XK-R in the snow

[CarbonXKR]

What are people's opinions on the XK in the snow?? I would have said that it would be absolutely useless due to RWD and big fat tyres, but on Monday morning 0600, I set off from Inverness to drive up to catch the ferry to Orkney from Scrabster and it really amazed me. Temp was 1c with about an inch of snow on the road with only light traffic ahead of me. I took it really easy on the corners and light application of throttle and obviously no overtaking. It took 2:45 instead of the usual 2 hrs; more so because we got stuck behind lorries doing 40mph for the last hour or so of the journey. White out blizzards across the Cassymire and a job to judge where the road was at times, but we made it and live to tell the tale.

Is there really some electronic wizardry helping the thing stay out of the ditch??? or was I extremely lucky? Arriving home my drive - on a slope - was covered in snow too but I managed to reverse up it with the TC light flashing and the Jag slowly clawing its way up the slope. My previous S Type would never have managed, nor would the XKR (X100) I had before current one.

Amazing is all I can say. Now desalted and resting under the cover in the garage

[8bit]

What tyres have you got on it? 2:45 is pretty good going even in good conditions, I've done that road many times (I live in Aberdeen but my folks are still in Thurso, where I grew up), never done it in 2 hours but then I've never done it at 0600.

[CarbonXKR]

Always 2 hours, road was quiet though that time of morning. Dunlop summers on the rear and P Zero's on the front.

[jamieduff1981]

My S-Type is fantastic in snow. I've only once got stuck and that was my own stupidity trying to reverse with a tight steering lock in 6 inches of fresh snow.

It's tyres, pure and simple.

[8bit]

CarbonXKR said:

Always 2 hours, road was quiet though that time of morning. Dunlop summers on the rear and P Zero's on the front.

You must be pressing on a bit and always get a clear run then. I did Thurso to Aberdeen in one 4hr 40m stint once but that was with a few spells in a little traffic and the bigger part of that would have been the Thurso to Inverness section.

I've got Pirelli winters all round on just now and they're worse than useless, almost to the point of dangerous. Next to no grip at all from the rear, despite about 5mm tread left. Tempted to put my summer wheels and tyres back on.

[Davevx220]

http://youtu.be/QdRPlPXe9QU

They seem ok in the snow

[CarbonXKR]

Don't think the missus would have been too impressed if I drove home like that though