Background - I've got 17" Konig Holes wheels with Toyo Garit HT 215/55-17 winter tires on the RX-8 for winter use. I installed them 2 weeks ago, and they are definitely less precise and less grippy on dry pavement - that's to be expected, but it's enough of a difference from the OEM 18s that you have to be careful around corners until you get used to the lower limits.

Yesterday, Calgary got it's first winter storm - freezing rain, followed by about 6" of snow. I didn't drive the RX-8 to work yesterday, just to avoid the chance that one of the morons who never remembers to slow down when the first snowfall comes might run into me. Today, though, I did drive the 8 to work. Since I drove our Audi allroad (quattro AWD with Michelin Pilot Alpin winter tires) yesterday, that gave a good basis for comparison - road conditions both days were similar, with packed and loose snow over ice. It's about as bad as roads get, with lots of people unable to get up hills, getting stuck, buses cancelled, highways closed, etc!

The verdict: In a nutshell, the car handled great. Braking was excellent, I never had to trigger the ABS even on very slippery stuff. I was driving cautiously, obviously, but with all-seasons on that type of packed snow/ice surface, ABS would be easily activated. The car was able to move from a standstill in 4"-5" deep snow over ice, so traction was never a problem. The DSC/TC was kicking in quite a bit, and the stability control did a good job even if I didn't correct for a slide or deliberately gave it too much throttle. The car does move around a bit, enough so that my wife will have to get used to it (more than our Audi). I think it's actually going to be very controllable, and I suspect I'll drive it far more with the DSC turned off, just for fun.

Bottom line - the Toyo Garit HT winter tires are excellent, and make the RX-8 a fully competent winter vehicle. I'm very happy with how they performed today! Yet to come, the big empty snow-covered parking lot test with lots of sideways driving. :D

PS - with the stock OEM 18" tires, I never would have made it out of my driveway. If I had, I would have hit the curb on the first downhill corner, guaranteed. I would strongly recommend that you leave your RX-8 parked if you have the OEM 18" tires and there's any snow cover on the road. Take a cab, bus, whatever! The tires make all the difference.

Regards,
Gordon

Thats great news. If the 8 can handle Canadian winters than it can probably handle anything (with the correct tires).

Gordon, did you put any additional weight in the back of the car to give it more grip in the back or did you just put the snow tires on and go?

No extra weight, just snow tires and go.

This gets debated a lot on the Miata forum - some people advocate extra weight in the trunk to improve traction when starting from a standstill, some people advise against it because it increases the likelihood of the back end coming around when cornering and braking. Since traction with the torsen LSD and winter tires on the 8 seems fine, I won't bother with the extra weight. Also, the inherent low polar moment of inertia of the 8 should mean that the car is easy to slide and recover, but extra weight at the very back of the car would also affect that (making it less easy to recover from slides, both the intentional and unintentional variety ;) ).

Regards,
Gordon

thanks for the info... eases my mind some :)

awesome, im going to be getting winter tires soon, i wonder if ill need an additional set of wheels though?
________
HERBAL VAPORIZER (http://herbalvaporizers.info)

Gordon:

Thanks for the excellent writeup. I will be purchasing some wheels thanks to Speed Racers comments. New England weather here I come!! :)

For those of you who may have missed it, tomorrow Oct. 31 is the last day to order & get the group discount on the FRD06 or FRD30 winter weels from Talon Tire. For details see my post of Oct 13 in the Talon Tire thread in the Canada regional forum.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?threadid=11413&perpage=15&pagenumber=3

Got my order in to John at Talon, he beat the best price that my local tire guys could do, and convinced me to upgrade to the '06s, which have a metal, instead of plastic, centering ring.

Not here yet, but looking forward to them!

S

snow already? geez.....but that's good news about the 8!

Gord I'm glad you're 8's doing well in the snow. I for one am parking until the spring (or when a chance chinook warms things up enough to go driving :-) I just bought myself one of those "tent garages" and all I have to do now is wait for it to get a little warmer so I can assemble the thing. Happy driving!

Great review Gordon, definately puts me at ease about using the 8 as a daily driver all year round.

hey guys,i just put on my dunlop winter sports on the stock wheels(planing on some yaw wheels for summer)a few days ago just in time for our first ice up.no real snow yet has fallen up here in alaska but rain at night and frozen in the morning has made for some slick commutes.these tires kick some serious butt,stopping on the ice was great and accelration you can break the back end loose a little but t/c just gets you straight and off you go.cant wait for a foot a snow to fall to put em to the real test but the work great on the black ice.p.s. gord,didnt mean to rob your thread just excited at how well this car can go with good tread.:D

Originally posted by akrx8
p.s. gord,didnt mean to rob your thread just excited at how well this car can go with good tread.:D

No problem! It's valuable for any of us who are the first to try winter conditions to pass the word along. With good winter tires, the RX-8 is a blast.

However, I'd guarantee that within a few more weeks, when winter hits further south, there will be a bunch of posts from people who have tried to drive their 8s with the stock RE040 tires on snow or ice, and who will proclaim how badly the RX-8 sucks in snow. :o It all comes down to the proper tires, people - I'd suggest that the RX-8 is one of the better RWD cars to drive on snow, given equal winter tires.

Regards,
Gordon

I'm glad to hear the good news about the Ex-8. I'm in
kansas and we get our fair share of snow and I was really wondering what my winter experience was going to be like. Now I am determined to get some snow tires.

Originally posted by Gord96BRG
... I didn't drive the RX-8 to work yesterday, just to avoid the chance that one of the morons who never remembers to slow down when the first snowfall comes might run into me.... I heard that! :(
Try driving in SC after the earth turns white! No way my ''pepper" is gonna see another car during those times! I'm a "displaced yankee" and I know just whachyo talkin' 'bout. It's quite commical if you're just observing...:D Around here, they don't even bother turning on the street lights when it snows. Alright, I've stretched the truth just a tad there, but it is true that everything closes at right about the same moment that the first snowflake hits the ground. Kinda nice. Of course, it's all gone the next day, almost always.

Anyway, this is great news - it's made my day.

And I totally agree with your latter post about no dead weight in the trunk (except maybe for some "get me outta here!" stuff like a bit of road salt(tightly contained), a blanket to put under the slipping tire, a bottle of your favorite "antifreeze"(jk),...). With 50/50, DSC/TC, torsen, minimal polar moment of inertia, you can drop the sandbag. The main factor here, I think, is the 50/50 distribution. Pickup trucks & a lot of front engine / rear wheel drive cars got it all wrong with about 30% on the rear end. They need the sand bag, not the RX-8. ;)

Winter tires, are these with metal studs in them?

no metal studs in these style tires,these are performance style winter tires that are softer componds with sipes(?) all thru the tread design for traction on snow and ice.

Gord,

How does the RX8 compare with the MX5 in the snow.

Both have even weight distribution between front / rear and both have a lot of tire width compared to 'normal' cars. Are they comparable in the snow when both have proper winter tires?

Originally posted by OldCodger
Gord,

How does the RX8 compare with the MX5 in the snow.

Both have even weight distribution between front / rear and both have a lot of tire width compared to 'normal' cars. Are they comparable in the snow when both have proper winter tires?

Well, the earlier Miatas with 185/60-14 tires aren't that wide, and 185 width is OK in the snow. The more recent Miatas going to 195 or 205 are wider than desirable, and those owners really should go to a 185 or 195 width for winter tires. On the RX-8, 225 is too wide for most effective winter grip, but even with 225 width winter tires it will be far better off than on 225 all-seasons or summer tires!

(Confession time - I drove my 96 Miata in the winter for 3 years, on the stock OEM all-season tires that Mazda Canada provided (instead of the summer tires that were OEM in the US). If snow was really deep, I drove my OTM (other than Miata) vehicle, but even then I drove the Miata in 4 or 5 inches of snow and never got stuck. BUT - I grew up driving big Yank RWD sedans in Manitoba winters, maybe equipped with 2 winter tires on the back. I had a fair bit of experience with RWD and poor grip, so the Miata by comparison on all-seasons did just fine. However, on every other vehicle I've owned for the past 22 years I have fitted winter tires for winter driving! With that disclaimer out of the way...)

The RX-8 on winter tires is actually quite similar to the MX-5 in the snow - the steering response is good, braking is great, and balance is also very good. The RX-8 actually has an advantage in that it's Tochigi-Fuji torsen-style LSD is preloaded, so it doesn't suffer from one-wheel-spin in zero grip conditions (ice, mud) like the traditional Torsen as available on the 94-02 Miatas does. I've found that I prefer to drive the RX-8 around the city with the DSC turned off, because it intervenes when I'd rather be sliding or steering with the throttle. :D

Regards,
Gordon

Did you notice any problem with snow/ice accumulation in front of the radiator on that shelf that kinda looks like a giant shovel??

Originally posted by pr0ber
Did you notice any problem with snow/ice accumulation in front of the radiator on that shelf that kinda looks like a giant shovel??

Not yet, in city driving. It might be a problem on the highway when it's snowing heavily...

One related 'problem' - not a big deal - is that the RX-8 isn't that quick to warm up. I suspect that the 2 oil radiators do too good a job, and I'm considering blocking them off (or at least one of them) for winter cold-weather driving.

Regards,
Gordon

(Moderators, any chance you could make this thread a sticky for a while, or some similar informational post? It might help head off the posts from people who ignored the fact that it's winter until the first storm hit, and then post Chicken Little threads like Not a Snow Going Car! (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16089) .)

