Winter Time Boxster
 

So, I'm contemplating getting rid of my everyday car and just using the Boxster year round.... Anybody out there care to share their experience with driving a Boxster through the Winter (Mid Atlantic style).....

Steve

No big deal. I live in Denver and drive mine year-round. I get snow tires for it and just practice good driving habits. No big deal.

Just get some decent snow tires like Nokians. Stay away from Pirellis for sure as I'm not too impressed with them.

Make sure you get 17"s (205 fronts, 225 rears) or 16" wheels as 18"+ are useless in snow.

I drove my Boxster year round and it handled well in the snow. I have 18" wheels with Continental all season tires and I didn't have any issues even driving in Buffalo in a snow storm. For the mid Atlantic winters that's enough but if you're in more northern states better to use dedicated snow tires.

Hey,

Here in Slovenia we generally get 3 or 4 months of snow. I drive my Box all year arround without any issues. Obviously you need winter tires (I have Dunlop Sp sport) and show common sense on the snow.

I find my car better to drive in the snow than my wifes 2008 C class merc, maybe its the weight over the rear tires?? PSM helps :)

Just dont gun it arround corners on the snow, it will understeer like mad. On the freeway I can sit on 80-100kph comfortably on the snow.

Cheers

Second what Ekam says about Nokian Tires.

I've lived in Switzerland and Norway where winter tires are legally required after times of the year and where -- especially in Switzerland -- the roads can be challenging.

I'll never use any other winter tire than a Nokian. I felt glued to the road. The tread life is not good -- but that's the trade off. I wouldn't hesitate to drive a Boxster in the winter. But I would absolutely not do so with "all weather" tires. You need to protect yourself and others with the best winter tire you can afford.

At this point I live in the US where winter tires are not mandatory -- but every November I put on the Nokians.

The rust belt bits every winter car. If they use salt on the roads, there's no avoiding the damage that it causes.

I drive the Boxster year round. It does very well in the snow.


You already heard the good advise -- get some dedicated snow tires.


The Boxster accelerates and climbs in the snow better than the front-wheel drive Honda Odyssey. You can deliberately slide it in a very predictable way. The car's balance makes it a blast to drive in the snow. Just avoid the deepest snow (clearance is low) and you'll be just fine.


Also, consider buying a hardtop, it definitely helps in the winter months.

When I tell people I drive my Boxster (and now Cayman) in the winter and they seem shocked, I reply in my best German accent, "They have snow in the Fatherland".

Good winter tires are a must, and one of the other massive improvements that you can make in these cars anyway, which is especially noticeable in low traction situations, is swapping out the factory open diff for a limited slip.

I read that LSD can be dangerous in snow since it engage & disengage with no warning (ie. not progressive)?

how about a torque-biasing diff - i've been eyeballing those with interest ...

Thanks guys, I'll be looking for some Nokians....

What's the best solution for a block heater for these cars? It can be as cold as -40 some mornings here.

When I lived in Fairbanks, there were no block heaters for my GTI so I siliconed a 50W pad heater on my oil pan. That along with a heat pad under my battery was enough, down to -65F. A Boxster will probably need a few more heaters.
And in that environment I always used Blizzaks tires from October to May.