[rick3000]

I drive my 986 in the winter, I actually think it is a very good winter car. I have noticed a very, very minor affect to shifting before the transmission has a chance to heat up. The best advice is to not rev over 3000RPM before the car has had a chance to heat up, preferably all the way, but at least to the first tick on the coolant temp gauge. I also try to let the car sit for a minute or two after startup, especially if it is parked outside during the winter.

The oil should not be dropping at all, let alone a full bar. I would recommend testing it a few times on the same level surface. Mine often fluctuates a few bars between what it shows in my garage, and what it shows at the gas station.