Look, folks - this thread is almost 6 weeks old since the first RX-8 owners tried their cars in winter snow conditions. For 6 weeks prior to that, there were discussions about appropriate winter tires and wheels for the coming winter. So for 12 weeks, 3 months, there's been talk that the SUMMER TIRES that are delivered on the RX-8 would suck and be absolutely useless on snow. Lots of people have posted now that with winter tires, the RX-8 does fine on snow.

Now that a big storm has hit, and those who ignored the coming winter have had a wake-up call, it's officially time to say -

WE TOLD YOU SO! :p

The RX-8 does NOT suck in the snow.

It's the TIRES that suck in the snow.

Put Bridgestone RE-040s on anything, an Audi quattro, any SUV, and that vehicle would also be useless on snow. There are plenty of posts now on this forum and others that will confirm that. It's the nature of high-performance summer tires. You need winter tires for winter conditions, it really is that simple.

There are plenty of threads in the Tires and Wheels section of the forum, and in the Canada regional section of the forum discussing appropriate tire brands/models, sizes, and wheels. Or, just head straight to www.tirerack.com , and order NOW a set of wheels and winter tires from their recommended lists (only buy the Blizzak WS-50 if everything else is sold out ;) ), but DO NOT come to this forum and whine about how your car sucks in the snow, because we'll just respond that YOU suck, not your car! :D

Regards,
Gordon

I agree with Gord, the RX8 r0cks in snow with some good tires!!!


I spent all of last night flying around on snow/ice covered city and back country roads and had nothing but a great experience. The vast majority of the time the Dunlops M3's and the limited slip diff provided amazing traction. We are talking hard and soft snow packed roads while starting out on the side of a very large hill without any tire spin traction!!

I had many SUV owners near the mall look at me kinda funny with the "What the hell, that guy is driving a sports car around in this!?!?" look. (Shopping at the malls after a small blizzard is great - no lines at all :D )


On the few occasions where the Traction Control and DSC actually kicked it, it was very unobtrusive. One time I was turning at an intersection and the rear started to break loose - I literally just held the wheel straight and the 8 corrected itself!! It was amazing. The traction control works equally as good - the only way I knew it was working sometimes was when the light popped on. At one point I found a very icy parking lot and for kicks simulated a slalom run - the DSC went ballistic but the car actually was slaloming!


The ABS seems to also be good in the sn0w. On my old Probe the ABS was constantly kicking in and then it felt like the car was going to run away on me. However, it seems the tolerance of the new ABS system is a little higher and the overall feel of it while activated feels more confidence inspiring. The only real trouble I had was one time I was comming to a stop doing 10mph and it was soo icy that it took a good 20ft to stop :eek: . The ABS tried its damndest but there was just no traction. As soon as I stopped a Mustang behind me spun out to avoid hitting me because he couldn't stop and a SUV then went flying off the side of the road to avoid both of us... that was a bit scary.

All in all I'm very impressed with this thing in the sn0w and feel very confident I will pretty much get through anything that doesn't make the car bottom out... and even then I might be able to do some sn0wpl0wing :p

I laugh evey time is snows in Chicago, because 80% of the cars in the ditchs are SUV's with all season tires. They think because they have 4 wheel drive they are invincible. If all cars had snow tires we would be able to go twice as fast and have much fewer accidents.

OMG, pr0ber, that was one great report! Sounds like you had one heckuva blast out there! (Yes, I'm down here in SC, but I lived in PA (Allentown & surrounding areas) for my first 26 years.) I am now wishing I was with you during that run! Man! The 'Stang & SUV story busted my gut! & the slaloming!

While reading, I was wondering, there was some small concern about the tunnel leading to the radiator, that it might fill-up with snow, act like a snow shovel, whatever. Any remarks on that topic?

Thanks to Gordon too! Great news from yous guys!

I have also driven in the snow here in Spokane, WA. I have Dunlop Graspix and they are working great. In just one storm we had more than 9" of snow fall so the roads were covered. I did have the snow build up on the lower section of my front end but I didn't have any cooling problems with the radiator. The temperature seems to stay about half as warm in the cold weather as it does when it's warmer outside.

I have yet to take my car on a long trip but I am looking forward to driving it to Santa Cruz, CA. for X-Mas. Anyway with new tires and 17" wheels I have been doing just fine in the snow & ice.

On a side note I would like to point out that since the RX-8's don't get a lot of torque until the higher end of the rpm range that seems to help quite a bit on the starts. Talking mine slow on the start I have been able to get around fantastically and it handles better than my BMW M3 did in the snow.

Originally posted by Racer X-8
OMG, pr0ber, that was one great report! Sounds like you had one heckuva blast out there! (Yes, I'm down here in SC, but I lived in PA (Allentown & surrounding areas) for my first 26 years.) I am now wishing I was with you during that run! Man! The 'Stang & SUV story busted my gut! & the slaloming!

While reading, I was wondering, there was some small concern about the tunnel leading to the radiator, that it might fill-up with snow, act like a snow shovel, whatever. Any remarks on that topic?

Thanks to Gordon too! Great news from yous guys!


cool, I'm actually from the A-town area! :p

Last Wed I still had some ice and snow on my driveway, but the roads were clear. I need to go pick my son up from school and tried to back the 8 out onto the street. I hadn't mounted the snow tires yet because of lazyness. I started backing up and couldn't get the car up the driveway. This is on a driveway that i have not trouble pushing a car up in the summer by hand. I tried for about 5 minutes to get up the driveway before I gave up and took the minivan that I have for sale at the other side of the house.

I mounted the snows when I got back. They are Blizzak LM22s on 17 inch rims. With them on I had no trouble backing up. Saturday we got the storm and had 12 inches of snow, so i took the 8 out for a drive. It felt as good as my wifes AWD Subaru with snows. I think it accelerated as quickly and handled as well. The traction control really controls the rearend if there is slippage. Once I turned it off the car fishtailed a lot. In the empty parking lot I tried a few donuts. The car would not do it with the traction control on it jsut drove in a circle. With it off I could scare the crap out of my 6 year old daughter - my 4 year old son loved it.

So in short if you intend to drive the 8 in any snow get some good snow tires. The traction control was worth the price for winter driving as well. I am in southern New Hampshire by the way.

Do the 17-inch wheels still fit on the 6-speed cars?

Originally posted by racerdave
Do the 17-inch wheels still fit on the 6-speed cars?

I know that the Kazera 17" wheels fit over the larger brakes on the 6-spd and I'd imagine that most 17" wheels will fit. :D

They fit on my 6 speed. I ordered them from the Tire Rack and they guaranteed the fit. There actually seems to be alot of clearance still left.

Originally posted by Speed Racer
I'd imagine that most 17" wheels will fit. :D

I wouldn't assume that - there's actually at least a few 17" wheels that don't clear the front brake caliper. If you compare Tire Rack's 17" wheels list for the RX-8 against 17" wheels for other vehicles, you'll see that quite a few 17" wheels aren't listed for the RX-8. Tire Rack actually test fit any wheels they recommend; other shops might just look at bolt pattern and offset and assume the wheel will fit. Be sure!

Regards,
Gordon

Thanks for the 17-inc/TireRack recommendation. The fact that they test-fit is HUGE!

I buy all my tires from them anyway, so that's the way to go.

I usually go with factory steelies for the snows, but that won't be an option in the 8!!!

Thanks again,

--Dave

I agree, Tirerack.com is all I use anymore...:D

one question, do you have to get new wheels too? Or can you just mount the snows and then take em off in spring?

Originally posted by cardinal35
one question, do you have to get new wheels too? Or can you just mount the snows and then take em off in spring?

You're not reading everything! ;) There's some discussions about this - lots of people bought 17" alloy wheels with 17" winter tires (cheaper than 18" winter tires), and quite a few people bought 18" winter tires and are swapping them twice a year. I posted a cost analysis that showed that if you keep your RX-8 more than 3 winters, it's actually cheaper to buy separate 17" alloy wheels and 17" winter tires.

Regards,
Gordon

I just dont know the risk of damaging the beads on the rims with low profile tires. I would like to get the rims but rims and tires are a bit more than I factored into the equation. Sorry if I dont find all the info, I just dont have tons of time to look around. You guys seem real knowledgeable and I appreciate the help. Didnt mean to ruffle feathers.

Originally posted by cardinal35
Didnt mean to ruffle feathers.

No feathers ruffled, that's why there was a ;)! We're glad to help, ask away with any questions.

Regards,
Gordon

Anybody opposed to moving this to the Wheels/Tires forum?

I have had a lot of experience driving RX-7's in Colorado winters, and I did find that weight in the back helped very much to get going. If the back end comes around, then either you meant to do that or you were just driving to fast. :D

Although it's a pain to put chains on a sports car, it's like having a 4WD RX.

What a timely note and information. I really appreciate it. We just had our first snowfall in kentucky and have about 1 inch of snow/rain on the road. I had the stock oem tires on my rx8, and damn near killed myself. I didnt go one mile before I had to turn around. The dsc/tsc was on constantly and I want into a flat spin. Luckily, I avoided hitting anything.

Come monday, I am buying some snow tires! Glad that it makes all the difference.

I had no problems here in indiana in the snow with the stock tires. Just have to be a couple gears higher than normal to keep the torque down.

fhfghfgh

Originally posted by grogiefrog
I have had a lot of experience driving RX-7's in Colorado winters, and I did find that weight in the back helped very much to get going. If the back end comes around, then either you meant to do that or you were just driving to fast. :D

Although it's a pain to put chains on a sports car, it's like having a 4WD RX.
The 8 is a lot better in winter driving than any 7.
Centre of gravity is right smack in the middle, and weight distro is 50/50.

