Winter driving?

[Gyorgy]

Here is my dilemma: it seems such a waste to park the car for 6 months in New England. I know there are people out there driving their rear wheel drive Carreras in the winter. I assume with a set of winter tires... I would not drive when there is significant snow on the road. The Porsche mechanic warned me about the stuff they use on the road (some liquid?) that is VERY caustic. What do you think? Any personal experience?

Thanks in advance!

[andrewltaylor]

I live in Toronto, Canada, and drive my 996 in the winter. A good set of tires and for most winter days the car is excellent. I remember talking to an engineer from Porsche, Germany who was surprised that more North Americans didn't drive in the winter.

I work in the business and have customers who happily drive their Turbos, Caymans, Boxsters and C2s year round.

One thing I do during the winter is to be sure to drive through a touchless carwash at least once a week. These spray both the top AND the bottom of the car, keeping the worst of the muck at bay, and keeping a coat of protectant between the car and the elements.

[wvicary]

I know of a few people who drive their 996 C4's all winter here with no problems. As stated, have a good set of dedicated winter tires and try and remove the road salts often.

[RF5BPilot]

I agree that Porsches -- (have only driven C2's) -- drive well in winter.

The old logic was -- if there's salt on the roads (and thus on your car), don't park your car in a heated garage overnight.

The warm temps maximize the corrosive effects of the salt (or whatever the compound du'jour is) -- then you go out and coat it again the next day. Once salt is on, leave it outside until you wash it.

(Not sure how much this really matters. Your choice.)

[Dennis C]

I drive my C4S all winter, with a proper set of winter wheels and tires. It's a great vehicle in the winter. The things that make it handle well on dry roads make it handle well on slippery roads. The only thing that ever causes me an issue is when the snow is deeper than 4 inches. On those days, I drive the Cayenne.

[HGGuate]

Our babies are cars after all, I would consider two major concerns about winter driving in a Porsche:

1.) Porsche owners want their cars to last for decades, salt from the road causes corrosion and damage at a much quicker rate than the natural aging process planned for.

2.) High torque and low weight make for a bad combination when roads get slippery, most drivers are not thinking about this in their everyday drives and that is risky (much riskier than premature aging...)

Wash it down after the "salt bath" and be very careful when driving on slippery roads..... and drive it year round.