RE: Mucking about in the snow: part two

[Rawwr]

Donkey62 said:

Winter does not mean just handful of days per year, i use them all year round as many others do. They don't fall apart or wear out radically quicker in the summer either nor handling suffer much compared to premium tyres particularly when half worn.

Precisely

[Shaw Tarse]

Dan Trent said:

Bill said:

Little snippet here for you; just going through the rest of the raw footage but it gives you a flavour! The giggling adds an authentic sense of the seriousness with which this important testing was carried out!

Dan

This has the potential for a 10 on my PHometer

[Bill]

Brilliant! I see that the cameraman was the other side of the Armco though

[Banjo47]

Rawwr said:

Donkey62 said:

Winter does not mean just handful of days per year, i use them all year round as many others do. They don't fall apart or wear out radically quicker in the summer either nor handling suffer much compared to premium tyres particularly when half worn.

Precisely

Is that true? I was lucky enough to win a competition last year at Silverstone, the prize being a trip to Finland on Porsche's Camp 4 which was just brilliant fun hooning around in their new C4S's on the ice and snow tracks through the woods and I was an instant convert to winter tyres. If they really do offer what you say I might consider replacing my normal tyres for all year use. I probably wouldnt do it on a performance car but on the family panzerwagen it could make sense.

[Rawwr]

Banjo47 said:

Is that true? I was lucky enough to win a competition last year at Silverstone, the prize being a trip to Finland on Porsche's Camp 4 which was just brilliant fun hooning around in their new C4S's on the ice and snow tracks through the woods and I was an instant convert to winter tyres. If they really do offer what you say I might consider replacing my normal tyres for all year use. I probably wouldnt do it on a performance car but on the family panzerwagen it could make sense.

In this country, you could probably run 6 months on, 6 months off. It's hard to define, though.

[Richard-G]

Rawwr said:

Banjo47 said:

Is that true? I was lucky enough to win a competition last year at Silverstone, the prize being a trip to Finland on Porsche's Camp 4 which was just brilliant fun hooning around in their new C4S's on the ice and snow tracks through the woods and I was an instant convert to winter tyres. If they really do offer what you say I might consider replacing my normal tyres for all year use. I probably wouldnt do it on a performance car but on the family panzerwagen it could make sense.

In this country, you could probably run 6 months on, 6 months off. It's hard to define, though.

just bought some Kleber Quadraxxers for my swmbo fiat 500 and they work great in the snow and are marketed as an all year round Tyre.

impressed so far, with the caveat that she drives to and from work (hospital) and does no sporty driving at all.

so for a work hack, i cant see why you wouldn't have an all year round Tyre, these thinks even have snow flake markings on them!

[mark3man]

If I understand correctly from my German hwmbo (or "boss") who fits them on his Jag about November, it's their performance in low temperature rather than for 'traction' in deep snow. Although his have a bit better tread than the summer tyres it's nothing like the old 'Town and Country' tyres. Lyndon Simms won the RAC Rally in the 50s in an Aston DB2 sporting a set of those. Of course (reaching for pipe with nostalgic look) "in those days we had PROPER winters".
Actually, we did and they may be coming back.

[thegreenhell]

Lotus in the snow, eh? Mine doesn't have the snowplough on the front so it turns into a toboggan in more than about five inches. Still great fun on its Nokian winters though.

[pagani1]

Let's hope Lotus survives these hostile economic times. We need a few Britcar companies to bring a smile to our faces such as this great article. Well Done Ph from the old fart.

[aide]

have to start young if you're ever going to get the hang of power sliding in the snow

[kbee540]

Great write up, looks like you had a fab time. Good ol' Lotus, eh?

Gotta agree with the winter tyre thing. Put some Michelin Alpins onto my 335d this year and the difference in the cold and snow is jaw dropping. Sure they're expensive, but stopping tens of metres sooner* than on summer tyres has to be worth it. Plus, I'm not stuck at the bottom of a hill like I have been previously.

• Of course the downside is that I might stop quickly, but the cheapskate who wouldn't put proper tyres on his car in winter might run into the back of me....

[garypotter]

Winter tyres!!, when it snows I stay in bed and do not bother coming into the office!!

ps any car in the snow is fun not just lotus, been out recently in the millenium falcon having fun, and yes managed to scratch it - doh!

[bebee]

That car was there when I went to the factory late last year, it's never going to leave by the looks of it.