The traction control system and ABS are also top notch, and it makes driving the 8 on ice a fun exercise.

I actually find myself going into corners too "hot" and trusting the DSC to sort it out for me.

Originally posted by Rieskame
I had no problems here in indiana in the snow with the stock tires. Just have to be a couple gears higher than normal to keep the torque down.

Sorry, I gotta call B.S. on this one. Even if you manage to get your 8 moving by being a couple gears higher its not going to do anything for you when you get to a corner.

I hope nobody takes this statement as truth and thinks they can use their RX-8 as a winter vehicle with the stock tires on, its just plain dangerous if you're in an area that gets snow. Throw some real winter tires on it and save yourself an expensive repair bill caused by the stock summer tires.

Listen to Jag and Gord, folks!!

A WRX is reduced to being GARBAGE in snow when it's on Falken Azenis! Not even Ike can agrue that one! :D

But put it on Blizzaks and it's a snow terror.

It's all tires, and if you're trusting the RX-8 on its stock tires in the snow, you're playing Russian Roulette.

I agree. The Blizzaks are great, and I wouldn't risk winter driving without them. As others have pointed out, it's not just the tread pattern that makes the difference, it's the winter rubber compound that stays softer ("grippier") in the cold.

I guess i played russian roulette this week in the 2 inches of snow. traction control kept the revs down. The back end wanted to move a little under braking, but still controllable. It just took a while to get on the main street that was on an incline, but nothing 1200 bucks worth. Its NOT that bad. I have driven many worse vehicles in the snow, ie 96 Impalla SS and camaros.

Yeah, and the first time you have to stop or turn in a hurry, you'll find out how "not bad" it is.

Moving is one thing. Avoiding an accident is another.

Hey, it's up to you.

I just don't want to see you wrinkle yourself or your car by relying on those tires in the snow.

The $1400 will seem awfully cheap if a loss-of-control issue arises in the snow and causes an accident -- which could've been avoided with proper tires.

Sorry for the rant...

Originally posted by rieskame
I guess i played russian roulette this week in the 2 inches of snow.

Damn right you played russian roulette. Check out this link to a thread on ClubSi (http://forums.clubsi.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB4&Number=3412855&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1) from a guy who's buddy lost control of his RX-8 (on OEM tires) who lost control on an icy patch, wrecked, and his passenger died in the accident. Yeah, I bet he's real happy he saved $1200 right now, isn't he?

I have been warning people about using the OEM tires in winter conditions, and suggesting that the tires are cheaper than the inevitable body work and suspension damage. I had not suggested the danger to human life, but of course with any sort of out-of-control vehicle at any speed on a road, with or without other traffic, that is always a risk. Why increase that risk when it is well known that the OEM tires are inadequate, and that a reasonable solution is readily available?

Sorry, I still believe that the OEM tires in winter conditions are very dangerous. It really sucks to have an extreme example to prove that, rather than just a few bent suspension components or fenders. Rieskame, you're obviously free to do as you wish about the tires and to tell people that you're taking your chances. I just honestly hope that NOBODY will listen to you and believe that the OEM tires are adequate. They're not.

Sad regards,
Gordon

Originally posted by rieskame
I guess i played russian roulette this week in the 2 inches of snow. traction control kept the revs down. The back end wanted to move a little under braking, but still controllable. It just took a while to get on the main street that was on an incline, but nothing 1200 bucks worth. Its NOT that bad. I have driven many worse vehicles in the snow, ie 96 Impalla SS and camaros.
Having winter tires on my car doesn't help keep those without them from running into me. That's what worries me.

The weather is getting cold and we've already had a bit of snow here, and I still see folks in their sportscars with their summer tires on. Just don't expect me to feel sorry for them when they're sitting in a ditch, off the side of the road. They better at least have AAA.

I tested out my $89 Tire Rack Dunlop M3's today and I have to say I was VERY impressed =) Traction was great... my worries over rear wheel drive in the winter is gone!

I just posted some pics of my 17 inch Blizzak LM-22s on Wheels & Tires. I am happy with the way they went on and the way they look on the car. Drove around today in the rain and the car handled better just on the cold wet streets than with the stocks. No spins or slips, excellent braking. I will post more when we get the next snow here. :)

For $1400 I almost bought a cheap snow car, but I ended up with the Blizzaks, and although I'm repeating, they do the job and they do it well. I still wish I had a cheap snow car though =)

How much were the tires you got and where can they be purchased? i live in southern vermont and i will be getting an 8 either mid or end january... i would hate to have to park it as soon as i get it :)

Check tirerack.com for prices. I found the 17 inch rims with tires were not much more than the tires for the 18 inch rims,. and they should work the same or better in the snow.

Originally posted by flyboyindy
I tested out my $89 Tire Rack Dunlop M3's today and I have to say I was VERY impressed =) Traction was great... my worries over rear wheel drive in the winter is gone!

Me too! Best $400 I ever spent! :)

Hi All,

I am a newbie to not only the forum, but also to "sportscars" such as the RX-8 in general.

I have not bought the RX-8 yet, but I am thinking about doing so in the next 3 months, or so...

Getting to the point, I live in the DC area, so I definitely will have to deal with driving in snow and ice each winter.

As such, I was considering (what I know many will call a terrible idea) getting some "high performance" all-season tires to replace the 18 inch OE ones.

I went onto tirerack.com, but could not find any 18 inch all-season tires that it had available for RX-8 owners (using their tire selector function)...

It did have some Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires in a 225/50 WR17 that it said would work with the car...

Is this a crazy idea to go this direction? If not, will I be able to use the same 18 inch rims that come with the car... or will I have to buy some 17 inch rims as well as the tires?

Please forgive my ignorance on all this, but as a 32 year old guy that currently drives a Malibu... This is all stuff I never had to concern myself with before...

Thanks in advance for all the help and patience...

---Dave S

Welcome, drseid!

To answer your question, yes, you would need new 17" wheels for the Pilot Sport tires you've indicated. And, since you would need new wheels anyway, I would recommend just getting winter tires instead of all-season.

Although, no one here has tried all-seasons in the snow yet, they would be better than the OEM summer tires. If you decide to go that route, keep an eye out for 18" tires that can be mounted on your stock wheels.

Originally posted by jonalan
Welcome, drseid!

To answer your question, yes, you would need new 17" wheels for the Pilot Sport tires you've indicated. And, since you would need new wheels anyway, I would recommend just getting winter tires instead of all-season.

Keep an eye out for 18" tires that can be mounted on your stock wheels.

Thanks for the info jonalan!


Call it laziness on my part to look for all-season tires. I guess my (admittedly rather warped) reasoning is that if I found a good set of high performance all-seasons as opposed to dedicated winter tires, then I would not have to keep changing (and storing) tires. As I live in an apartment, storage space is an issue.

So far, at tirerack I have not found any 18 inch winter or HP all-season tires that supposedly will mount on the 18 inch rims that come with the car (or so the search engine tells me)...

Anyone find anywhere else over the net that sells winter or HP all-season 18 inchers that fit?

Thanks again,

---Dave

Dave

I was in the same boat as you in trying to decide whether to get snow tires or all weather. By the time I needed snow tires they were sold out for this season so I went with all weather Toyo proxes fz4's (235/40zr18 91w). They are slighter wider than the stock oem 18" wheels and handle great. I have driven them in mixed weather (not just snow yet) and no problems so far.

I bought them thru a place called tire barn but ultimately they used their contacts at tire rack.com to help us out.

Good luck!

After reading the messages re. the use of snow tyres on the RX, I feel like locking the gate now. Unfortunately the horse bolted two weeks ago, and I got stuck 50 miles from home after entering a mall for 4 hours, and returning to find my car under about 7" of snow!

I can absolutely confirm that with stock tyres, the RX8 is the WORST car I have EVER driven in snow.

From the parking lot, I could see the Interstate was clear, a mere 1.5 miles away. I (foolishly) tried to make it. Bad idea. The car simply wouldn't go anywhere and I burnt out the clutch in just 200 yds (Doh!)

Then, my Mazda dealer informed me that the clutch wasn't covered under warranty, despite only 2300 miles on it, but after inspecting the car, told me they had found a problem with the traction control, so replaced the clutch free. (Not sure about that, I think I should've just slept at the mall!)

If it snows now, even an inch, I take the bus! I will however get some snow tyres next week and see how it drives then.

So thanks for the tip! I only wish I'd read it three weeks ago!

Oh, and just one last point, did anyone else break down in snow with a burnt out clutch (Or anything else?) I only ask because until that day, I hadn't seen a single RX8 at all in the central jersey area, and on the first day of snow, I saw two others, and they were BOTH broken down.

I am getting my Dunlops on Monday and of course today we are getting 6-9 inches in Chicago! Good thing it's a Sunday!! I had to convince the hubby about the tires and of course all these other people say just put sand bags in the back and you will be fine!! So I kept battling that and how he has driven many cars including his Mustang in the snow and says it's not great, but you just have to know how to drive in it!! Well, I sure hope we find out how good the tires will be....today we will go around the block just to see how it handles in the snow(first time) with the regular tires and then compare it when I get my winter tires tomorrow. I know I will feel better when I get the winter tires on!!! Emailing some of the messages from this board helped my case in getting them, Thanks and keep you posted. Wendy

You're gonna love those Dunlops; I have some on my GTI. Remember, modern winter tires can positively transform a rear-wheel-drive car like the RX-8! My one suggestion: after they're mounted, go to a high school parking lot on the weekend and take an hour to practice driving around in the snow. Try turning at different speeds - turn gently, turn sharply; practice starting from a stop and practice stopping, too. Finally, try some sudden swerves, as if you suddenly had to change lanes to avoid another car. If you do this, you'll be great - and will probably look forward to driving in snow!

