Winter Tyres

[robert997]

Anyone any comments on winter tyres...? It's my only car now, and was wondering wether it's worth investing £1300 in a set of Pirelli Winter 240's (from the OPC) or just leaving things alone. I know we don't get much snow, but it does go cold here and these seem to be all the rage in Europe. I do about 500 miles a week in the car on average...

Comments ?

 

[oliver]

Christophorus normally does a chart with the recommended options for owners who live in those parts of the world with more severe winters.

Never heard of anyone in the UK, let alone London, fitting 'winter' tyres.

 

[burrow01]

Hi - I would highly recommend a set of Winter tyres - due to an "incident" on a snowy autobahn (following a queue overtakng a snow plow....) we decided to purchase a set (not for a Porsche it has to be said) in Austria.
They are amazing in the light type of snow that we get in the UK - the 2" type that brought the M11 to a standstill a couple of years ago.

I was also surprised at the extra level of security they bring on normal wet winter roads - we drove back via Germany, and the autobahns can contain a lot of standing water, with truck grooves adding to the fun, we found that the tyres gave a much improved level of grip and feel in these conditions. We still have the tyres and swap them every year - saves wear on your summer set. We live on a hill, which in the winter is not gritted, as it is on a very minor road, so even slight fall of snow makes it difficult to get to the main road. This is especially so with wide, low profile tyres, I recall being unable to get out of my drive a few years ago with apprx 3 cm of fallen snow, untill the car was pushed out onto the road

I'm not sure of the prices here, but in Europe they are reasonably priced. When I lived in Holland, not the most snowy country in the world, the local OPC was inundated during October with wheel changes as people switched to winter tyres.

I used to think that the reduced speed rating of the tyres would be an issue, but the latest versions I belive are rated up to V, which should be OK for most people in the UK in winter

Pete

 

[Guest]

355 bhp going through very wide rear tyres that start to loose their grip at 7 degrees centrigrade.
three choices:
1) drive very very very slowly
2) get some winter tyres
3) become very friendly with you OPC bodyshop

Calculate how much money you would loose, how much hassle it would be and how much extra insurance you would pay and winter tyres look pretty cheap.

 

[mbrands]

There is no question. Winter tyres make a massive difference, even on the lightest dusting of snow or sleet.

 

[oliver]

ORIGINAL: camcayenne

355 bhp going through very wide rear tyres that start to loose their grip at 7 degrees centrigrade.
three choices:
1) drive very very very slowly
2) get some winter tyres
3) become very friendly with you OPC bodyshop

Calculate how much money you would loose, how much hassle it would be and how much extra insurance you would pay and winter tyres look pretty cheap.

I've driven almost 300,000 miles in a variety of 911s, since 1983, all rwd, all on normal tyres and, mostly, with no driver aids. Yet, in this country, I've never felt any need to fit specialized 'winter' tyres. OK, there may have been a few rare occasions when dedicated winter tyres would have been beneficial, but these circumstances are so few and far between that they don't warrant consideration.

Similarly, it always makes me laugh when someone says that a 911 isn't safe unless it has 4wd. Common sense and consideration for prevailing weather conditions provide a much greater margin for safety. Far better to spend the money on advanced driving tuition such as Don Palmer's 'Wetter the Better' course.

 

[burrow01]

Hi,

Obviously you can get by in the UK with normal tyres - millions of people do - but when you see the the M11 completely blocked due to 2" of snow, and people asking why it does not happen in other countries, I would suggest that winter tyres are a part of the answer.
Lots of people will spend hrs comparing performance tyres, and have seperate sets for track days etc, so I cannot see anything wrong having a set specifically for winter.
The higher levels of grip and feel in colder / wetter conditions would probably be especially appreciated by someone who has done the "Wetter the Better" course

 

[robert997]

Guys, thanks for all the comments. They say normal tyre grip reduces below 7 degrees C that's why I really wanted to try winter tyres. Tyres specifically for cold and wet weather could be a real asset in or climate or they could just be marketing hype...I think the best idea will probably be to order a set and then report back how I get on ! I think the OPC price seems really high, so I'll try and find my nearest Pirelli Performance Centre and see what they quote. Any recommendations in Solihull/South Birmingham ?

