Base Model in the Snow Revue
 

First off - I have worn my stock tires down to about 1/3 to 1/4 of the usable tread depth. So I have around 5k miles left on these tires at the 19500 mile mark.

Conditions: about 1" to 1.5" of wet snow packing down to slush in some areas and hard pack in others. Outside temp around 32F.

I've owned mostly RWD drive cars and learned to drive on a 1971 Datsun 510 4-speed manual RWD car. When I was 12 years old.

The 8 behaved much like my previous car, a 1994 BMW 325is, with two major exceptions: the stock tires on the 8 suck in the snow, as has been well documented; and the Torsen can help you and or hurt you. I did a quick 10 minute car control clinic in a nearby empty parking lot (nothing to hit and almost level), refreshing my donut technique and then perfecting tight ovals, driving straight for 50 yards or so and then blipping the throttle for an exact 180 pivot then heading back in the direction I just came from. That was a hell of a lot of fun. I also got to feel how the Torsen operates in these conditions.

Again, the car is well balanced. Almost half of the car's weight is on the rear wheels. This is how a RWD car can be a good snow car - you've got weight on the drive wheels that helps the driven tires get traction. Now, with my Base, I don't have the benefit of TCS and whatever the hell that other computer aid is, and that is both a blessing and a curse. I found I could blip the thottle to rotate the car and then once the pointed where I wanted constant throttle would hold the car's line. BUT, without judicious and precise throttle control, the combo of the longitudinally ribbed stock tires and the Torsen can get the car sideways in no time flat. But, as another poster noted, being able to blip/stay on the throttle in the snow can also really help you bull your way through small drifts or up/over stuff that you otherwise wouldn't get thru.

And the tires.... well, I noticed the compound is starts to get slick as the temps get down in the 40's, so the rubber alone is giving up grip as it gets cold. Then, those longitudinal tread ribs kill you in snow. I will definitely get replacement tires with out that type of tread pattern. My 325is was better in the snow for two reasons; no limited slip and wimpy 15 stock wheels with 60-series tires that had more weight per square inch than the 8's big-ass 18" inch "rims". In fact, the 325is was damn good in the snow. Last year I had to drive about 20 miles in 4 inches of snow. On I-40 I was passing unskilled SUV drivers with boylike glee. The 8 would probably not have completed the trip, not to mention being able to drive 50 mph down the highway in those conditions.

My fiancee's A4 Quattro 1.8 had similar tires stock and said they sucked in white stuff as well, diminishing the benefits of Quattro to a fair degree. If I was slightly more cavalier today I would have taken her car out to the parking lot for a little hijinx, but she's still asleep and my ex-wife has an A4 Quattro as well so I'm well familiar with their behavior in bad weather.

To sum up: the 8's staying parked still the roads are clear - I hope that is later in the day... And, I will getting some all season tires when it's time to replace the stockers.

I know this is probably a redundant post, but I hadn't been on the site for a while and I wanted to chime in. I also had a lot of fun in that parking lot:)

Happy Holidays and Be Safe

good review...I absolutely love driving the 8 in the snow (but I have snow tires)...the first time I tried driving in snow with the stock tires it was a bit frightening :eek:

If you are driving in the snow with stock tires, please post your pics after is gets smashed.

Rotten42- you must have misread my post...
 

Your response, "If you are driving in the snow with stock tires, please post your pics after is gets smashed.", doesn't make sense given what I wrote in my post:

"I did a quick 10 minute car control clinic in a nearby empty parking lot (nothing to hit and almost level)"...

"To sum up: the 8's staying parked still the roads are clear - I hope that is later in the day... And, I will getting some all season tires when it's time to replace the stockers. "

Seems pretty clearly stated to me...

I'm so glad I live in Florida. :)

my mistake...pardon me......too many xmas beers. :)

speaking of that, how well does the 8 do in hurricane force winds, and dodging lightning? ;)

Pirelli P Zeros seem like a good choice that doesnt compromise on wet/dry handling yet still provides all season capability.

I just went to upper-michigan the last 2 days on a snowboard trip. I decided to stuff my board & gear in the 8. Tons of snow & ice & Im on stock tires. The only trouble I had was on thick snowpack on a dirt road, I stopped on a STEEP incline and had to reverse & gain momentum to get all the way up. I drove over 500 hundred miles...very little issue. I have read so many people on here saying if your driving in winter conditions in stock trim your done for. But the car did fine in snow, ice and slush. I was worried when I read all those threads, but now Im not sure what all the fuss is. If your mildly intelligent, and have even a smidge of winter experience you really should be fine. No crashing required...

I dont even bring it out in the snow