Just spent a couple of hours out on the road here in Chicagoland, where we've gotten 2-4 inches of snow. First chance to drive on the Blizzak WS-50 225/50QR-17s mounted on Kosei K1 17x7.5 wheels. (From Tire Rack, natch!)

First impression: excellent!

No trouble at all getting going, other than the normal pain of brushing all the snow off.

Braking and power-off steering was just as good or better than our other car, a 1998 Subaru Outback on all-season radials. DSC kept the rear end from sliding more than 6-12 inches on every start.

After turning out of a subdivision parking lot, I looked in my rear-view mirror to see a pickup truck with a snow blade, who did the same turn as me, spin out about 45 degrees beyond what he meant to.

Here at work, it's all quiet and the unplowed parking lot still has 3-4 inches of snow on it, so I tried spinning some donuts. With DSC on, it would only turn in circles regardless of accelerator pedal pressure. Without DSC, it spun nicely. The DSC-on circle had an inside diameter of about 18 feet, while the DSC-off circle had an inside diameter of about 6 feet.

In summary: I'm not going to have to worry about winter driving. The RX-8 with these tires is *way* better than the 1993 Saturn SL-2 that I've been driving for 6 years.

Sorry guys, no snow here in Sunny San Diego. Today weather sunny in the 70s, slight breez. Same for the rest of the week. However, we got rain last week and the 8 did very good in it.

Good to hear about your tires. Took my 8 out in the snow yesterday just to see how bad it was..............verdict.....DEATH TRAP!! I was sliding all over the place going in a straight line, took a nice easy turn and it went 90 degree's through my whole turn....scarry! I could not get up my slightly inclined driveway....the hubby had to push me in and that's after clearing the driveway! All I can say is what Gordon said all along....DO NOT DRIVE W/O WINTER TIRES UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH!!!! The Dunlops will be delivered today and hopefully on by sometime tomorrow! Also, putting a couple sandbags in the trunk to boot! I can't wait to see how it drives with the new snowshoes! Thanks for this thread....helped me get my tires!!!

Cruzdreamer - Good post. We look forward to hear what you have to say with the snowshoes...

cruzdreamer, forget the sand bags. With good snows and TCS you will have no trouble getting going. The extra weight will upset the balance of the car and increase stopping distance. It will only be slightly worse, but you don't need them for traction.

Originally posted by LL7
cruzdreamer, forget the sand bags. With good snows and TCS you will have no trouble getting going. The extra weight will upset the balance of the car and increase stopping distance. It will only be slightly worse, but you don't need them for traction.
Ditto! You beat me to it.

I confirm that the RX8 is the worst car I have EVER driven under snow condition ... sadly I wa sstuck in the middle of the snow before realizing this, but managed to chain it :)

i second that notion of the RX-8 being the worst car i've ever driven in the snow...with only a measely little inch of snow on the ground i couldn't even go up an incline, out of a subdivision...i actually had to turn DSC/TCS OFF to get enough wheelspin and slowly, i mean SLOWLY get up otherwise the car just lid back down...that was a few weeks ago...my tire/wheel package should be here by Friday so i'm praying to God it doesn't snow again here in Chicago until then

Originally posted by Stephan
I confirm that the RX8 is the worst car I have EVER driven under snow condition

Somebody's gotta dispute this, so it might as well be me - the RX-8 isn't bad in the snow at all.

Now, if you said the OEM Bridgestone summer tires are the worst tires you've EVER driven in snow conditions, nobody would argue.

It's the tires' problem, not the car. Change the tires to winter tires, and the RX-8 is a fine winter car. It does much better than some other vehicles equipped with winter tires.

Regards,
Gordon

Couldn't Mazda have made tires that work well in snow as well as on hot summer roads?

Is that too much to ask from a $30,000 car?


OK, hahahaha! Just kidding, hahahaha! No! Don't flame me!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! Ssstttt.....

Originally posted by Gord96BRG

Change the tires to winter tires, and the RX-8 is a fine winter car. It does much better than some other vehicles equipped with winter tires.


Absolutely right, Gordon.

Behind my house we have a 15-degree slope driveway up from the alley. In the wintertime we normally park on the street out front, rather than go to the trouble of shoveling/salting the driveway.

With the snow we got this weekend, our all-wheel-drive Subaru Outback would have a hard time getting up the back driveway. But the RX-8 on Blizzaks made it up on the second try.

You guys....good advice.....the guy at the tire place(NTB) said I should not put the sand bags in the back......since the weight will throw it off and make me slide worse if I ever do. He said there is no need with these tires! I drove on some packed snow roads and I could tell the difference just with that...I would not have gone anywhere with the other tires. It is suppose to snow on thursday so i will update with my new snowshoes!! The guy said he's had a Camaro for 7 years and the tires make a huge difference! I am feeling better about things....oh and safer!!!!

Yes! Glad you finally got those tires Wendy. :)

This the way OEM tires look in 9 inches of snow.

All I can add is the car is kick ass to drive in the snow with the right tires. Pic is with lots of snow on the streets and -4F

Originally posted by jimyoung
All I can add is the car is kick ass to drive in the snow with the right tires. Pic is with lots of snow on the streets and -4F Hey there Jim! Welcome! What tires & wheels are those? Real nice looking!!! Really!!!

(btw, Nice doggie too.)

racer x-8

The rims in pic are MSR ALLOY 17x7 Tires are 225/50R17

BLIZZAK WS-50. All Blizzak tires have a aggressive

sipe. The car has been run thru all winter weather including a

365 mile trip with temps dropping to -31F. All with clear

windows and plenty of cabin heat with heat set at 2 and 3.

Last night -18 to -21F and very toasty.

No sandbags right Jim???

Absolutely no thats no sand bags !!

ok cool...I was told not to add any sand bags to the trunk!

Ok, Im gonna have to chime in, I live in Indianapolis, but had to report to Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday and it went from a cold rainy day in Indy to A BLIZZARD.... with ice, white out conditions, and more slushy mess than I have seen in years. My Dunlop M3's kept me on the road.... Grand Rapids got 14 inches of snow over the past 2 days and through out it all my RX8 performed better than any front wheel drive car I have ever owned without ANY weight at all. I saw 2 Camaros, and 1 Trans Am in the ditch, along with a Michigan State Trooper Crown Vic.... bet they wish they had 50/50 weight distribution and the RX8 traction control system =) All I can say is that all rear wheel drive cars were not created equally... and spend the damned money on the snow tires guys... they are worth every penny!

Hey sorry if this has been answered already but I am kinda new here and getting my car tommorrow and its getting cold here in "Joisey". Was wondering if you put on snow tires what happens to the tire air pressure sensor. Never having them before on a car I am not sure how they work so do you need to disconnect something to put the snows on and if you leave off what happens?

It starts blinking at you after about 5 minutes, unless you spend $100 per wheel to buy new ones. That is the main reason to keep the stock wheels - which I didn't. Someday I will remember the tape to cover the light.

Originally posted by LL7
It starts blinking at you after about 5 minutes, unless you spend $100 per wheel to buy new ones. That is the main reason to keep the stock wheels - which I didn't. Someday I will remember the tape to cover the light.

Just curious why didn't you keep your stock wheels?

I got 17 inch wheels because the tires were cheaper by almost the cost of the wheels. Coupled with the savings from not mounting and balancing twice a year it was much cheaper this way.

Originally posted by LL7
It starts blinking at you after about 5 minutes, unless you spend $100 per wheel to buy new ones. That is the main reason to keep the stock wheels - which I didn't. Someday I will remember the tape to cover the light.

I'm glad I spent the extra $400 to put pressure sensors in the new winter wheels. The other day it was about 5 degrees F outside and the pressure light came on. I figured it was just cold and ignored it, but when I got to work I checked with a guage and one of the tires was down to 25 pounds. Even with the Blizzaks on 17 inch wheels I couldn't see it. And knowing me, it would have been a long time before I would have checked the tire pressure with the outside temperature that low!

Just wanted to report that the car did great in the snow this morning with 18" Dunlop Winter Sport M3's! The 46 mile commute in to work on rural, mostly untreated roads went without one slip, the DSC never engaged as far as I could tell. Had no trouble getting out of my messy, muddy, rutted driveway either. Hey, it's no blizzard out there, but there were accidents and schools are closed, so if I didn't have the winter tires, I'd still be sitting at home. I'm very pleased. :)

The DC Metro area got 1 inch of snow this morning and the regional authorities seem to have totally underestimated the situation. There were major problems on the large roads and most of the secondary roads didn't get treated until after 9:00 am or later. But the schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Montgomery Counties didn't open late.

The good news is that my 8 with Blizzak LM-22s did better than most other vehicles out there with all seasons. Even the SUVs and all wheel drive vehicles were sliding around if they didn't have true snows on. I am very pleased with the tires and the way the car handled. Big grin!

In Oregon, we just got hit with the worst winter storm in 30 years. Its rare to even snow here. So I didn;t want to spend $2000 on snow tires and wheels, even though I have read this thread. Well, on 3 inches of HARD packed snow, I couldn't go 10 feet on level ground out of my driveway !!!! My 91 Corrolla wagon with 150,000 miles on it and Toyo Spectrum tires would go anywhere ! Tires must make a big difference. I just hope I didn;t ruin anything getting back into the driveway burning up the snow. It wouldn't move with the traction control on, just spun slowly. With it off, it just burned its way thru the snow (I only had 10 feet to go, but a very hard 10 feet.)

