Porsche 718 Cayman S - Winter driving suitability?
08-10-2017, 10:35 AM
#1
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Porsche 718 Cayman S - Winter driving suitability?
Dear All,
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
08-10-2017, 10:59 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
@OP
I think you should look into the PTV (torque vectoring) option - it's not a "must" have but having an electronically controlled diff in the snow/ice would definitely help keep a straight line.
Assuming you have winter tires, the biggest factor I don't think will be traction as much as ride height - depending on how well your roads are plowed you could end up being the plow!
08-10-2017, 11:56 AM
#4
Race Director
Dear All,
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
My time in Switzerland was limited -- to about a week -- and mostly confined to Zurich and between Zurich and the airport with a drive to Berne (in a Renault) and a drive to the Paul Scherrer Institute (in a Mercedes) but a Cayman S would be fantastic car to drive in Switzerland. The car is small enough to fit on the roads, some of which can be pretty tight/narrow. The 718 Cayman S has turbo charging which will help alleviate the effects of driving in higher elevation areas.
(My initial exposure to high altitude driving was in my '96 Mustang and at higher elevations (above 9K feet) the loss of engine power was quite noticable. It was then with some reservations I ventured into the same area with my 2002 VW Golf TDi and that thing was awesome in the mountains. The engine controller allowed for more boost to compensate for the altitude and the engine didn't appear to suffer any loss of power compared to my experience with my other N/A cars including my 2002 Boxster. More recently my experience with my 996 Turbo at higher elevations has me convinced for all but the occasional/infrequent high altitude usage turbo charging is a must have.)
08-10-2017, 09:22 PM
#5
Three Wheelin'
Three things and you'll have no problem:
1) four good snow (winter) tires,
2) find a large & unused, nicely snow covered parking lot and have some fun spinning, braking and otherwise hooning it up. This will teach you the limits that you and your car can handle, and
3) never drive in more than four inches (~10cm) of snow as you'll end up as a snow plow and Porsches don't do snow plow very well!
1) four good snow (winter) tires,
2) find a large & unused, nicely snow covered parking lot and have some fun spinning, braking and otherwise hooning it up. This will teach you the limits that you and your car can handle, and
3) never drive in more than four inches (~10cm) of snow as you'll end up as a snow plow and Porsches don't do snow plow very well!
08-11-2017, 11:18 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
I drive my 2014 Cayman daily and will be fitting it with winter tires in a few months. The base suspension has reasonable clearance - not for a foot of snow etc... - but for city and commuter roads it's fine. Traction is fine.
As for livability? It's a perfect commuter. Fun to drive, small, lots of storage space and... it's a Porsche sports car. I say this as I've owned two Macans and while I liked them, and probably a better overall fit for winter driving, I didn't LOVE them like I do the Cayman.
As for livability? It's a perfect commuter. Fun to drive, small, lots of storage space and... it's a Porsche sports car. I say this as I've owned two Macans and while I liked them, and probably a better overall fit for winter driving, I didn't LOVE them like I do the Cayman.
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05-09-2018, 11:13 PM
#8
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718 is a *champion* in the snow
I bought my 2018 718 in Nov 17, fitted her with snow tires and drove her all winter in Northern NY, Tug Hill region, which receives more snow than anywhere in the continental US.
Let me be clear: THIS IS THE BEST DRIVING TWO WHEEL DRIVE CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN IN SNOW CONDITIONS.
I grew up driving in snow and have piloted a wide variety of makes and models in snowy conditions. Without a doubt, 4WD is always going to be more sure footed, but with some solid snow tires, my 718 was a champ on the roads, through many blizzards and flurries, on highways and secondary roads in snow and thick solid ice, up steep slick hills and trodding steadily through unplowed access strips. I was still one of the fastest cars on the road, keeping up just fine with (and in many cases passing) pick-up trucks and other winter-preferred vehicles.
I was often asked “why would you drive this car in winter?” MY answer was simple: this car was built in Stuttgart. It snows in Stuttgart, and Germans make their cars for their own. This vehicle was *made* to handle winter. It’s only in America people are squeamish to put it on the road; it’s even factory treated to resist rust. My thought is a car is meant to be driven, not coddled. Got some great reliable miles out of her this winter and will be doing the same the following one.
Let me be clear: THIS IS THE BEST DRIVING TWO WHEEL DRIVE CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN IN SNOW CONDITIONS.
