Anybody run a C2 in the snow?

Considering both a 99 and 00 C2 Cabriolet ... but it's a daily driver for me here (in Boston) and will see snow duty, assuming it snows this winter like it did last winter. Curious as to whether anyone's running their C2 in the snow (with snow tires, of course) and the advantage of the 00 car's PSM over the 99 car's traction control in the snow. A C4 cabriolet is out of my budget (and hard to find, too). And, while we're on the subject, if 18" snow tires are significantly worse than 17" snow tires. Vic 95 C4 (sold)

Vic, My '99 C2 with traction control is my daily driver in Boston as well. Car is excellent (how could it not be, it's a 911!) in the winter. I have 17" snow tires (I have not tried 18"s, so can't comment on). Not a lot of clearance, but otherwise fine to drive -- the key is the tires of course (Dunlop M2's). I especially enjoy driving it around during a big snow storm and getting coffee with the plow guys -- they are always impressed to see the Carrera snow machine in action. Greg '99 C2

Yes, C2 is excellent in the snow. I live in Minnesota so I am a good test subject! I have a 99 with LSD and traction control with 17" M2's for winter (which are on already due to a nail through one of my S03's last week). I would think that the 99 (with LSD and TC off) would offer better ultimate driving traction through deep snow than a PSM car. Enjoy the snow, these cars are meant to be driven in all weather. Limey. 99 Coupe

Woo hoo! I guess that means my C4S should suffice in the white stuff. I'll see you guys on the road this winter I'll report on the tires, which are 18" Pirelli Winter 240 Snowsports.

Vic, My MY03 C2 is a daily driver. Equipped with 17" snow tires it was great through last year's Boston winter. I was commuting from the Metrowest area to the Back Bay. I echo the other comments - driven properly you will be fine and will have great winter fun!

You guys are making me feel much better about not having the $$$ for a C4 ... which is greatly appreciated. Now the question is ... 99 C2 cab with heated seats or 00 C2 cab without ... can't decide if the later model with the E-gas is too good to pass up for $3k more (both cars are certified). Vic 95 C4

I drove my car before I bought it in pa and it snowed while I was driving it. I have the 18's with 285 pirellis. Needless to say even with traction control it is scary. Very bad idea.-

But that's with regular tires, right, not snows? Vic 95 C4

right, and that was with a decent amount of downpour.

I broke down and bought a little KIA RIO econobox for my winter transpotation as opposed to getting Wintersports. I wasn't worried too much about my driving abilities in the winter but of those around me. Last winter was brutal and there were just too many instances of people playing bumper cars. All it takes is some joker going too fast and sliding your way to make your day miserable.

IMHO, you should never drive a Porsche in snow (non-sports cars excepted of course). Why drive a high strung machine that needs all of it's 265-285mm wide tread just to hook up on dry? Drive in snow if you must, but why waste the fun you could be having on dry pavement? Ya know, drive it like ya stole it...

Why waste 6 months of fun when the roads are dry for 90% of the winter anyway? Porsche wouldn't spend thousands of dollars of R&D money testing snow tires if the cars weren't meant to be driven in snow. If I had the space here in the city for a fun winter car, I'd probably get one, but I see no reason not to drive the C4S in the snow either.

Boston is the northeast, you have a 6 month winter. No suprise that you can't wait to drive no matter what the weather. I was only reffering to snow covered roads. All wheel drive or not, I know driving in snow, rain, or just wet doesn't compare to dry pavement. I do have two vehichles, but believe me, when I'm not driving the Porsche I'm just "commuting".

I have a set of dunlop graspic ds-2's for the winter, it was really a uninformed mistake, they were overkill for my awd car, but when we got hit with 19" of snow 3 years ago (I was living upstate then) what a blast, no one could believe my little eclipse wasn't getting stuck, and every SUV that tried to race me still got dusted. Don't be afraid of it, just be careful.

What would be the most recommended 18inch tires for winter use (Northern VA)? Sounds like there are Pirelli and Dunlop M2s that people are using - but is there a much preferred tire? Thanks!

I just bought a brand new set of 17" Carrera rims and Dunlop WinterSport M2's from a Porsche dealer on Ebay for $1,325; considering you'll spend, what, $600 on tires anyway plus the money to mount and balance the snow tires and remount and balance your summer tires on the 18's, made sense to just swap for the winter to me, that way my Turbo rims won't be subjected to sand and salt, etc. Vic 99 C2

i also live in boston and my 2001 C4 is my only car. i have 18" rims on it and i use dunlop M2s in the winter. i used to have a jeep cherokee and my C4 just blows it away in snow handling. totally blows it away, no comparison! i love driving it in snow storms when nobody else is out on the road because everybody just looks at me like i'm crazy, when in fact i'm driving the best handling winter car out there! i'm sure a C2 with winter tires will handle great too. i really love the dunlop tires and i'll definitely get another set when these wear out. they've been through 2 winters so far without showing too much wear (december-april), so i'm sure they'll be around for a couple of more winters.