Glad I read this thread - I have to go to Nashville in a couple of weeks. Never even occured to this Florida boy that my RX8 would have to have different tires. Guess I will be closely watching the weather report and leaving it at home if it looks threatening any kind of major storm. And I am soooo looking forward to driving my new RX8 on that trip!

I get the impression a few of you think of winter tires as just a nice little upgrade, comparable in significance to, say, chipping a car for a little more power, or getting bigger wheels in summer for a performance edge. If this is your mindset, forget it! Winter tires utterly transform RWD cars like the RX8, Miata, and 3-series. In terms of starting, turning, and stopping on snow and ice, switching from summer performance tires to winter tires is like selling your RX8 and getting a FWD or AWD vehicle (with all-season tires or summer tires).

Originally posted by Three37ny
I get the impression a few of you think of winter tires as just a nice little upgrade, comparable in significance to, say, chipping a car for a little more power, or getting bigger wheels in summer for a performance edge. If this is your mindset, forget it! Winter tires utterly transform RWD cars like the RX8, Miata, and 3-series. In terms of starting, turning, and stopping on snow and ice, switching from summer performance tires to winter tires is like selling your RX8 and getting a FWD or AWD vehicle (with all-season tires or summer tires).

Are you trying to say it's worth it to get the tires 337NY?:D

I am going to wait until next winter by then some better deals should come out and more experiences from the group on the best combo will be offered. Thank god I still have my old tree beater 1990 Maxima.

I you put on decent winter tires it is almost as much fun to drive an RX-8 as on clean dry pavement.

Great if you wanted to learn about drifting, just turn off the DSC and play!

Hey Gord,

Just curious as to how much your tires cost and where you got them. Is there any issue with having the tires mounted by a "non-Mazda" dealer because of the pressure monitoring system.

Thanks

Hey Gord,

Just curious as to how much your tires cost and where you got them. Is there any issue with having the tires mounted by a "non-Mazda" dealer because of the pressure monitoring system.

Thanks

Go look in the Canada forums,of course!

Under such headings as
"Talon Tire Group Buy"
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11413

or:
"Winter Tire Group buy"
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8888

"Winter Wheels"
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17920

I bought the Dunlop WinterSport M3s in the stock tire size from tirerack. I got the tires installed by one of the tirerack partners and had them drop shipped. When I went to get the tires installed I just made sure they knew there were tire pressure sensors on the wheels. They were very careful when doing the mount. I imagine the sensors can take quite a bit of abuse. The mazda engineers probably designed for someone hitting a pothole or bump at a decent speed.

On the other hand, the tires are absolutely awesome. The snow traction is great, but what impressed me the most is the dry road traction/handling. Definitely a great fit for the 8 in winter.

Anyone check their tire pressure for the winter tires? Gr8boy mentioned that Mazda says winter tires should be at 36psi not 32. Mine were between 30-32.

Just a little trivia regards to tire pressure. For every 10degrees the temp drops you will lose 1psi of tire pressure. so if your tires are adjusted in a +60degree garage let say and you pull it out and let it sit outside at +o degrees your tire pressure will be lower by 6 psi. Tire pressure should be set at what the manufactor has put on the sidewall of the tire. Tire pressure should be checked and adjusted when the tire is "cold " and has not been warmed up by running.

Originally posted by jimyoung
Just a little trivia regards to tire pressure. For every 10degrees the temp drops you will lose 1psi of tire pressure. so if your tires are adjusted in a +60degree garage let say and you pull it out and let it sit outside at +o degrees your tire pressure will be lower by 6 psi. Tire pressure should be set at what the manufactor has put on the sidewall of the tire. Tire pressure should be checked and adjusted when the tire is "cold " and has not been warmed up by running.

That's true about the cold. When I picked up my car it was a very cold day and the warning light came on. All the tires were 26 lbs when cold as they were probably filled in the warmer months.

However, tire pressure should be set at what the car manufacturer recommends you can find that information on the door jam, not what is on the sidewall.

Originally posted by jimyoung
Tire pressure should be set at what the manufactor has put on the sidewall of the tire.

Good warning about the temperature effects on pressure, but the above note is completely wrong. The tire pressures on the sidewall of a tire are the maximum permitted pressure at full load on the tire - they are by no means the recommended pressure for daily driving!

Tire pressure should be set at what the vehicle manufacturer specifies on the door jamb of the vehicle, or in the owners manual. Running at maximum rated pressure will result in much poorer ride and handling and excessive (uneven) tire wear.

Regards,
Gordon

Thank you I stand corrected on the recommended tire pressure verses the max pressure that is on the tire sidewall.

You guys were absolutely right about the stock tires. I just completed the longest 8 miles of my life in 1" of snow here in De. All I could imagine was my brand new "8" in a ditch. I almost didn't make it up my driveway. Boy, these tires suck in the snow. Lucky I still have my 4X4 . Looks like I'll have to save up my pennies for a set of winter tires.

Just Picked up a RX8 for the wife and it's snowing, just a light accumulation. Tried getting out of the driveway and There is absolutely no traction, no steering, and the DCS is locking up like crazy. Finally nursed it back into the driveway with the DCS off in second. Called the dealer to see if they had any snows, and they just laughed. Checked with all the usual tire dealers including Tire Rack and found that no one makes the size (225x45x18) or they are out of stock until next fall. Called Mazda and was warned that fitting a 17" wheel tire combination will void the warranty. Despite a conversation about wheel height, diameter, rolling distance, etc., they would not ok it (they just didn't want to hear about it, plus they were located in sunny south Ca. and couldn't relate). Any ideas out there? Thanks Allan

Get the 17 inch wheels. They will have to prove that they caused a problem to void the warranty. Then it would only apply to the parts involved - suspension mainly. I got the 17 inch wheels with LM22s and it is a great combo - though I never thought that the 17s would void the warranty.

They claimed that the ABS, DCS, would be effected and the odometer would not read right. out of the 3 snow tires they mentioned to me, one was the stock tire, the LM22 is Out of stock until next year in the 18" and the last I could not identify with any tire mfg. I know if the car was an auto, it would definitely screw up the trans, but the ABS and DCS I'm unsure of. I'm sure I did some wear, at best, by trying to drive the damn thing in the snow, smells like burning brake shoes. But with no other options, I may just go with the 17", and take them off should the car break down somewhere. And you though having no spare tire was bad enough.

Originally posted by Gearbox
They claimed that the ABS, DCS, would be effected and the odometer would not read right.

That would be presuming that the tires were of different diameter, or different front to rear. Obviously you spoke to someone who knows nothing about winter tires, and was just covering their butt with the usual "if we don't understand it, we say it's not covered".

Many of us are running 17" wheels with 215/55-17 or 225/50-17 winter tires. There are absolutely no adverse consequences with ABS or DSC, they function perfectly. Diameter is within 1 or 2% of stock, so the odometer is unaffected as well. There is far more selection in those 17" sizes than in 18" (especially now), and the 17" wheels and tires are noticeably cheaper than their 18" equivalents. By all means, get a 17" winter set and be safe!!

Regards,
Gordon

Originally posted by Gord96BRG
That would be presuming that the tires were of different diameter, or different front to rear. Obviously you spoke to someone who knows nothing about winter tires, and was just covering their butt with the usual "if we don't understand it, we say it's not covered".

Many of us are running 17" wheels with 215/55-17 or 225/50-17 winter tires. There are absolutely no adverse consequences with ABS or DSC, they function perfectly. Diameter is within 1 or 2% of stock, so the odometer is unaffected as well. There is far more selection in those 17" sizes than in 18" (especially now), and the 17" wheels and tires are noticeably cheaper than their 18" equivalents. By all means, get a 17" winter set and be safe!!

Regards,
Gordon
All true.
Further:
I am running on 17's with low profile tires, so my size is smaller (circumference) by 5%. That makes my speedo read 5% high.
(I am going faster on the speedo than what my real speed is)
Of course the stock speedo readings are out of whack to start with.
Stock readings are about 2-3% optimistic. With my winter wheels/tires it is about 7% optimistic.

There is no effect on DSC, ABS, etc.

Simply put, the dealer you spoke with is covering their butts, and have no clue what they are talking about.

In Japan the base RX-8 is equipped with 16" wheels and tires!
The 18's are a dealer added option.

They do not adjust anything else, re-flash the ECU or anything!!

Bottom line:
If you run an RX-8 on the stock wheels and tires in ice or snow you are a traffic hazard and should be arrested.

Originally posted by canzoomer
All true.
Further:
I am running on 17's with low profile tires, so my size is smaller (circumference) by 5%. That makes my speedo read 5% high.
.

does that mean your odometer is also going to rack up the miles 5% quicker? For every 100000 actual miles driven there will be 5000 additional miles added because of tire circumference?

Yes, your Odometer will read higer than actual miles if you go with a smaller wheel and tire diameter. The trick is to go with the 17" and higher profile tire to compensate for the difference. I know on certian domestic cars jegs has a computer to reprogram the wheel size. I have a snap on scanner and may try getting into the computer via the OBD II port and look around.

I got snow tires for my RX-8 here in the Boston area. It drives great with the snow tires on. I had tested it out on the driveway with the stock tires, and can confirm that the stock tires just don't work in the snow. Although I don't plan to drive it that much in the snow, I realized that it would be a disaster if I got caught in a snowstorm with the stock tires. I wouldn't hesitate to take it out in snow now, but I do want to avoid the sand and salt!

