yep, i just love when owners think they know how to drive in snow better than everyone else, only to see that they can't drive better than the tires allow, and then come here and start threads about how they nearly get into accidents, or in this case, get into one.

if in doubt, park it while you go to tirerack.com and order the snow tires you should have gotten 4 months ago!

 

Reading the initial post made it sound like both parties were at fault. One guy backing through a stop sign and one obviously traveling too fast for conditions. Lucky the cops saw it differently.

 

well you all can bash me too.

i actually have an old honda civic, but a co-worker is borrowing it due to his car being in the shop, so i had to take the 8 to work today. i didn't think the snow would hit until later in the morning anyway or i would have rented a car b4 i left work yesterday, but when i woke up it was there. i had no problem on the streets, but when i got to my second highway ramp, it was all white. i slowly rolled up at ~25 mph, and sure enough the rear started to slip and the car went sideways. i stared at that guardrail for a good 40 seconds b4 the countersteering took. i regained control, parked on the side and sorted myself out for about 10 minutes. then turned on the hazard lights and finished the trip. luckily no damage, but a bunch of idiots zoomed by all the way there. something told me to take advantage of my car rental job yesterday - next time, i'm just calling for a pickup. i just hope this is the last snow of the season here in cincinnati.

 

I feel your pain. About one month ago I hit some black ice on the interstate and put my 8 into a guardrail. Over $6,000 in damage. I had the summer tires, but I don't think it would've made a difference anyway. I just got it back today. She's as good as new. It actually looks a little better with the new paint job.

 

Thanks for the 'love" (sort of!). I've always owned cars with aftermarket wheels and Z rated summer only tires (then swapped for winter). But for the"few" days of snow we get a year in Vancouver (Whistler is MUCH higher up than Vancouver), I decided I just wouldn't drive the 8 when it snowed (and hadn't). That day, however, it was sunny when I left, and a bizarree late season downfall occured--what can I say?! It was 14 degrees and sunny yesterday! If I was planning to do ANY snow driving I would buy snow tires (thanks for the advice!!!!!!).
Should have parked it, should have parked it, should have parked it.......

 

This was Thursday 9th right I had to drive to CHildrens Hospital from Surrey on my track tires

All I can say is I'm glad it had melted before I had to drive home.........

 

From everything I've read you shouldn't drive with the summer tires on any time below 40F (4C).

I ended up just buying snow tires figuring a single crash will be more expensive than snow tires, not to mention the possible loss of life/limb. Although, adding another $1k to a $20k purchase is a decent chunk of the total price, it's worth it. I just wish this thread and the many threads like it were required reading for all new 8 owners.

 

I figure you're spending so much on the car already, so what's a little more to protect the investment? I almost never see snow where I live (like maybe twice a year and then it usually doesn't stick anyway because it isn't cold enough), just tons of rain so I will need to get good tires for rainy driving. I think I have them picked out after lots of reasearch and reviews of what people were liking that lived in my geographic area and weather/driving conditions. I figure who better to get an opinion from than the people that live and drive in the same conditions I will.

 

I agree with everyone here who says get new tires.

I live in the SoCal high desert, and we get snow maybe 1 day a year. I recently wore out my stock Potenzas, and replaced them with some good All-Weathers. About a week ago it snowed pretty hard here while I was at work, so I was dreading the drive home (I have a base 8, so no DSC/TCS, and on the old tires I could feel it twitching even in rain), but I was very pleasantly suprised. Even without the DSC, I felt very confident driving in that weather.

Bottom line, don't even try to drive this car on the stock tires in bad weather. Just suck it up and buy something appropriate.

 

I know this isn't a winter tire thread, per se...but for anyone in the market for a set, I would highly recommend Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3...which I have had on my 8 since a week after I bought it, in January. During the first week, when I still had the Potenza's on, I could feel the slip and slide if the road had any snow on it at all. Not a good feeling, for sure. The Dunlop winter tires quickly restored my confidence about driving in bad weather. No slip. No slid.

The handling is, of course, noticebly softer than with the summer tires. But hey...beats having a crash. I'll put the Potenza's back on in another 6 weeks or so.

saxon

 

i think you should be more careful about that on very slippery condition. when your engine is still cold, it tend to idle at higher rpm. when you're running slowly, you better press the clucth before enganging the brake, otherwise the drive wheel will throw out the balance of your car. it happened to me once on a straight way. my rear was sliding to the front, lucky i managed to control it. i thought the brake was awful, later i figured out it's caused by the throttle.

 

Another piece of driving advice I've learned since owning my 8. Experienced MT drivers probably already know this (and actually it's mentioned in the owner's manual):

For maximum traction (and handling), do not change gears while in a turn. Select your turn gear before you enter the turn.

saxon

 

Thanks for all of the entertaining replies (!).

Final Comments:
* Yes, it was Thursday the 9th.
*14 C = 57 F
*Considering the circumstances (someone suddenly backs in front of me, through a stop sign, in the snow, on a steep hill), I'm not sure that even spikes or chains would have helped to completely avoid the accident, but I am quite sure winter tires would have at least minimized it. I guess my main point, besides sharing the story, was that even in the most minimal snow, the stock tires are very dangerous. Thanks to all who offered their sympathy, and to those who were so kind as to give the enlightening advice on tires and expert winter driving (!).

 

We live near Seattle, where it also rarely snows. Our two RWD cars freewheel in 1st gear, idling, trying to get "up" our driveway, which may have a 2 degree incline, in even a dusting of snow. With Blizzaks, they'll zip through, and stop well in, six inches of snow. Good snow tires significantly decrease stopping distance, especially with a good ABS system, as well as providing much greater forward and lateral traction.

For $300, you can buy a pristine set of RX-8 wheels from someone blinging up his car. Get snow tires for the winter. Over time, the extra cost is minimal (you're putting fewer miles on the summer tires, so they last longer), and it's simply unsafe to drive these cars on cold pavement, to say nothing of frost, ice or snow, in high performance summer tires.