"Anybody run a C2 in the snow?" I haven't personally, but I know a body shop that can give you some names.... ;-)

Is there a difference between using 17 and 18 inch snowtires. I assumed the width is the same on both sizes so there should be no diffence in the amount of traction. In fact, it is better to have narrower tires as winter tires instead of wider tires. The reason is simple. Narrower tires compact the snow better giving the tires a better bite in the snow and ice. Wider tires disperse the weight more so less snow is packed down. Im gonna try and get slightly narrower tires in the rear of my C4 this year. Not sure what sizes will fit though. Bob

I can't help but notice that responses like this have only come from warm climates. What do you guys know about driving in the "snow"? ... I know I know ... if you're from Cali you took your 996 into some mountain pass and had a hell of a time ... IMHO ... so what! The snowiest NE winters yield maybe 10 or 15 days where there is actually snow on the roads. Many of the winter days are sub zero but perfectly clear and dry roads which are a blast to drive with a sports car! {assuming you have "snow" tires on it ... ie a rubber that can handle the cold temps} Question really is {like our friend from Ohio notes} do you want to take a chance on the 10-15 days where the roads are actually snow covered. If not ... just park it and wait for the plows to clear the roads, then have at it! Certainly don't park it for the whole winter!

If the newer car has PSM, I'd go with that one. (Although heated seats ARE nice..) TC is a more rudimentary system, only working the brakes on the rear wheels. PSM is a much more sophisticated system that works all wheels. It helps with handling dynamics as well as "go" traction. TC really only helps with the "go" traction (and occasionally helps prevent power oversteer). Good luck!

Well, I lived in Boston one year and ran my Alpha in a stonebridge wall in Southie, on a lightly snowed day. As you probably know, there can be black ice in early to late evening under light powder. Only studded tires would have saved me. In January each year black ice is common, warm days melt the snow & early sunsets/cold nites freeze the run off. I spent my first 34 yrears in the NE and yes we have better winters in NorCal (which is not considered warmer climate). IMHO I may know more about driving in snow than you. I had to put sandbags in my first Porsche to weigh down the front end to drive in winter ( that rear end really came about quite easily on bias belted tires)

Alpha? You mean an Alfa Romeo? Which model? Based on what has been sold in the US, a Spider? Rear wheel drive without traction control?

That's correct (pardon my spelling). When you're on a lightly dusted black ice, traction control doesn't mean squat. If you're going slow enough studded tires may help. There are laws of physics involved, and the rubber didn't hit the road in this example. Engineering mumbo jumbo doesn't apply.

I'd like to see anybody drive a C4 in 12-18 inches of fresh powder, haha! I'll pass you while you're stuck, just cause my TRUCK has GROUND CLEARANCE.

Yup .. and I'll whip passed you and your TRUCK in 18-24 inches of fresh "powda" in my Polaris RMK. So what's your point? My point is ... every vehicle has its limits ... and the limits of the C2 certainly are not a few inches of snow or a slick road. SO ... slap on those snows and enjoy a full year of driving fun! {Except of course for the one maybe two days that there are 12-18 inches of fresh powder on the road }

Your all wheel drive is worthless unless you have some tires and clearance to back up your boasts. Last time I checked, ground clearance on any 996 is six inches or less. Please no more "I can drive circles around everyone all winter in my C4", cause we all know that's a load of BS. That's my point.

My C4S actually will drive circles around POS SUVs all winter, considering the road is dry 95% of the time, and it will stay parked for the 4 hours a year when there is more than 6 inches of snow on the road. No one is claiming that an AWD 996 is the best snow car on the planet, but it is certainly more than adequate for winter use. It has AWD, and just as much clearance as an Audi S4, BMW 330xi, WRX, etc...cars that people always claim are great in the snow. I love watching pickups with their cocky owners and sh!itty tires end up in ditches

Usually upside down in the ditch since they {especially the jeeps} rollover so easy!