BTW agree totally with Oliver's comments about driver training and already take at least 2 sessions a year !

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: princer2

Guys, thanks for all the comments. They say normal tyre grip reduces below 7 degrees C that's why I really wanted to try winter tyres. Tyres specifically for cold and wet weather could be a real asset in or climate or they could just be marketing hype...I think the best idea will probably be to order a set and then report back how I get on ! I think the OPC price seems really high, so I'll try and find my nearest Pirelli Performance Centre and see what they quote. Any recommendations in Solihull/South Birmingham ?

BTW agree totally with Oliver's comments about driver training and already take at least 2 sessions a year !

Two questions arise;
Firstly, if you do go for winter tyres, do you have an extra set of rims or do you just change the tyres onto your other rims?
Secondly, how do you get the summmer tyres home after the winter tyres have been on the car? Presumably you can't get more than 1 tyre in the front boot, so can you really fit 3 tyres in the car safely and securely without marking the interior?
Sidicks

 

[pvernham]

Rob

Did you buy a set of winter tyres in the end? If so what is your verdict?

I have noticed a bit of rear end movement over the past month when using the throttle enthusiastically and I'm not sure whether that is down to the tyres wearing (my Pirellis have now done nearly 7,000 miles although they still look to be OK) or whether this is because of the poorer grip at lower temperatures noted above.

Paul

 

[Michael Downing]

ORIGINAL: sidicks
Presumably you can't get more than 1 tyre in the front boot,

Bad news for you there .... a Carrera 4 won't take a full size wheel in the boot!

ORIGINAL: sidicks

so can you really fit 3 tyres in the car safely and securely without marking the interior?
Sidicks

Rearrange the words "Chance" and "No" to obtain an answer! One is difficult enough []

 

[sidicks]

So if I deceide to go down this route next Winter, I'll have to get the wife to accompany me to the OPC or tyre fitting centre so that we can dump the old tyres in the back of her car ?

In that case I'd better start being nice to her.................

Sidicks

 

[pvernham]

You could always go for the towbar option with the special Porsche trailer [][]

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: pvernham

You could always go for the towbar option with the special Porsche trailer [][]

Sounds good, should I get a grey one to protect the resale value?

Sidicks

 

[keithpms]

Rob

Trade "up" to the C4S instead.......

Keith

 

[robert997]

I never did get the winter tyres. It quickly went into the too-hard box as OPC's and tyre dealers drew a complete blank. 'What are winter tyres ?' and 'why do you want them ?' were questions I tyred (!) of answering from the supposed experts. Even people like Micheldever were a waste of time. The ever-helpful OPC Solihull did come-up with pricing, but just that offered by Tequipment so about £3k for a set of 19" wheels and tyres. In September it was too early and in October it was too late to order. Hopefully, it wont be long before it stays that English mild 10 degrees or so for the rest of the year ! Someone has suggested buying from Germany anyway for price and selection. It can't be any harder over there !

 

[Michael Downing]

For some real fun, if you're unlucky enough to have an incident in the snow, tell them that it's their fault for not supplying you with winter tyres [][]

 

[burrow01]

Hi

Yep, always swap on one of my vehicles (non Porsche)

Makes a huge difference in any conditions - wet / standing water / snow etc

Once you have driven on them you will not go back.....

Would imagine its a similar difference to using "R Compound" type tyres on the track rather than normal road tyres in the summer

Pete

 

[okellyt]

At the very least I make sure my tyres are over 3mm before winter sets in. And if I think they'll drop below I replace them. There is a huge difference in grip in wintry conditions between 3mm or less and over 3mm tread depth.

Ideally we should all change to winter tyres at under 7C, the standard N rated tyres for Porsche's don't work properly under that temp. As I live London bound and tend just to do motorway stints in winter I haven't used winter tyres so far but realise I really should.

 

[Alex L]

Thanks, that reminds me, now it is about 10degC I need to put more air in my tyres.

I never bother with winter tyres myself as it doesnt average under 7degC for long enough in this country for me to warrant the cost of new wheels and tyres.