I bought the 17" wheels with 225/50-17 WS50 Blizzaks mounted from TireRack. I lined up one with the stock tires next to it, and it sure looks to me like it's exactly the same diameter. Tire rack tests them out the wheels make sure that they have the right clearance. I just don't see how it could affect the warranty.

i live in long island in new york... today when going out my driveway, which is slightly up hill, and i couldn't get up the hill, granted it was a solid sheet of ice, but after having to actually get of the car and breaking the ice with a crow bar i've decided to buy snow tires...... i've read alot on this website, and seems that tirerack is the best way to go, but my questions.
1. do have tire rack deliver the tires to my house, and they are already mouted and balanced and i just take my (18 inch) wheels off and stack them in my garage, ride around till mid feb to early march then switch back..... or do i have tirerack deliver to my tire guy and he balances the tires for me, and i have to drag 4 wheels and tires back to my house??
2. with having hte 18 inch rims, my best bet seems to be 17 inch wheels, but which ones, and what tires.
3. i haven't read much on the air pressure system in the car, do you have to get special tires that would be compatible, as i spoke to a friend he told me that if i put the wrong tires on there that annoying light will come on no matter if the pressure is good or not, and it will damage the monitoring system?
any help would be nice, thanks.

1) I believe Tire rack mounts and balances the tires for you so just have them send it to your house. 2) The most economical way is to get 18" snows, but no one has them, out of stock until next fall. Tire rack is also running out of the 17" snows as well. The Blizzaks were a deal at $115/tire but they are out of those as well, missed them by 2 hours. The only ones left are the Dunlops and Perellis at $155 and $178. Size from others posting on this web is 225x50x17 and is reported to be close to the 18" wheel diameter. 3) You will have to get new pressure sensors, tire rack says that they can put them in for more $$$$$. So with this said, I'm thinking waiting till next year and getting a better deal during the summer. Needless to say, My wife, who I had bought the car for, is driving my Denali and I get the RX8. Just don't get caught in the deep snow and start in 2nd gear. Good Luck.

My first experience with my snow tires...Dunlop M2's....100% difference. It actually was excellent in the snow. Before I could not drive straight or even get up my driveway.....now there's no problem at all!! Like night and day!! Whew.....I am so glad I convinced the hubby to get the tires!!! A Mustang was behind me and he was all over the road while I was straight and cruisin' on through!!! I bet he wished he had my 8!! (or snow tires at least!)

:D ;) :D

The Discount Tire Co. still has 18's and 17's. Check out the website for local phone numbers. They don't have an accurate listing for inventory on their website. I called them a little over a week ago to see if they still had stock for someone else.

Just checked with Discount Tire. NG, they are out of anything that will fit a RX8, 17's or 18's. Any other sources?

www.tirerack.com still shows the Pirelli Winter210 SnowSport 225/50-17 in stock.

You could also check some of the Canadian online tire vendors, as they readily ship to the US - www.tiretrends.com , www.1010tires.com , www.talontire.com .

Regards,
Gordon

Originally posted by canzoomer
Bottom line:
If you run an RX-8 on the stock wheels and tires in ice or snow you are a traffic hazard and should be arrested.

ROTFLMAO!! I've had my 8 for a week and today it's snowing. I took the 8 out got less than a mile away and turned back. I switched up for my wife's MPV and had no problems.

Mazda really should have put ultra high performance ALL season tires on the 8. Especially since they call it a "real world" sport car.

Originally posted by Velocity-8
Mazda really should have put ultra high performance ALL season tires on the 8. Especially since they call it a "real world" sport car.

I disagree about the all-season tires - can you imagine how the car would be roasted in the press if it plowed around skid pads and on the track on all-seasons? It's forte is supposed to be handling, and all-seasons would compromise that great handling. You don't see all-seasons fitted from the factory to Corvettes, 350Zs, S2000s, Toyota MR2s, Miatas, Boxsters, or any other sports car - you shouldn't see them on an RX-8 either.

Aside from being a compromise in summer, they're a compromise in winter as well. While they would provide basic get home capability, they are nowhere near as capable as proper winter tires. I refuse to use all-seasons on my other cars in winter (including an Audi AWD), I certainly wouldn't use them on my RX-8 if I'm going to be doing any winter conditions driving regularly!

Regards,
Gordon

I think it would be nice if Mazda offered all-seasons as an option at the time the car is purchased.

This would keep some folks safe even if they could not afford the extra expense of snow tires or a tire/wheel set.

Lots of us have been surprised by the additional expense.

Originally posted by Gord96BRG
I disagree about the all-season tires - can you imagine how the car would be roasted in the press if it plowed around skid pads and on the track on all-seasons? It's forte is supposed to be handling, and all-seasons would compromise that great handling. You don't see all-seasons fitted from the factory to Corvettes, 350Zs, S2000s, Toyota MR2s, Miatas, Boxsters, or any other sports car - you shouldn't see them on an RX-8 either.

Aside from being a compromise in summer, they're a compromise in winter as well. While they would provide basic get home capability, they are nowhere near as capable as proper winter tires. I refuse to use all-seasons on my other cars in winter (including an Audi AWD), I certainly wouldn't use them on my RX-8 if I'm going to be doing any winter conditions driving regularly!

Regards,
Gordon

I heard ya but I disagree. :)

First, to clarify, I'm talking about ZR rated ULTRA High Performance tires and not normal all-seasons.

I had a Twin Turbo Z that I switched the tires to Pirelli P700SS. Those tires handled the dry and rain much better than the stock ones. I drove the Z in snow and it got around OK. They are not intended to be driven regularly in Winter conditions but they give you enough traction to get by once in a while which is what I need.

I asked 3 dealers about the RX-8 needing winter tires and all said they have not heard of the car (or the tires) being bad in the snow. They either playing dumb or are extremely ignorant..... I don't know what’s worse.

On Mazda's end (as a manufacturer) I honestly believe they should at least offer an after market solution to the winter tire problem.

I find it outrageous how dealers in the DC area neglected the need for winter tires.

Originally posted by fluque
I asked 3 dealers about the RX-8 needing winter tires and all said they have not heard of the car (or the tires) being bad in the snow. They either playing dumb or are extremely ignorant..... I don't know what’s worse.

On Mazda's end (as a manufacturer) I honestly believe they should at least offer an after market solution to the winter tire problem.

I find it outrageous how dealers in the DC area neglected the need for winter tires.

Typical for dealers - either they really are that ignorant (not that unlikely) or they deliberately play dumb to avoid jeapordizing a sale because of the summer tire issue. I doubt this issue belongs exclusively to Mazda dealers - what are 350Z owners saying? Are they wishing for all-season tires also? It's probably less of a problem for S2000 owners, as more of them are probably parked for the winter conditions. When you get to the higher end cars like Porsche, the dealers probably aren't as scared to advise that the car will need winter tires.

Regards,
Gordon

Gordon, I sent you a PM....

When I picked up my VW GTI 337 (w/summer tires), the dealer made a big deal about the need for winter tires. There was also an insert from VW cautioning to not use the summer tires in winter.

I bought 17" Pirelli 210 SnowSports with ASA KA3 wheels from tirerack, and had them shipped to my dealer. The stock tires are in the garage waiting for summer weather. I drove it home, six days and 350 miles ago, and have only seen dry roads a few times since. Even with these tires, the RX-8 is very agile on dry/wet roads and is magnificent at getting around those that would "legislate morality in the fast lane".

Today is the second snow day for the local schools. For sure, the rear wheel drive is different in the snow than our previous Honda Civics, Accords, and Odysseys. For those cars, too much acceleration causes the front wheels to lose traction, and for the RX-8 it happens to the rear wheels. These are very different effects when trying to accelerate through corners. If I keep the acceleration on the edge of causing the rears to break loose, I can get the car to smoothly side slip around corners; any more and the back will gracefully break free, and it side slips about a car width before recovering.

I drove it on the expressway, clear of other cars, in mixed conditions (wet, packed snow, slop) yesterday, trying to maneuver through the worst of it. So far, its working well in the snow, but I think the low ground clearance will start to become a limiting factor when the snow gets deeper.

I have ASAKA3 17'rims and dunlap SP m3 winter sport tires 225/50 H from tire rack on my rx8. They work great in the snow, just as good as any front wheel car I have. They look good and handle close to the stocks. I paid $1288 for the pkg mounted and balanced. I can drive in any weather now and the m3's are rated very close to the Blizzaks and are supose to have longer tread life

OK, I can't believe I got out of my driveway this morning. Three inches of snow with a nice 1/4 inch or so glaze of crusty slick ice on top. Driveway is long and hilly and curvy. The '8' had no problems with the Dunlop M3's on. I slipped a bit going downhill but nothing bad, no spinning at all.

I'm with Gord. I really wish people would stop saying this car is no good in the snow when it's excellent with the right tires.

This was something I was really worried about before I bought the car - I'm not worried any more. I think it'll be fine unless there's a 6" or more snowfall. Then I'll just have to get someone to scrape the road. Oh, and you do have to worry about the other jokers on the road. ;)

Originally posted by loco4rx8

I'm with Gord. I really wish people would stop saying this car is no good in the snow when it's excellent with the right tires.



My comments have been that I feel Madza should use Ultra High Performance All-Season tires like Pirelli P7000SS or better as OEM tires. Mazda calls the RX8 "a sports car for the real world". They address areas where the car gives up a little extreme performance in order to make it a better everyday car (see the Road&Track supplement on the RX8).

A tire like the P7000SS is very close in dry performance to the Potenzas that came on it. They have the ability to drive in snow with a lot more traction and stability than the Potenzas so why not OEM these?

I just bought my 8 a week ago and I don't think I should have to got out and spend $500-$1200 just to be able to drive in 1-2 inches of snow.

