Ultra High Perf. All-Season Vs. Max Perf. Summer Tires

[husker boxster]

I drive my sports cars everyday unless we get a pile of snow (then I stay home). I've been down your road and wrestled with the same questions you have. Here's what I've learned:

Two cars back I purchased a new MR2 Spyder. It came with Yokohama Advans which were great in the summer but not worth a crap in the snow (even a few flakes). I purchased a set of Firestone all-seasons and MR Two got around great in the snow.

I then purchased an 01S that had a set of tires that would need replacing before the upcoming winter. Since it was going to be an everyday car, I figured the AS tires would be the way to go. I bought a set of Kumho AS tires and found they weren't very good in the snow and ice. Luckily we didn't have a severe winter and I got by without sliding into anything. The next winter I bought a set of Blizzaks and had no problems. We had a lot of snow and ice that year.

I used the Blizzaks on my LE this last winter and they worked great with the traction control. We had a lot of icey weather and I had no problems starting up hills.

So what do I make of all of this? I think the AS tires worked on MR2 because they were 55 series tires vs the 40 & 35 series tires on the Box. Wider tires are less effective as a snow tire. Also, AS tires are a compromise. If you're a tire manufacturer building an AS tire for a Porsche, are you going to lean towards performance or snow ability? Obviously they're going to lean towards performance at the expense of bad weather ability because they don't want them blowing out at 155mph. If you're going to drive your Box in the winter, put snow tires on it.

I know you say it'll stay in the garage when there's bad weather. You also say you'll drive it in winter months. How accurate are your weather forecasters? I've gone to work in the morning with the forecast for a nice, clear day. When I look out the window at lunch time, it's snowing to beat the band. What do you do then? You don't want to get caught out and have to cross your fingers on your trip home.

I don't know how good either of the AS tires are that you're looking at. Maybe others have experience with them. My advice is to not spend your $$$ on AS tires for a Porsche, you'll not be happy with the results. Good luck.