Snow

Ok, just how bad is a C-2 in the snow??? I have a '04 C-2 Cab and I need to decide whether I can realistically use it as a daily driver in the winter (I'm in New York) to commute 5-6 miles to work and back each day. From November through March we can get some serious snow in my neck of the woods. On days where I know in advance that snow is coming, I can probably just call a cab to get to work. But, inevitably, I will get caught in the snow in the P-car a few times a year. Also, even if I don't get "caught" in the snow, there certainly will be days where there is SOME snow on the ground that has not been cleared from a recent snow fall. So, do I need to get a daily driver or should I jusr relax and drive the P . Thanks.

new wheels to accept skinnier snow tires. summer tires are dangerous in snow (really)...

I live in New York City and have had two C-2 cabs (a 1999 and a 2002) which are daily drivers for my wife who commutes from Manhattan to Riverdale. I have to say that with summer tires the car really cannot handle the snow. Just as an example, this past winter we got back to the City from the Hamptons after it had snowed and it took me 45 mins. to go eight blocks from my apartment to my garage because I kept getting stuck on streets that had not yet been fully plowed. That said, I still would get the Porsche as a daily driver; this isn't the Rockies and there will only be a few days each year where you can't use the car.

summer tires-no way. winter tires-pretty good. winter tires + psm-very good. winter tires +awd-great. this sums it up.

My friend drives his C4S in winter with smaller snow tires. The AWD obviously helps and while he likes it, he admits it doesn't handle deep snow well because of its limited ground clearance. Alan

I've driven my 2001 C4 as a daily driver for over 3 years and now my C4S Cab is my daily driver. How much of a difference do the snow tires make? ALL the difference. When I took delivery of my C4S cab in Jan. I drove it home from Boston, there was still some snow on my driveway and I couldn't make it all the way up because of the summer tires. I use 17" rims with Dunlop Winter M2s (you need wheel spacers for the 17" rims to work on the C4s, but they fit perfect on a C2). Peace, Rob

GET SNOW TIRES! The week before I installed snow tires I got caught in the snow and the car was all over the place, even with AWD and PSM. You don't even really need to go to 17" rims. I've used my C4 in 4+ inches of snow this passed winter skiing up in VT, no problems at all, with 18" Dunlop Winter Sports M2s (they are actually recommended by Porsche for winter use). Aside from snow traction, the tires that come standard on your car are considered 'summer' tires, so the rubber compound does not work well in cold temperatures, basically they become hockey pucks. The M2s have a different rubber compound specifically for cold weather, so even on dry pavement you will maintain optimum traction, where as summer tires won't. For the few extra bucks you'll spend its more than worth it....

Check out this video for a C2 in the snow http://analogue.net/carpron/nordschleife_winter.mpg

Sounds like a C4 with snow tires would work, but what about a C2 with snow tires?

With winter tires the car is as good as any other 2 wheel drive car out there. Remember the *** will fish tail anytime you want it too if you accel enough, but if you are carefull in the lower gears you won't have any problems unless you want them. Summer tires even with awd is looking for a accident. I got caught with my C4S during a blast and lost it, no control at all. Lucky I wasn't going fast and slide sidways and hit the curb and bounced back into a patch of dry stuff. There went my new unscathed rims.

the c2 is fun in the snow. just pretend like you're a rally car driver. don't plan on going up any steep hills especially if you're stuck at a red light on a hill... like someone above posted just remember the car is rwd and just like any rwd car the traction in snow is not the best. actually it's the worst. but on a side note, i've driven mine in the snow before to meet up with some fellow rennlisters and it was fine.

Hmm I beg to differ. A 911 with narrower rims and winter tires is an excellent winter driver. With 60 percent of its weight over the back wheels, traction is much much better than a front engine RWD car. On the other hand it tends to understeer because there is not enough weight on the front wheels.

Thanks all, this has been a very helpful thread. My conclusion: I live in an area with periodic snowfall 5 months of the year and, more importantly, lots of hills everywhere. I need to trade in my c-2 for a c-4 OR get a daily driver with awd. Thanks again.

this car rocks with snows on it. just remember all bets are off with stopping (cause you can really get moving fast)

I drove my 03 Targa in this past winter months, with a Set of Dunlops M2 Winter Sports - No Problema... and I live in northern New Jersey..

Without snow tires, this bad.

It seems that there is a view, perhaps the minority view, that a C-2 with snow tires is do-able in the snow, but the overriding opinion appears to be that C-4s with snows are the only P-Cars that should leave the garage in snow. One interesting fact from Chicago's thread above is that summer tires (i.e., the factory tires) are very dangerous to use in cold weather(temps lower than 40F) even if the road is perfectly dry. I had no idea. Thanks.

This is also a function of what you expect from a car in winter. People got through snow for decades before all-wheel drive, traction control, stability control and fancy tire compounds were available. A rear wheel drive car with snow tires can be driven in snow but you won't be able to drive as fast or arrive as relaxed and secure as you will with a car better suited to the task. Driving a rwd sports car in the snow is like driving a full size SUV on a racetrack: yes it can be done but if you have a choice, why would you bother? Alan