Are 997 c2's usable in snow?
Discussion
I have a 2005 c2......and it looks like it is about to now tonight...
This is my first 911, andI am wondering (or wishfully thinking) if the 997 can handle sowy weather....
My previous cars have mainly been auto BMWs, which were all prety bad in snow, and generally were best left at home....
Is the 997 c2 usable in snow, or should I just garage it up for the winter and use the wifes (fwd) car instead?....
This is my first 911, andI am wondering (or wishfully thinking) if the 997 can handle sowy weather....
My previous cars have mainly been auto BMWs, which were all prety bad in snow, and generally were best left at home....
Is the 997 c2 usable in snow, or should I just garage it up for the winter and use the wifes (fwd) car instead?....
From what I've heard, 911s are exceptional in the snow. RWD is best for snow (apparently), and the 911s have all that weight over the rear wheels, so they should perform alot better than most other cars out there in the snow. Once again though, this is just what I've heard - don't take it as gospel and go mad out there!
ETA: RWD as opposed to FWD. 4WD is obviously king in the snow.
ETA: RWD as opposed to FWD. 4WD is obviously king in the snow.
Edited by 911p on Thursday 25th November 17:00
4WD better then FWD better than RWD. Useful to have weight over wheels which steer car for control on the move and wheels which drive car to get started.
Narrow tyres better in snow.
Winter tyres better than summer tyres for grip. Snow chains and studs probably rarely usable in milder parts of UK.
Driver training helps, but in my experience 2wd 911, boxster and cayman not great in ice/snow. FWD low power skinny tyres best if you don't have 4WD. Better still stay at home!
Narrow tyres better in snow.
Winter tyres better than summer tyres for grip. Snow chains and studs probably rarely usable in milder parts of UK.
Driver training helps, but in my experience 2wd 911, boxster and cayman not great in ice/snow. FWD low power skinny tyres best if you don't have 4WD. Better still stay at home!
911p said:
From what I've heard, 911s are exceptional in the snow. RWD is best for snow (apparently), and the 911s have all that weight over the rear wheels, so they should perform alot better than most other cars out there in the snow.
Not sure where you heard this, but you couldn't be further wrong in my experience!Most rear-wheel-drive cars are a nightmare in the snow, and although 911's will have the advantage of the weight of the engine pushing down onto the rear wheels, this will be offset by the wide tyres which will tend to sit on top of the snow rather than bite through the snow.
My recommendation would be to leave the C2S at home.
My C4S is much better, as the 4WD really does help, but it's all relative and given the choice I'd be leaving the car in the garage and making alternative arrangements..!!
Sidicks
Really surprised by the responses in this thread, 911's are better than most RWD performance cars in snow due to the engine position.
Last winter I went over the moors (1000ft) with 3-4 inches of lying snow ok it wasn't like driving a landrover but it coped much better than any of my M3's.
And that was with foot wide PS2's on winters it will cope easily.
i had a 996 c2 tip last winter and used it every day during the snow and ice.
in fairness to it, it was ok in the snow but didnt like the ice, providing you were very very gentle with the throttle!
i've now got a 997 c2 with pdk so not sure how this will behave, given that pdk isnt quite as smooth pulling off as the tiptronic was.
but like i said managed the whole rubbish weather last year without gettting stuck, but did have a few brown trouser moments!
Jon
in fairness to it, it was ok in the snow but didnt like the ice, providing you were very very gentle with the throttle!
i've now got a 997 c2 with pdk so not sure how this will behave, given that pdk isnt quite as smooth pulling off as the tiptronic was.
but like i said managed the whole rubbish weather last year without gettting stuck, but did have a few brown trouser moments!
Jon
I used my GT3 throughout last winter as it was my only car at the time (sadly now sold).
Traction from the rear tyres on snow was actually quite good as long as you were careful with the gas.
The main problem I found was stopping in snow - there is no weight over the front wheels which meant that the car would easily skid when braking.
Traction from the rear tyres on snow was actually quite good as long as you were careful with the gas.
The main problem I found was stopping in snow - there is no weight over the front wheels which meant that the car would easily skid when braking.
KH said:
I was going to go the snow tyre route with mine this year, but as others have pointed out, there's a very good chance that someone will slide into you. It's not worth it, just for that.
It's more than worth it. Winter tyres aren't just for snow - they're for any cold temperature driving...:-) There's no going back once you've ran them for a winter. Get a spare set of wheels and plonk them on those. You'll likely get several winters out of them using them Nov to March.We had a *lot* of snow last year here.
Some comments (sorry if any are repeat not had time to read everyones responses)
1) Standard p-approved tyres are no good in temps sub 0. They will still work - the wheels wont fall off, but be aware they are designed for min temps of around 3 or 4 c.
2) Balance wise, they are very very good. IMHO.
3) Keep moving. The only time you will get stuck is if you stop. Esp on hills.
4) The PSM is very good in snow. Keep the driving smooth and let the PSM do its thing. So long as you keep the throttle very light and drive to the conditions the PSM will keep you going in a straight line.
Now, dont get me wrong, its no Range Rover - but so long as you dont trip over number 3 I dont think you will have any major issues.
Some comments (sorry if any are repeat not had time to read everyones responses)
1) Standard p-approved tyres are no good in temps sub 0. They will still work - the wheels wont fall off, but be aware they are designed for min temps of around 3 or 4 c.
2) Balance wise, they are very very good. IMHO.
3) Keep moving. The only time you will get stuck is if you stop. Esp on hills.
4) The PSM is very good in snow. Keep the driving smooth and let the PSM do its thing. So long as you keep the throttle very light and drive to the conditions the PSM will keep you going in a straight line.
Now, dont get me wrong, its no Range Rover - but so long as you dont trip over number 3 I dont think you will have any major issues.
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