Ice & Snow Tire Recommendations

[adsach]

Last winter (my first winter) my wife and I both purchased Dunlop WinterSport M2. I am satisfied with the mix of cool weather performance and light slush traction. Once I get above 30MPH, almost any water-based surface seems driveable :D

My wife however, would like to be able to traverse deep slush and icy driveways with a greater sense of security. Having resorted to using a pole to restart my Boxster after spinning doughnuts in on a defacto ice rink :drive: , I am forced to acknowledge that winter performance tires may not be a good choice for serious ice and snow.

Does anyone have personal experience with studless ice tires?

[wingless]

Porsche takes tire testing and winter tire testing very seriously. They even publish the results and recomendations, in the Oct/Nov issue of Christophorus.

This year they recommend The winter Contact TS 790V, by Continental. the Winter 240 SnowSport, by Pirelli or the Pilot Alpine PA2, by Michelin, for the Boxter. See the article for the sizes and proper applications.

[adsach]

Porsche takes tire testing and winter tire testing very seriously. They even publish the results and recomendations, in the Oct/Nov issue of Christophorus.

This year they recommend The winter Contact TS 790V, by Continental.  the Winter 240 SnowSport, by Pirelli or the Pilot Alpine PA2, by Michelin, for the Boxter. See the article for the sizes and proper applications.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wingless,

Thanks for pointing this out. I think the Christophorus article you mentioned departed from it's usual mission and actually provided useful technical data - so this is a major data point for me in trying to find ice & snow tires. My other source so far was a recent Tire Rack mailing.

Even though the latest Christophorus does rate 3 Boxster tires, all 3 are Winter Performance tires according to Tire Rack, including the A(all)+C(ice&snow) rated rated ContiWinter Contact. I also am somewhat leery of Continental based upon the ContiSport Contact(1) tires that came stock on my wifes 530i.

Christophorus mentions one other C(ice&snow) tire for the Cayenne, the Pirelli Scorpion, but Tire Rack classifies this as a light truck and SUV tire. I don't know if this would be suitable for a lighter vehicle.

As a third data point, I am hoping that someone here has tried Ice & Snow tires on thier Porsche or other auto and can tell me whether they provide a real step up from Winter Performance tires in the slush and sleet.

[Darkshark]

In central Oregon we had one of our worst winters in ages last season. I drove my A4 shod with Bridgestone Blizzaks in every type of snowy road conditions you could imagion. The tires performed very well in all conditions. My Audi's ESP rarely had to take over. However, in deep slush they felt lateraly floaty at speed if that makes any sense. Hopefully no one will have to drive there Boxter in three inches of slush over frozen roads :drive: They seemed a little numb and squishy on the dry pavement and get tore up easily with spirited driving but what do you want out of a snow tire. I would purchase them again.

I would be curious to know if anyone here drives a Boxter without traction control in the winter. I'm debating wether to leave mine in the garage or venture out in the snow.

[adsach]

DarkShark can you check which Blizzak model for me?

Last winter I was out before the snow plows many mornings (usually top down :D ) In 3-inch slush with my winter tires, getting started from a stop light was a snow throwing, low torque challenge. Once I got up to about 25 MPH it felt like driving a speed boat- not total grip, but an ability to change direction with confidence as long as the changes were made in slow motion. Winter tire grip felt like about .6-.7 Gs when it was cold and dry.

I am looking for more grip in the 0-10MPH range in slush and ice. Under 10MPH in slush PSM is useless. My winter tires tread just seemed to fill with slush (nothing to grab onto) when the slush was over 1/2 inch. Over 25MPH I am guessing the slush got pushed out like water and thus some grip returned.

[Darkshark]

They were WS-50s.

Top down in the winter? :thumbup: You are a nut. The more I think about it the less I like the idea of skiming my car across the snow, cinders and gravel. I may just buy a snow beater and leave the Box in the garage.

[rkao]

I've run the Blizzak LM22s on our cars for the last 2 years or so and have had excellent results on snow and ice. If I was driving my 986S in the winter, I wouldn't hesitate trying it. My brother also uses the same time to great results.

I also have had Pirelli SnowSports on my '99 M3, which was my daily driver but now my summer/track car. It never left me stranded but I like the feedback on the Blizzaks better.

[magcuda]

:eek: snow ice driving in it . I will take south florida and hurricanes over that anyday B)

[adsach]

:eek:  snow ice  driving in it . I will take south florida and hurricanes over that anyday B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Top down winters are best in Arizona. :jump: Very few of those Florida cold snaps and no dangerous flooding or winds in the winter. Plus 3 race tracks within 50 miles of Phoenix. :thumbup:

[Stefan]

I have been using Blizzak WS-15s for years (the same set) on my 1999 Boxster. The snow, ice, and slush traction is exceptional. However, there are some considerations.

* The last time I checked, they don't come in 17" so I had to buy a set of 16" wheels

* The dry handling is awful (the car feels like you're driving on bubble gum

Even uphill in thick slush you won't get stuck. The only way to get stuck as far as I know is to drive in snow that is too deep for the bottom of the car to clear. Even then you have a chance given the extremely good snow traction of these wheels.