all i'm saying is that if there's 6" or less snow on the road i WILL drive circles around most SUVs and pickups with my C4 with snow tires. there's only more than 6" of snow a couple times in the winter. now, i'm not basing this on nothing. i've driven pickups and SUVs since i was 12. i grew up on a farm in upstate NY where snowstorms dumping 3 feet of snow was common,and you can drive farm trucks when you're very young since it's so rural and nobody cares. all we drove was 4WD pickups there, and my first two cars after that were jeep cherokees, so i have a very good basis driving trucks and SUVs in some serious snow. and my C4 is better. simple as that. i've even gone through 1 foot snowbanks left from plows successfully. last year in an article in porsche panorama they took two C4s with snow tires and drove them to the northernmost point in europe without having any SUVs or anything to get them out of trouble. those two cars did it entirely on their own on roads that sometimes were just plowed roads across iced-over lakes. the only situation i'll admit a truck or SUV is better in is when there's more than 6" of snow on the road. but i bet a truck is going to get stuck in 18" of fresh snow. let's not boast about that. that's a lot for any vehicle short of a hummer or a snowmobile. black ice is black ice, and obviously nothing short of snow chairs or studs will help you in anything, including a pickup or SUV. i get really annoyed because i see people in SUVs driving fast in the snow because they think their all wheel drive and ABS will save them no matter what. they don't have any snow driving skills and they rely totally on the car. without the winter driving skills, you might as well just run off the road on purpose, because that's where you're going to end up eventually anway! all that being said, i'm just tryin got get across what great handling cars C4s are in the snow. unless you've tried one with good snow tires you have no idea how amazing they are. i'm on a porsche website touting the wonders of porsche and i'm being ridiculed for it! what's going on here!?!?!??! jusk joking around!

Just a light dusting but fine with Dunlop M2's on my C2. I've used these tires for three winters on an Audi S4, A4 Avant and my 996 and love them! I actually got stuck in my driveway more times in my S4 than with the 996! Limey.

I don't know about you all but in chicago it rarely snows more than 6 inches in one night. It definately snows but more frequently in smaller amounts. I don't think it snows enough anywhere in the continental us except maybe for teh mountain states to justify buying an suv for the possiblity of a day or two of heavy snow. Boob

Thanks for keeping us abreast of that ;-) Vic 99 C2 cab

No ridicule intended from me & I'm sorry if it appeared that way. I agree with you on SUV drivers thinking their trucks can overcome the laws of physics. I guess I'm thinking of city streets where snow plows, plow the parked cars in. Where a 4" stated snowfall can turn into 12" piles on these residential city streets (C4s would have a tough time UNparking). I guess this thread then begs the question, why snow tires at all, if there is so little utilization?

no ridicule taken, just joking around. it's funny you mention being plowed into a parking spot. i parallel parked on a street in downtown boston last year during one of the major snowstorms. the street sloped pretty decently towards the curb, and with 3-4" of snow on the ground, my girlfriend expressed concern that i'd be able to get out of the parking spot. a couple of hours later i go out and my car is plowed into the spot with about a 10" barrier of snow, and the cars in front and behind me were fairly close so there wasn't a lot of room to move. i got out of the spot the first time no problem. the snow tires barely even slipped. i just kept the wheels turning really slowly and with all the grip they have they just clawed right over the snow pile. on a separate note, i've done things with my 996 most people would think are crazy, such as taking it down a dirt road where there's puddles that i don't know how deep they are, and banks on either side of the road that are 6-12" above the road surface. i'm not talking some crazy off road trail here, but something most people would never attempt in a car. keep in mind i've done a fair bit of off road driving in trucks, so i know how to always keep my wheels on the high spots. well, i made it down and back the half mile road no problem. what i'm trying to get across with these two examples is that with the proper driver behind the wheel, you can do things with a car that nobody would ever think possible. i'm not trying to toot my own horn here (maybe a little), i'm more just trying to show what's possible. and back to the subject at hand, i'd say if you've got a decent amount of experience driving in snow, throw some snow tires on your C2 and go out and have some fun in the winter! porsches are meant to be driven, not left in your garage!

We ought to meet up teflon...my C4S has been down a few dirt roads and into fields, much to the amazement of onlookers You are a bit braver than me with street parking...I live downtown, but paid the premium for off-street parking. I just can't bring myself to park on the street no matter what.

Smart man........ very smart...

I use 17" snows in the winter and my car drives better than my Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland in the snow!! I just swapped out my 18" summer wheels and tires and the car just drives better in the cold with them! I have driven four winters with Porsches now and its great!! I even take my car to the ski slopes!

i would say it's a very valid pet peeve. i love what my stepfather, at 63 years old, has to say about it. today everybody talks about how you have to have at least front WD, if not AWD. my stepfather says "people were driving in the snow long before FWD or AWD cars existed without any problems! why is it so necessary now?!?!"