RX-8 Manual Clarification On Snow Tires

Email to Mazda:

What is the reason for the 120 km/h (75 mph) speed limit with the snow tires? This speed appears to be far below the speed rating of performance oriented snow tires, some at 240 km/h. Is there some "snow tire related limit" in the RX-8 design?

Email from Mazda:

In regards to your question, no, there is no RX-8-specific "snow tire related speed limit". The information that you read is included for safety purposes. It is not recommended to exceed these speeds simply due to the fact that it would represent a danger. Naturally, most drivers would adjust their speed to observe conditions if snow is present anyway (especially if snow tires are required). Moreover, we recommend staying within the posted speed limits (particularly in more extreme weather conditions).

If anyone is looking for a cheap set of winter tires and wheels I have a set for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2456135059

They are Toyo Garit HT 225/50-17 and FRD6 17"x7" rims. These are lightweight rims and high performance winter tires. They have been highly recommended are perfect for the RX8.

The set is new and mounted. It has never been put on a car and is still in the packaging. It is on sale for a very low price!

Neil

Originally posted by Velocity-8
My comments have been that I feel Madza should use Ultra High Performance All-Season tires like Pirelli P7000SS or better as OEM tires. Mazda calls the RX8 "a sports car for the real world". They address areas where the car gives up a little extreme performance in order to make it a better everyday car (see the Road&Track supplement on the RX8).

A tire like the P7000SS is very close in dry performance to the Potenzas that came on it. They have the ability to drive in snow with a lot more traction and stability than the Potenzas so why not OEM these?

I just bought my 8 a week ago and I don't think I should have to got out and spend $500-$1200 just to be able to drive in 1-2 inches of snow.


Sorry if you got the idea my comment was directed at you. It was directed at people who say the car is no good in the snow. Period. You obviously understand the need for "different from OEM" tires when driving in snow.

Originally posted by loco4rx8
Sorry if you got the idea my comment was directed at you. It was directed at people who say the car is no good in the snow. Period. You obviously understand the need for "different from OEM" tires when driving in snow.

Ok, I gotcha now. Yes, my grip is with the OEM tires. After driving in snow and ice the last few days I've really been able to feel how the car responds in off axis driving. Even with the stock tires the RX8 never feels like it wants to swap ends. When the tires let loose a lift of the throttle and a few quick corrections with the steering wheel bring it right back in line.

Starting from a stand-still or getting in my driveway...now that just plain SUX. :D

Originally posted by loco4rx8
... Oh, and you do have to worry about the other jokers on the road. ;) Yeah, tell me about it. Hehe. Around here, I like to just watch from a safe distance. It's comical, like the first time on ice skates..."what the...!" I've seen people floor it when they start to slide, a whole lot of times, like they thnik it's got to catch-hold that way. Oh - duh! These are the kind you DON'T want anywhere near you when you're out there!

Has anyone tried complaining to Mazda about the tires. I called my dealer to complain and they said they knew of no such problems. I told him that everyone is having problems. Has anyone taken this up with Mazda of NA?

As I have mentioned earlier in this thread, my dealer laughed and told me to park it. They had 20 of these cars and couldn't move anyone of them with the lightest of snow without crashing into something. Called Mazda NA ( in San Deigo) and they said I had to get 18" snow tires sized to the OEM's or possibly void the warranty for any related problems, but couldn't (wouldn't?) pin point any specific ones, i.e. DCS, ABS, etc. When I told them that there are no tires in the exact size availlable anywhere, the rep quiped that it never snows where he was so he couldn't relate. But they did confirm that the OEM tires sucked in the snow, so I assumed that I was not the only one that called.

I'm taking mine into the dealer in about a week for an oil change.
It will be interesting to see if they give me grief about the 17" wheels and no sensors.

Originally posted by Gearbox
Called Mazda NA ( in San Deigo) and they said I had to get 18" snow tires sized to the OEM's or possibly void the warranty for any related problems, but couldn't (wouldn't?) pin point any specific ones, i.e. DCS, ABS, etc. When I told them that there are no tires in the exact size availlable anywhere, the rep quiped that it never snows where he was so he couldn't relate.

That is a great point! I think I need to call Mazda NA.

1-800-222-5500 Have fun :)

Originally posted by kensrx8
Has anyone tried complaining to Mazda about the tires. I called my dealer to complain and they said they knew of no such problems. I told him that everyone is having problems. Has anyone taken this up with Mazda of NA?

What's to complain about? They're summer high-performance tires. EVERY car with high-performance summer tires has the same problem/issue. Mazda does include a warning about using the OEM tires in winter conditions in the owners manual, IIRC.

If my RX-8 had come with all-seasons, then I'd be complaining about their choice of tires. It's a sports car, it needs appropriate tires. Summer and Winter. My 96 Miata in Canada was delivered with all-season tires, unlike Miatas sold in the US which had summer tires. The all-seasons were inadequate in summer, inadequate in winter. I had to replace them long before they wore out.

Regards,
Gordon

My dealer knew about the summer/snow issue, said they can't be driven in snow, helped look for tires, and basically did what it ever took to get the car on the road. Of course they were motivated because I made "snows on the car" a condition of the sale. For safety/liability reasons, they wouldn't install wheels without tire pressure sensors, but offered to transport the car and sets to a local tire dealer that would. In the end, I found Mazda sensors at a different local tire dealer, and my dealer installed them in the wheels, assembled the sets, and put them on the car. On the day of delivery, there were five of us standing around the wheel, with the tire half-off, looking at the tire sensor trying to decide if it was workable in the particular rim. Three days later, the TPMS light came on and one of the tires was low on air. Its been good since.

Originally posted by Velocity-8


I just bought my 8 a week ago and I don't think I should have to got out and spend $500-$1200 just to be able to drive in 1-2 inches of snow. [/B]

I look at the bright side. I'm going to keep the car 10 years. The snow wheels will help save my stock wheels from winter deterioration and I won't have to replace my stock tires as often and they sell for $278 each. whereas snows are ony $155. It will work to may advantage in the long haul. The Dunlap M3's are also Run Flat tires which means you can drive on a flat for 50 miles under 45mph. Nice feature in the winter. I 'd hate to get stranded in minus degree wheather.

Originally posted by Trx8
My dealer knew about the summer/snow issue, said they can't be driven in snow, helped look for tires, and basically did what it ever took to get the car on the road. Of course they were motivated because I made "snows on the car" a condition of the sale. For safety/liability reasons, they wouldn't install wheels without tire pressure sensors, but offered to transport the car and sets to a local tire dealer that would. In the end, I found Mazda sensors at a different local tire dealer, and my dealer installed them in the wheels, assembled the sets, and put them on the car. On the day of delivery, there were five of us standing around the wheel, with the tire half-off, looking at the tire sensor trying to decide if it was workable in the particular rim. Three days later, the TPMS light came on and one of the tires was low on air. Its been good since.

Tire Rack says snow tires do not require pressure sensors in wheels since they do not ride flat like summer tires. Proper Pressure is not as crucial for safe handling. Snows work fine without it the sensor.

Originally posted by Gord96BRG
What's to complain about? They're summer high-performance tires. EVERY car with high-performance summer tires has the same problem/issue. My 96 Miata in Canada was delivered with all-season tires, unlike Miatas sold in the US which had summer tires. The all-seasons were inadequate in summer, inadequate in winter. I had to replace them long before they wore out.

Regards,
Gordon

We are obviously not going to agree here.

Your Miata did NOT come with Ultra High Performance All-season tires. I would not want regular A/S tires on a Miata either.

Madza claims that the RX8 is different than EVERY other high performance car like the Z, S2K etc. The RX8 is marketed as a real world sports car. IMO Ultra High Performance All-season tires would help back this claim.

Have you every driven a 300hp RWD car in the snow with Ultra High Performance All-season tires like Pirelli P7000SS? Have you driven the same car in the summer pushing those same tires to their limit? I have and for a sacrafice of a tiny bit of extreme performance allows the car to be driven all year without changing anything.

This is from the Tire Rack on the Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 ...


"Many sports cars, coupes and sedans come from the factory equipped with low profile tires mounted on the large diameter alloy wheels needed to clear their big brakes. The Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 was developed so the drivers of these cars could retain their vehicle's original wheel diameters while blending dry road performance with snow traction. The SP Winter Sport M2 is Porsche-approved for 100% of their current vehicles' winter tire needs, and factory-recommended for use on the sport models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen and others. The SP Winter Sport M2 is engineered to deliver performance and traction whether the road is ice & snow covered or not.

The SP Winter Sport M2 features a directional tread design to help maintain good traction on wet and slush covered roads while its high-density lateral zig-zag sipes and independent tread blocks provide the edges to help bite through snow. The SP Sport is a tire for the performance car drivers who need snow and ice traction and want to retain as much dry road responsiveness and handling as possible.

The Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 winter radial meets the industry's severe snow service requirements. They feature blackwall styling and are available in 65-, 60-, 55-, 45-, 40 and 35-series, T-, H-, and V-speed rated sizes for 15" to 17" wheel diameters.

Do not mix radial snow tires with tires of other construction, size, ply rating, or pattern type. Dunlop highly recommends fitment of four snow tires of the same type and rating for optimum mud & snow traction and maintenance of vehicle handling characteristics. "

Originally posted by Roaddemon
Tire Rack says snow tires do not require pressure sensors in wheels since they do not ride flat like summer tires. Proper Pressure is not as crucial for safe handling. Snows work fine without it the sensor.