I grew up driving in snow and have piloted a wide variety of makes and models in snowy conditions. Without a doubt, 4WD is always going to be more sure footed, but with some solid snow tires, my 718 was a champ on the roads, through many blizzards and flurries, on highways and secondary roads in snow and thick solid ice, up steep slick hills and trodding steadily through unplowed access strips. I was still one of the fastest cars on the road, keeping up just fine with (and in many cases passing) pick-up trucks and other winter-preferred vehicles.
I was often asked “why would you drive this car in winter?” MY answer was simple: this car was built in Stuttgart. It snows in Stuttgart, and Germans make their cars for their own. This vehicle was *made* to handle winter. It’s only in America people are squeamish to put it on the road; it’s even factory treated to resist rust. My thought is a car is meant to be driven, not coddled. Got some great reliable miles out of her this winter and will be doing the same the following one.
05-10-2018, 08:24 AM
#9
Instructor
Summer tires are an absolute no-go in the winter. I have an Audi S4, which is absolutely useless in the snow on summers. The Cayman has very balanced weight distribution, so should do quite well on good winter tires (e.g. Michelin PA4s). Years ago, I had an RX-8 R3 that was mounted with winters. I put a Yakima box on it and used to take it on ski trip in full snow storms. It handles as well as any other car in the snow, keeping in mind that it is rear-wheel drive.
05-14-2018, 08:47 AM
#10
Rennlist Member
Dear All,
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
I drove the Cayman S yesterday and loved it. I am seriously considering buying this car but I live in Switzerland and given that this will be my only car, I will need to use it during winter for daily driving on icy roads as well as my trips to the mountains. I am a bit worried that this being a rear wheel drive, despite the engine location, might not be suitable for winter driving.
Am I wrong? Could any forum members who are driving a 718 let me know their experience with winter driving?
Thanks
05-14-2018, 11:00 AM
#11
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I recently purchased a 987.2, which is obviously not a 718, but I plan to drive it in Vermont winters and I don't anticipate any problems. I've recently been driving a 2001 Miata with snow tires as a winter car. It leaves a lot to be desired for winter duty but it got the job done.
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09-29-2018, 04:16 PM
#13
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Future owner - Cayman 718 2018
You response for winter driving conditions was really helpful. I live in Buffalo and am considering to get a 718. I'm having second doubts as I'm going to use the 718 as a daily car(don't own a second car). How does this car respond when there is heavy snow on the roads? I was thinking of getting a used certified 2018 718. Would you recommend buying a new one or will a certified 718 work? Your thoughts on it would be helpful. Thank you.
09-29-2018, 04:26 PM
#14
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D
Refer to my post above about driving in WNY/NNY in winter. I would personally recommend buying new unless you’re looming to get a GT4 but thats just me. While Porsche owners certainly tend to take great care of their cars, I want something that’s got the most warranty on it. BTW I’m also a Buffalo native (Orchard Park specifically) but displaced the past 14 years in the military.
You response for winter driving conditions was really helpful. I live in Buffalo and am considering to get a 718. I'm having second doubts as I'm going to use the 718 as a daily car(don't own a second car). How does this car respond when there is heavy snow on the roads? I was thinking of getting a used certified 2018 718. Would you recommend buying a new one or will a certified 718 work? Your thoughts on it would be helpful. Thank you.
Refer to my post above about driving in WNY/NNY in winter. I would personally recommend buying new unless you’re looming to get a GT4 but thats just me. While Porsche owners certainly tend to take great care of their cars, I want something that’s got the most warranty on it. BTW I’m also a Buffalo native (Orchard Park specifically) but displaced the past 14 years in the military.
10-18-2018, 02:52 PM
#15
A word of caution to would be buyers:
There are NO WINTER TIRES FOR 20" WHEELS!
As a matter of fact, searching in TireRack, I found that ALL tires available for 20" wheels have a warning NOT TO BE USED BELOW 45F!
So, you are looking either to Caymans available with 19" wheels, or buying an additional set of 19" rims and winter tires.
There are NO WINTER TIRES FOR 20" WHEELS!
As a matter of fact, searching in TireRack, I found that ALL tires available for 20" wheels have a warning NOT TO BE USED BELOW 45F!
So, you are looking either to Caymans available with 19" wheels, or buying an additional set of 19" rims and winter tires.