (thule box up top) in my 996 C2 and 17 inch, 205/255 dunlop M winter tires on boxster wheels.

Would reccomend going down in diameter and width

Kalashnikov

Get a set of Blizzak tires and you will have no problems on snow and slush covered roads. All season tires cannot be compared to the dedicated snow winter tires. Get a set of 17" rims with winter tires on them and you will not have any problems. C2 vs C4 difference will be minimal in 99% of situations when both cars are equipped with proper snow tires. Going up steep hills will be about only place where C4's traction will help you in the snow. 911 has engine sitting directly over the rear wheels. With proper winter tires you will have all the traction you ever need.

Better acceleration from the start in C4 is pointless if you are driving in the snow. You shouldn't be spinning your tires or trying to go fast anywhere if the road is covered in snow. Slow, gentle, and minimal inputs on the controls are required when you drive on the snow. Don't be stupid, don't speed, and drive cautiously when road conditions are hazardous. Most winter crashes do not happen when you are starting from the stoplight, they happen when people drive too fast for the conditions and from inability to maintain smooth and gentle inputs on steering and pedals.

Here is the video that shows the differences in performance between snow, all season, and summer tires. It speaks for itself.

911Dave

That video is nothing more than a commercial by Tire Rack to sell winter tires. While I agree with the general points, those kinds of tests can easily be manipulated to achieve exaggerated results. Never trust advice from those who have a stake in your decision.

911searcher

Interesting, but I play hockey, my car doesn't !

Dino Ganas

If I have a steep hill to get to my house and I get a fairly good amount of snow (about 4+ inches) each year should I just go for the C4s? Or would I be able to get snow tires on a C2S and be fine?

Dr.J

I know Porsche advocates the driving of 911’s in the winter time, but, it’s really not a good idea. There are quite a few aluminum parts and road salt accelerates corrosion; the entire engine bay is exposed. Also and most importantly, the 996 & 997 have the cylinder wear and malformation weaknesses and the extreme cold isn’t good for this condition. I’m not trying to be negative and if you can afford it, it’s not a problem, but, winter driving these vehicles will accelerate deterioration.

GoldenGorilla

Holy thread from the dead!

As a C4S owner, who drives year round including on snow...

I would say, yeah the C2S is going to do fine on snow on proper snow tires on a moderate amount of snow. The little bit extra traction the C4S offers up front will help keep it pointed where you want to go, particularly on steeper terrain or slicker conditions. The tires make the most difference, by a large margin. But on equal tires, the AWD will be better on the snow. That said, AWD will not save you from bad decisions. And the C2S does benefit from the bulk of the weight on the rear axle and does better than most other RWD cars on snow.

There are alot of variables when it comes to driving on snow. Does it need to be driven in the snow(daily driver)? Is it dry or wet snow? Does it tend to ice up or snowpack? How often? How steep is your steep grade? 6%, 8%, 14%, 24%?

Also, a point was made in this old thread that should be clarified. The 997.1 Carrera does have a viscous coupling AWD system that always sends some power to the front (5-40%). The 997.2 and the 997.1 &.2 Turbos shared an electronic system that allows 100% to the rear wheels by default and a higher threshold to the front at full engagement, though I haven't found clear answer on what the upper limit is. I've read 100%, but that doesn't make sense. Anyways, I've driven mine a bunch on the snow. I've never liked Haldex systems and have preferred full-time AWD such as Acura's SH-AWD or Subaru's AWD. But I've never found the 997.2 AWD system to have the weird feeling at engagement I've noticed in some Haldex cars, and I've definitely done stuff in it on snow that has made the AWD kick in.

Tj40

Pick the winter tires, its not the acceleration that worries me, its the deceleration. AWD gives you better traction but no better braking.
I used to live in Ottawa, I brought the wife a RWD Merc C320 Coupe and put Dunlop Wintersports on it. I drove a Audi A4 Quattro on All-season Pirelli P6's. Both went through the snow no problem, Audi pulled smoother while you could feel the Merc move around a bit at the back on acceleration.
First dose of freezing rain and the wife drove through it no problem while I found myself, with all 4 wheels locked, sliding into a junction, through a red light, with a city bus coming at me!! I stopped but I was probably a car length or more beyond where I should have been, it was not a fun few seconds.

I brought winter tires for the Audi the next day :-) I have them on all my cars ever since, dont cheap out on the important parts! As mentioned above they are different compounds that don't harden up in the cold so brake better at lower temperatures.

INTMD8

AWD could only help but as others mentioned, it comes down to the tires.

I've not driven a 911 in the winter but I have driven many rwd cars in the snow. With good winter tires every one of them was unstoppable.

I've also driven awd cars in the snow with summer tires. Don't think I've ever come closer to death

jfort

I know this, and for what it is worth in this thread, my base Cayenne with snow tires is the best winter car I have ever driven. Ohio driver since 1968.

GoldenGorilla

Amen to that. Every winter it seems there is somebody on the local news crashing in the mountains. When the news crew interviews them its always "I don't know what happened. I was in 4WD"...

I know All Seasons aren't popular among this audience. But I would say that there are vastly different levels of quality in them. I used to work for Vail Resorts and had to drive up into the mountains pretty often in the winter for work in addition to the day to day stuff around town. All the cars I would drive for that were AWD passenger cars. I had cars with winter tires and some with all seasons. The old Subaru Outback I had winter tires on was like a tank in terms of traction, both stopping AND accelerating. I had really good experiences with Michelin's Premier AS tire which has sunflower oil added to the compound. It probably also benefits from the finest carbon in the compound as well. Those tires were at least 9/10s of the best studless winter tire I'd driven in the snow, quiet and very long lasting. They have an interesting tread pattern that opens as it wears. A set of those tires also cost as much for my old Acura as a set of PS4S for a 997.

On a performance car with low profile tires, I think there are some significant advantages to going with a true winter tire. The performance all seasons available don't seem to be as sophisticated as the ones available for passenger cars and light trucks.