Tirerack told me nearly the same thing. They said 9 out 10 cars with TPMS don't use tire sensors with non-run-flat tires. Also they didn't have compatible sensors. I ordered my tires without the sensors from tirerack. When the dealer refused to install them (they did offer to transport tires and car to a local tire dealer and pay for the installation) I recalled another tire dealer had told me he had 4 Mazda sensors. My dealer agreed to disassemble the tirerack sets, install the sensors, put them on the car, ... I decided to go that route and have sensors. A few days later one sensor did report low tire pressure; the low pressure wasn't obvious by looking at the tire.

I concur that sensors aren't needed for non-run-flat tires. Since getting the sensors didn't slow down delivery and the dealer was willing to "take up the slack", I opted to add sensors to the snows.

I think the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 is a run-flat snow tire, and hence may benefit from tire pressure sensors.

In the UK we recently has 2/3 inches of snow and the some ice. Besides the country coming to a great big halt (although well warned of the weather) the RX8 experience was not a good one. I think its down the the tyres we received as standard but everyone found the car very undrivable.

rael

Originally posted by rael
In the UK we recently has 2/3 inches of snow and the some ice. Besides the country coming to a great big halt (although well warned of the weather) the RX8 experience was not a good one. I think its down the the tyres we received as standard but everyone found the car very undrivable.

rael
A nice set of snow tires would clear that right up.:)

Sorry Velocity-8 I am with Gord on this one 100%. An A/S is an A/S. Yes, some are more performance orientated, some more M+S orientated. But they will never match the performance of either a snow tire in snow or a performance tire in warmer non-snow conditions. That is a fact. Here in Canada, the province of Quebec is considering making snow tires mandatory like they are in Sweden in the winter. That is how much better they are than A/S tires. Gord was also bang on stating that this is sports car first and foremost. How many true sports cars out there come standard with A/S tires, even here in Canada? Heck even the guys that buy the performance Audi A4's get summer performance tires.

Originally posted by iamcanadian
Sorry Velocity-8 I am with Gord on this one 100%. An A/S is an A/S.

Ever drive on them? I didn't think so. :D

I have driven on A/S with six Hondas, and I have driven four snows on a LeSabre in far-northern Michigan. Currently I am driving an Odyssey with A/S and an RX-8 with snows. The comparison is hampered by rear versus front drive, the capabilities of the cars, and older A/S versus new snows. At this point I would say the snows on the RX-8 outperform the A/S on the Odyssey for snow conditions. That is, until the RX-8 starts dragging through deep snow; as I saw once this week. But even in that setting I could get started in a snowy area that the Odyssey had trouble with, if it had been much deeper I would have been in trouble, and the Odyssey would have been better off.

Since I couldn't find 18" snows late in the season, I bought 17" wheels and considered buying A/S and selling the OEM tires/wheels. Instead I bought snows and now have complete sets for summer and for winter. I decided that I didn't want the year-around compromise.

If they had sold the RX-8 with A/S, I probably would have tried them year-around. The A4 and Passat I looked at did come with A/S. I think the Kompressor had summer only tires.

At Burlington Mazda they are letting people test drive the RX-8, with no salesperson in the car, with the original tires in -10 C (7 F) temperature but no snow on the road.

How safe is the car in these conditions ?

My first test drive was in about that temperature and without a salesperson. I thought the tires felt lumpy at first (like the flat spot from sitting hadn't rounded out yet). I drove it city and expressway, and it was fine, but I avoided snow or ice like the plague, where there is a safety problem.

Aside from the snow problem, I don't know if there is a safety issue under cold conditions.

Originally posted by Trx8
I have driven on A/S with six Hondas,
.

A/S are completely different from UHP A/S.

Originally posted by halfon
At Burlington Mazda they are letting people test drive the RX-8, with no salesperson in the car, with the original tires in -10 C (7 F) temperature but no snow on the road.

How safe is the car in these conditions ?

My second test drive it was 6 F. The RX8 is totally safe as long as you don't try to really push the car. I came around a corner fairly fast and the rear snapped out. The DSC caught it and stopped it from spinning.

Comparison Tables From Tirerack:

UHP A/S
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/uhpas.jsp

Winter
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/winter.jsp

My brother told me that ContiExtremeContact tires are excellent on his ~A4Q in northern Michigan.

There are a couple of decent all-season tires choices.

I had some Pirelli P7000's on my last car, and while not as good as a real winter tire, they did the job, and were safe.

I now have some Nokian WR's on my RX-8 and they are excellent.
Definitely not a pure snow tire, but in very cold conditions, ice, and light snow they work like a charm.

The Nokian viewpoint on what "all season" means is a bit different than the average. Being as they come from Finland this means 6 months of winter, 3 of lousy conditions, and 3 of nice roads.

Kind of like where I live.

6 months of winter and 6 of poor skating.

Originally posted by canzoomer

6 months of winter and 6 of poor skating.

LOL!!

So who is your favorite Hockey team? I'm a Flyers fan myself.

Originally posted by Roaddemon
.... The Dunlap M3's are also Run Flat tires which means you can drive on a flat for 50 miles under 45mph. Nice feature in the winter. I 'd hate to get stranded in minus degree wheather.....

Careful here ......... not all Dunlop M3's are run flats. For example, look at the specs (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=Dunlop&model=Winter+Sport+M3) for the ones TireRack has available for sale currently and you'll see only one size (225/45HR17) is listed as being a runflat.

Unfortunately they don't show specs for sizes that are sold out :( . The 225/45HR-18 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 XLs I purchased from Tire Rack in November are not runflats.

I imagine the ones that are runflats say "Dunlop Winter Sport M3 DSST" on them. DSST is Dunlop Self-Supporting Technology run-flat tires.

regards,
rx8cited

Originally posted by Velocity-8
Ever drive on them? I didn't think so. :D

Yup, many over the years. Namely the Pirelli P7000 SUPERSPORT and Pilot Sport A/S. Thanks for asking.

Originally posted by canzoomer

I now have some Nokian WR's on my RX-8 and they are excellent.
Definitely not a pure snow tire, but in very cold conditions, ice, and light snow they work like a charm.


Hey Canzoomer I hear those are fantastic tires, but are they not foremost a winter tire? I thought they were advertised as "the world's fastest snow tire"!

Originally posted by iamcanadian
Yup, many over the years. Namely the Pirelli P7000 SUPERSPORT and Pilot Sport A/S. Thanks for asking.

Well, don't I look like a jackass! :D :D

Originally posted by Velocity-8
Well, don't I look like a jackass! :D :D

That's productive. Bottom line is that most people know that an A/S tire, be it high performance or not is a compromise. It will never be the best in either conditions but like canzoomer said they can do a decent job and be safe. That can be fine in areas of the country that get little snow and cold temperatures but it will still be a compromise. This is all that we are stating. If you are willing to compromise good for you but I am happy that Mazda delivered the car, even here in Canada, with high performance summer tires and not any type of A/S tire. :p

Originally posted by iamcanadian
That's productive. Bottom line is that most people know that an A/S tire, be it high performance or not is a compromise. It will never be the best in either conditions but like canzoomer said they can do a decent job and be safe. That can be fine in areas of the country that get little snow and cold temperatures but it will still be a compromise. This is all that we are stating. If you are willing to compromise good for you but I am happy that Mazda delivered the car, even here in Canada, with high performance summer tires and not any type of A/S tire. :p

I was trying to make light of my assumtion. It was meant to make you laugh.

Anyway, my final point...

I don't like the Potenza 040. IMO there are much better UHP tires than these. So, I'd be happier if the RX8 had an UHP A/S tire on it instead.

Now, if it came with Potenza S-02 Pole Positions or Pirelli PZero Asymmetricals then I'd be thrilled.

It was mentioned that 245/40/18 is a good configuration from the standard stock. How does that own up to the winter tires?

Originally posted by Velocity-8
I was trying to make light of my assumtion. It was meant to make you laugh.

Anyway, my final point...

I don't like the Potenza 040. IMO there are much better UHP tires than these. So, I'd be happier if the RX8 had an UHP A/S tire on it instead.

Now, if it came with Potenza S-02 Pole Positions or Pirelli PZero Asymmetricals then I'd be thrilled.

Really that is my bad . . . I misread your post and replied before re-reading. It is funny in hindsight! I totally agree with you that there are better uhp tires than our 040's . . . and I too would have been thrilled with a different uhp tire as stock.

I think this is the tirerack rating for the original RX-8 tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE040&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=245WR8RE040&fromCompare1=yes

Most users said they would "Probably Not" buy the tire again.

Question for all of you, will you be leaving your winter tires on the entire winter season? Like her in NY snow is sporadic, would it be safe to say that I should change them in the begining of the season (around thanksgiving) and re-change them to the OEM's when the weather gets better?

I dont want to change the wheels though just the tires, what do you all think?

Without getting flamed would someone be kind enough to post a list of tires that have been said to fit fine on the GT package wheels?

Unfortunately, nothing that you will be able to buy this year. Everything is "Out of Stock" and I have looked. Only option is the 17" with new wheels and sensors(100 each wheel). And those are getting scarce. The Bridgestone LM22 Blizzaks is what Mazda is recommending for the 18" rim. Hey winter is almost over, wait till the fall. BTW noticed that Tire Racks prices increase as they get lower on inventory, Blizzaks went from 115 to 169 a tire before they ran out. So Sept would be a good time.

jniamehr:

Yes, it's generally best to leave the snows on through the cold season, especially if you won't be using separate rims. Snow tires wear quickly on dry roads (Blizzaks particularly), but lower temperatures help minimize that. Grip on dry roads is not wonderful with snows, but UHP summer tires can be downright dangerous if pushed hard when cold. I've seen cold, dry days when handling limits were higher, and certainly easier to exploit on snows vs. summers.

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