boulderbobo

2011 C4S, new 18" Nokian WRs all the way around. Slightly narrower that stock.

Been in lots of snow over the last few weeks.

The car goes good...but not like my Audi S4. (2011 and a 2001..which was my best snow car)

The pcar crabs and pushes under hard acceleration.

Not going back to Audi just a little disappointed with the Porsche all wheel drive system.

Not throwing stones. I am a hard core Porsche fan.

What do you guys thinK?



Bob-

Dennis C

I agree - the AWD system in the 911 doesn't provide the performance that the Audi Quattro system provides. I had a 2001 Allroad Quattro in the past and it was unstoppable with winter tires. Our current SUV is an SQ5 and it is currently fitted with Nokians. My 911 is currently fitted with Pirelli Winter SnowSport SottoZero tires. It's passable, but not nearly as planted as the Audi.

powderzone

You can get very good on-ice performance from decent winter tires but snow performance is always going to be sub par with wheels as wide as the 997. They will float around like pontoons.

ADias

Wide tires are the issue, thus snow driving requires light acceleration and smooth driving. Horses for courses.

Crester

You guys need to understand that the AWD system in the Porsche is different than some of the other cars. I am coming from a Mitsubishi EVO X and yes the Porsche C4S takes more effort to drive but it's still great in the snow.

The Porsche's AWD system is rear biased... while many other AWD cars split the torque evenly between both axles... so the rear may be a bit livelier on the Porsche by comparison. But that being said you should be fine as long as you drive the Porsche like a Porsche... and realize it is NOT your Audi Quattro.

Crester

Oh... and I downsized to 265 in the rear for winter... and I'm doing great in the snow.

onewhippedpuppy

Yup. Porsche 911 AWD systems are designed to improve performance first and foremost, where the Audi is designed with an emphasis on all-season capability. My S8, even on UHP all season tires, was staggeringly good in the snow.

mk85911

On the Audi there is virtually always a significant amount of torque to the front axel, but I don't think that is the case with the new Porsche system, which seems to shift torque after slippage. I don't like the AWD system in my Cayenne nearly as much as the system in my A8 because in the A8 I can cause a more neutral feel in a fast corner by powering thru the turn almost like an older 911. I suspect that the Porsche system is not really designed for traction at moderate speeds in rain or snow, or dry for that matter, but rather for traction during really high performance driving. You won't find much data from Porsche.

aigle836

Without any doubts the Quattro from Audi is the best I have owned. The torsen does the job (longitudinal engine as the A3 has the Synchro from VW).

I find my Cayenne TT and my Targa 4S not as good. With the 4S the issue I had was with the tires. Nokian WR and Pirelli Sottorosso are good in the dry and for mild winters. With the heavy snow in my area they were not good enough. I finally found Nokian Hakkapellitta 7 for the 4S that makes the 4S fun to drive in winter.

I went twice to Porsche Camp4 in Finland and they were putting very agressive Michelin Winters that are not on their approved list and that we cannot get in North America.

Naturally with agressive winter tires, performance in the dry is reduced. It is a treadoff depending on your priorities.

Dennis C

We have two Subarus also - they are fantastic in snow and ice.

My 997 is much better than my old 996 C4S was in slippery conditions. The 996 used a mechanical viscous coupling to drive the front wheels (I believe the 997.1 normally aspirated cars do also) that was not really designed for winter driving. I did run a set of Blizzaks on the C4S for a few seasons and they were very good in snowy and icy conditions. Unfortunately they sacrificed too much on cold, dry pavement. The Pirelli Sottozeros aren't quite as good in snow but they are great on cold, dry pavement.

oil_chiller

i think that's about what me or anyone else expected really.

even 265s are too wide to bite into snowpacked roads.

boulderbobo

Crester, this is what I suspected and I'm really ok with this.

In snow, traction is not the issue...the rear wheels get more power than the fronts and thats what make the car push and crab. Probably the engine over the rears contributes too.

It's actually kind of fun to drive in the snow...in a twisted sort of way. With careful throttle management, the car is entirely controllable.

I'm still happy that I got 4S over the 2S.


Bob-

Dennis C

+1

My 997 hasn't left my warm garage in over a week. I think I'll take it out to play in the snow today...

maddave10

For what it's worth, I was forced to drive my 09 c4s through the northeast polar vortex winter last year. I happened to have sold off my other cars more quickly than expected. I purchased a set of Pirelli snow tires off the parts marketplace and the performance was in fact better than I expected. It pained me to drive the car through all that snow, but it didn't miss a beat and it was not a white knuckle experience by any means.

EbonyC4S

Try turning off the stability control for a comparison. It can take enough control away from the driver to interfere with the intended objective. That works well in deeper non-compacted snow.

The reletive temperature will cause variation in grip. Colder conditions will make ice and packed snow "tacky" (below 20 degrees F). The colder, the better. The slickest possible condition is ice with water on top (i.e., a melt off or break up situation). This is the only condition that studded tires have proven to be more tractive than rated studless snow tires (snowflake/mountain icon on sidewall).

Personally, I am always out in the C4S in the cold and snow running Sottozeros. Nokians WRs on the Audi. Neither have ever been chained up, but they're in the frunk and trunk just in case!

Happy New Year to you all from Central Oregon. Go Ducks!