snow driving question

Sandbag in the front or not? Pro's/Con's? I'm headed out for a blizzard adventure.

Don't.

i don't use them and i don't have any problems. they won't hurt though, except at higher speeds they'll weight down the front of the car and make it handle not quite as quickly. but look at it this way: there's a trunk in the front so the car is designed to be driven with extra weight in the front, so it can't hurt.

Don't do it. I live in Manhattan also and my '02 cab is a daily driver, but I never take it out in weather like this, if only because I worry about getting hit by somebody else who doesn't know how to drive in the snow. That's why we have mass transit.

Blizzard adventure...."higher speeds"... Leave the C4 at home and get an X3.

Mass transit doesn't get me anywhere close to work.

No. Pros. None. Cons. Extra weight. What you want is good, skinny snow tires mounted on skinny steel wheels. The skinner the better. Your 911 will perform better than any SUV is snow/ice conditions with the proper tires. Your only disadvantage will be ride height, but if your car is at the stock USA height you should do fine.

The truck got rear-ended today. Don't drive in this stuff if you don't absolutely have to. Even with a heavy front end! Start at the accident and work backwards!

i have to say i disagree. the C4 is built to be driven in the snow and it's a ton of fun to do it. cars (especially porsches!) are meant to be driven, not left in a garage!

i agree completely. when i was at the dealer yesterday to pick up a few parts i saw 2 996s, 1 coupe & 1 cab, get towed in b/c of battery failures. drive the darn cars!!! why buy it to leave it in the garage??

Statistically, most accidents happen on clear sunny days on straight roads. If you don't believe me ask any insurance expert or state trooper because every a-hole is out driving way beyond their limits. It's just that when there is a huge storm, the news loves to show the pics of wrecked cars. Your car can get damaged in the snow or in the shine or just sitting in the garage. Point is, at the end of the day it is a car and is meant to be driven. Anyway, if I could choose which car I would want to be hit in, it would me my C4 cause I know it is built like a tank and I'll walk away alive and hopefully uninjured. I doubt that is likely in a junker second hand SUV many have suggested as a snow driver. Just my ranting Bobby

amen brotha, amen!!!

C4 did wonderfully in the blizzard. Definitely meant to be driven. Lots of people looked at me like I was crazy... so I just gave them a look like they were crazy right back!

it's a sin to leave it in the garage! there's more snow in germany than here. just get dedicated snow tires approved by the porshe in christophorus and you won't have any problems. suv's are so prone to rollover that they are unsafe at any speed. the damn things should be outlawed!

SUV's should be taxed. :P

It's not you that I worry about... it's those other guys out there!!! Next time you are at a stop light, check out the drivers in the other cars. Some are normal (can drive), while others.... you are amazed. They can vote, reproduce, and drive. Its scary. If you can drive in snow away from them.. go for it!! It's fun. If you can't... stay home and be safe. Hey, these folks are the reason I sold my motorcycle!

Have fun, I am envious Based on the size of the trunk and that it is designed to carry some weight, it shouldn't be TO big of an issue, depending on how dynamic of a driver you are. Don't you have PSM & AWD??? If it were me, I want my car to respond as I am use to it. Adding SBags will alter handling characteristics and could, depending shift weight some under adverse conditions. Boy, do I miss the snow

I pulled the C4S in winter tires right out of 8 inches of snow yesterday. The neighbors with their stuck X5 on summer tires looked kind of pissed I did take the car to a nearby garage yesterday though. 28 inches is too much snow for any car!

I pulled the C4S on winter tires right out of 8 inches of snow yesterday. The neighbors with their stuck X5 on summer tires looked kind of pissed I did take the car to a nearby garage yesterday though. 28 inches is too much snow for any car!

After driving in the white stuff all weekend, its back in the gargage, but man is it dirty...my kingdom for a pressure washer in Lower Manhattan. I wouldn't do sand bags...you have PSM and AWD. If that doesn't do it, than an extra 50lbs won't do much either...besides, were are you gonna put all your ski stuff if the measely trunk space is filled with sand bags???

The torque bias on the C4 is toward the rear wheels. Since the engine is by the rear wheels, there is a lot of weight pushing those wheels down. Putting Sandbags in the front will cause your front end to push down reducing the push down effect in the rear. It might also cause the car to understeer. People used to put sandbags in the trunks of front engine, rear drive cars to push the drive wheels down to the road when it snows. In the 996 setup, i think it will be detrimental. Bobby

Good winter tires (225 up front, and 265 in the rear) is all you need.

awd is designed to pull the front end around when turning, the c4s has only 20% torque at the front wheels. the only time that changes is if it senses slipage. the best handling will be in the way it was designed to be. leave the front end empty it will perform way better. oversteer is more controllable then understeer anyday if it comes down to that.

DRIVE THE CAR!! I drive mine all winter with the hard top and snows on! Did I drive this weekend in the snowstrom?? YES!! I had a ball! Do I have a couple of tiny dings on my front bumper? Yes so what?? I bought the car to drive and enjoy! Ilove the way it looks and the small irritation it gives me to have a "ding" it it is FAR surpased by the joy in drivng it! These cars go through extensive winter testing!! I take it to the ski slopes with the Porsche ski box on top!!

I read somewhere that classic cars are worth more with some road damage (chips and dings) on the front end because it shows that the car was an actually driven original and not restored. So for you guys keeping it hoping it will become a classic, you might not be doing the right thing. For those of us, that enjoy all four seasons, keep on driving and see you on the roads. BTW, yonster is right, that is the correct size for snows. You want to keep them on the skinnier side becasue it will help the tire cut through the snow and get a good bite on the ice/snow. Thats what I have on the C4 on 17 inch rims. Bobby

Porsche designed the C4 to be driven in the snow and I am sure the design of the car is up to the task. However, why would you even want to drive the car in the snow anyway? I am sure it is amazing, but it will take a beating. Hey but as long as your doing that, how about doing some donuts for me on a back road and reporting back! Best wishes and GOOD LUCK! - Jay Gratton

jay the car doesn't take a beating! I'm on my third winter with my 01 C4 cab and you would NEVER know it was driven in the winter!! The other cars.. well they actually see me better because they are looking at a Porsche in the snow!!!! The PSM is incredible! I took it into a slippery parking lot to do donuts and power slides, the car is phenomenol in avoiding accidents!! This is my third Porsche driving in the winter and I think people are nuts to put them away for the winter!!!

I couldn't agree more: see the details here or here ! Maybe because of the fun-factor? Here we go! www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2381_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2382_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2384_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2385_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2386_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2387_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2391_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2392_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2393_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2394_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2395_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2399_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/123-2400_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/124-2401_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/124-2402_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/124-2404_MVI.AVI www.sw2.ch/pics/snowdrive/124-2405_MVI.AVI Greetings, --Pierre

i don't think that's quite right. if you put sandbags BEHIND the rear axle then they'll act like a weight on a lever and push the front wheels up resulting in a loss of traction to the front wheels. in a C4, the trunk is pretty much right over the front wheels so it would NOT act like a lever and take weight off of the rear wheels. the weight would transfer directly downward to the front wheels. physics is a wonderful thing!

the C4 actually only directs 5% of power to the front wheels during normal acceleration. during HARD acceleration it will transfer up to 20% power to the front wheels, and if there is slip detected it can transfer up to 40% power to the front wheels. just to clarify.