Driving in the snow - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

airboxster · 02-07-2008, 07:40 PM

Snowed all day and all night yesterday. We went into Toronto anyway last night after work to see a play (12 angry men and it was great, John boy Walton and all) It's winter in Toronto and you just deal with the crappy weather. Boxster stored for the winter so we drove the Audi quatro. During my drive from the burbs in the middle of this snow storm I passed a new Carrera. It seem surreal. Why would anyone drive a new Porsche in the middle of a snow storm into Toronto. There was over 700 accidents reported last night. After I passed him I thought, man I wish I was in my Porsche.

husker boxster · 02-07-2008, 08:01 PM

What's the matter with driving a new Porsche in the snow?

When people ask if I drive it in the winter, I tell them "they have snow in the Fatherland".

rick3000 · 02-07-2008, 08:14 PM

I drive my Boxster in the snow. It does great with snow tires, I just have to watch out for ice, but you have to do that in any car. It makes the boring winter a lot more fun, plus I am in the only Porsche currently being driven at this time of the year (in my area).

mdex · 02-08-2008, 02:38 AM

I drive my Boxster all year round, with a good set of snows it is great! This week in the "storm" I was having no problems getting around, but I did see quite a few SUV's stuck! You have to love the look you get as you drive past them with no problems.

My Father always drives his cars in the winter (Porsches since '85) so driving them rear round just seems normal to me. Why would I not want to enjoy the Porsche all year?

Marc

edevlin · 02-08-2008, 03:11 AM

I got caught in a major snow storm in West Virginia last year in my Boxster. I knew it was risky to be out because I knew my tires were bad, but the weather was good when I left Virginia and I thought the weather would hold. It was quite an experience, my rear tires were almost completely gone. Lots of slipping and engaging the traction control. I now use a dedicated set of all weather Falkens in the winter with lots of tread....

Ed

cvhs18472 · 02-08-2008, 03:13 AM

In downtown NEPA it is winter more than half the year. I bought my Porsche to drive , not store. A nice set of snow tires makes it great fun in the land of SUV's. I have to sometimes wonder, for the type of road driving that I do, if winter tires are not a good idea year round. I only got 8 or 9K on my last set of Kumho's so not a lot of difference. Happy Winter Motoring, Ed

02-08-2008, 05:38 AM

It's the potholes you gotta watch out for!

Roads are in really bad shape here.

Dr. Kill · 02-08-2008, 05:42 AM

+1 on the snow tires. I enjoy my car all year round - that included a lot of client work last winter in Buffalo with no issues.

If I drove a CGT, I would think about garaging it, but I think this car was made to be driven into the ground.

wild1poet2 · 02-08-2008, 06:24 AM

For the folks who drive in the winter: what did you do for snows? Did you get another set of rims and mount them?

I drive my SUV in the winter.

How is the Boxster going up snow covered hills? On the flats just about anything can make do.

Dr. Kill · 02-08-2008, 08:27 AM

yep - I ordered a knockoff set of Cup3s wheels with WinterConti tires from Tirerack. I don't remember how much it cost - only that it was pretty darned cheap (maybe $1,200?). Also, that set didn't appear on their website. If you are interested, you might try calling them.

Great service, great results.

steve00s · 02-08-2008, 09:44 AM

I got caught out in the snow several weeks ago unexpectedly and was surpised how well the car did. And that is with tires that certainly are not all-season. I got to thinking about it and its kind of like when front wheel drive cars came out and they were heralded as great winter drivers because the weight was over the drive axle. The 911 and boxster to some extent are the same just weight over the rear drive axle. They probably don't turn or brake quite as well in the snow but overall much better than front engine rear drive.

Dr. Kill · 02-08-2008, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve00s

They probably don't turn or brake quite as well in the snow but overall much better than front engine rear drive.

I believe this is all a function of tires, not which wheels are providing the power.

My RWD Box with snow tires handles and stops much better in the snow than my wife's FWD Toyota with all seasons...

steve00s · 02-08-2008, 10:42 AM

I agree that tires make all the difference in the world but if all things (including tires) were equal than more weight on the turning wheels will provide for better handling. I believe that the same principles of weight transfer on cornering apply. Braking entering a corner will transer weight to the front end enhancing the steering. If there is static weight already there (front engine) the car should turn better as well (again all other things being equal).

djomlas · 02-08-2008, 10:52 AM

driving in the snow is a lot of fun, you just have to be careful as well.
i actually like driving in snow, couse u can get a lot of wheel spin, do drifting kinda slides, do donuts, all that with pretty much no wear on your tires.
and plus, on top of that, i never miss driving my car

xxxalexxxx · 02-08-2008, 11:23 AM

I drive mine all yr long too, I dont know why you wouldn't. I've been around my dad whos owned Porsches since he was 20yrs old and currently has 4 and drives them all in the winter as he has his whole life so i dont see anything unusual when i see an expensive sports car out in the snow. After all a car is just a car, and if I bought it I better be able to enjoy it all yrs long, plus its really much more safe then people think... Ive been driving sports /performance cars every winter since I was 16 and I've never had an accident of any sort...its all in good quality tires

husker boxster · 02-08-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild1poet2

For the folks who drive in the winter: what did you do for snows? Did you get another set of rims and mount them?

I drive my SUV in the winter.

How is the Boxster going up snow covered hills? On the flats just about anything can make do.

I've had great success with Bridgestone Blizzaks. I bought a set of Cayman wheels for my snows. Downtown Omaha is quite hilly and I have no trouble starting up hills from a stop. My LE has traction control and it really works well. My 01S didn't have TC but it was also able to climb hills with a little initial wheel spin.

rick3000 · 02-08-2008, 01:19 PM

I bought ContiWinterContacts, and mounted them on my current rims. I only plan on dealing with snow for another few years so $100 a year to mount and demount them is fine with me.
My car does fine up hills, there is a 12%+ grade hill in front of my house. My car does just fine even during snow storms when all the cheap SUV drivers that didn't get snow tires are trying to push there cars up the hill (I have actually seen a few idiots trying to do this.). It really suprised me when I moved to a snowy area how few people buy snow tires and how much higher the accident ration is compared to Southern California.

Houston C4S · 02-08-2008, 01:34 PM

What is snow?

- Mark (and probably Randall, too)

djomlas · 02-08-2008, 02:37 PM

I have all seasons but no traction control. Trick is to start in second gear if there is a lot of snow/ice and not be in high rpms

Dr. Kill · 02-08-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Houston C4S

What is snow?

- Mark (and probably Randall, too)

You know -- that guy from the mid ‘90s responsible for the highest-charting and biggest-selling reggae single in history, “Informer.” He also brought us many other hits like, uh, “Informer.”