Winter tyres / wheels for my C4S

Hi guys, I am a bit confused over my options here. Thing is, I have a 2002 C4S - and am considering buying winter tyres for it. However, 18" tyres and a new set of wheels costs a fortune here in DK and I am not keeping the car for the next winter. So: What are my options in terms of used wheels and other sizes than 225/40-18 + 265/35-18? For instance, I have from my 2007 Cayman a set of 205/50-17 + 225/45-17. Is that a sort of blasphemy and/or dangerous to put on the C4S? Or could I use another tyre size on the rear wheels?

You have to be carful using non standard tyres on the C4S because of the viscous coupling in the 4 wheel drive system. If then front and back are not the same rolling diameter you can break it. Only use the Porsche recommended sizes.

There are PDFs on the Internet with Porsche tyre/wheel sizes from summer and winter. Look at using your current wheels to save costs. There is a size differential of about 3-4% front to back. Less than that the AWD system will be even less effective.

Easiest solution is to pick up a set of winter tyres for the current wheels either new or part worn and swop over on the current wheels. Swop back to summers or sell the car with winter tyres on, your choice, depends on time of year of sale. The cayman wheels will be the same rolling radius front to rear so no problem but offsets probably well off so will look odd. You can check rolling radius and offset differences using online calculators like website Willtheyfit.

Don't want to discourage safety... (proviso is I live within the M25 on the south side) but I ran my car all last winter on new N1 MPS2... and go to work at 4am on untreated roads sometimes,, the C4s never lost traction... if I had a c2 I'd definitely invest in winter tyres but C4s seems to get away with it in my experience. just saying, if you feel you need them don't hesitate and do it. I had an E92 M3 before as my daily that I bought winter tyres for.. they were excellent. Pirelli Sottozero from tyreleader...

I went for a cruise on the weekend and gave the accelerator a squeeze and lit up the rears in 3rd. Looked down at the temp gauge, 7.0°. S O they don't joke about the 8° cut off for summer tyres. If you're using it as a daily then you should definitely get a set

I didn't have a problem last year and I live in quite a hilly area. Used the car daily and never got stuck. My rear summer tyres were down to the bone too. Just remember to turn your psm off if you're struggling up hill.

I live in a village at the top of a hill, last winter I got caught in a sudden snow storm whilst out visiting friends, thought I'd be ok as I had AWD in my 996 C4S. Nope, I had to abandon it at the bottom of the hill in a side road for 2 days and got it home when the snow has started to melt. As soon as I got it home I put my winter wheels/tyres on and all was good. Days when my daily wouldn't get off the drive (rwd and auto) due to snow, I took the 996 with winters and got everywhere. I enjoyed the looks at work when the only people in were those with 4x4's. The best comments were "I bet that was interesting coming in in that?" I find that the comments of "you don't need winter tyres in winter" come from those who have never driven on winters. Those who have know different. Mrs Shurv has a Toyota Rav4 with Goodyear Vector 4 all season tyres on. It is left on these all the time, they are great tyres and we welcome a few inches of the white stuff this winter.

Did you turn you psm off when you got stuck? Design fault on the awd 996 is the psm prevents the awd system working in the snow.

I have driven my C4S on its summer Michelins on Finnish roads at -1c-0c-+1c and it just slithers around (lane changes at speed being a particular highlight). You can 'manage' but it's better on winters. And it's certainly better on winters if you have any plans to brake. The other real benefit of winters is that they're more fun. If anyone has any doubts at all, book a flight up here and I'll show you what I mean, in person, with my C4S on Nokian Hakkapeliitta's. I'll even come and pick you up from the airport.

Any summer tyre is going to be outside of its intended performance range below an air temperature of ~7 degrees.... yet no one thinks of this or changes the way they drive, let alone what tyres they are driving on - madness! At least a 996 seems to put people enough in touch with the basic physics that they either drive differently, put the car away for winter, or fit winter tyres - yet we all face the "traditional" commentary when we park up and walk into the office...

Buy a second hand set of wheels on eBay. If you ever sell the car then you ought to be able to get back most or all of what you paid for them. :thumb:

I've just purchasing 997 Carrera III 18" alloys complete with Conti winters. in great condition.....off ebay..fitted to my Targa. 997 offsets are slightly different to 996 Carrera classics but wheels fit & look fine! Bargain at just over 100 notes a corner & means I'm happier with RWD in winter conditions.

Just keep in mind that the "N" rated snow tires that are 225/40R18 have a larger circumference than the rear 265/35R18, BUT many tires are smaller at 225/40R18 than the rear, and you will have to size up to 235/40R18. Look at the actual revs per mile for the tires you are considering, rather than the nominal size.