Getting through the winter season
 

What do you guys have planned?

Here I am, with no winter tires, parking outside all night and waking up to a completely frosted car, and I've already got that "There's going to be a huge snowstorm this season" feeling. I let out a sigh when I turn my car on at 7:00 AM to let it warm up for a good 7-10 minutes, and there's so much smoke from my midpipe that I feel like I'm almost hurting my poor 8. It cranks longer and the engine just sounds really ugly when it's cold, as if it just doesn't want to play with me.

Oh, and I've decided to do this little thing that I made up called "No Wash Winter". It's kind of like No-Shave Novemeber. I'm making an attempt to not wash my 8 until around February, when it starts warming up. I dunno if I'll make it that long, considering I've been washing my 8 every Sunday since the day I got it. It looks pretty ugly already.

So who's garaging and who's driving? Who leaves their 8 outside to suffer in the terrible winter cold? Winter tires? No winter tires? I have a base model without DSC so I'm actually somewhat intimidated.

I park it indoors

I'm driving, all season tires, no wash winter sounds like fun, just put in a new battery, going to do 60k mile service, this will be my first winter driving experience since I got my license 6 years ago...and I'm probably gonna get :owned: in the snow.....:(

I also have the GS with no DSC etc. It's not bad. Winter tires are important. I find that even if the back wheels are spinning I still have control. Just be smooth and take it easy. Find an empty parking lot and go spinning! It's fun and you'll have a better feel for where the edge is and how to recover. Provided you have a decent battery and starter, you should have no problems starting either.

At least go through the automated touch free car washes after the salt hits the ground.

While not many people may have not seen a rusty RX8, rust will happen if you dont take care of it before its a problem.

This is my second year with the 8 in the winter. No problems! I get the occasional stunned look from people when they see me cruisin' through the snow covered streets. Sure wish they'd plow a little better though... its fun until you hit 2 feet deep of drift and she eats half of it. :doh:

Winter tires are a must, and sadly I park her outside all the time. Drove perfect through the week of -30C we had. Started fine, had to let her warm up for at least 10 minutes though.

As for preventing rust/washing it in the winter, I read a post somewhere on here to take hot cloth and wipe away all the snow and dirt around the fenders and under the sides. Wont be clean-clean, but it'll get rid of all the garbage you pick up in the snow.

My V gets the garage so my poor rx8 is outside for the winter. I almost cry every time I start it up and drive it now and especially seeing the ice and snow all over it. But I drive my truck 95% of the time during the winter now. It's hard not washing it. I've washed it twice a week pretty much since I've owned it. (Only since May)

Normally I'd have my winter tires on by now. I live in the city – no place here to keep the tires/wheels that are not on the car. So every November I drive to NJ, pick up my winter wheels/tires from my friend's mom's house and drive 'em over to the tire place for the switch.

Alas, I had minor back surgery 6 weeks ago and I'm not supposed to lift anything much heavier than a half-gallon of mile for a while. So I can't get the wheels into the car. I may have to sit this winter out, and limit drives to when it's over 40º and the roads are dry. :(

But to the OP: with winter tires, you're good to go!

This will be my fifth winter with the RX-8. First winter I went with all-season tires. I got stuck once on my way to work; never again, as I got winter tires afterwards. My car has always been parked outside.

Garage at home, underground parking at work. Daily driver. Got all season tires last year.

This will, however, be my first winter of driving Zoomy on snow/sleet days. Up til now I used my '87 Accord. Unfortunately, the Accord flunked inspection last month and was sent to the knackerman.

Ken

winter tires, park outside, drive all winter, did purchase a car cover but only use it on weekends.

winter tires/rims, heated garage, plan on driving this winter :). Probably will hit my underrcarriage with some water at a manual wash or something when the weather is "ok" since I dont think i can fit on those auto carwashes lol

A tip for everyone. Find the largest piece of cardboard you can, specifically the general size of an RX8's windshield....see where im going with this?

Grab your favorite box cutter and cut it to the shape of the windshield, while beveling the bottom to fit underneath the wipers.

Before you leave the car for the rest of the night/day, just take out your cardboard windshield cut out, (i have mind folded twice to easily fit in the trunk), place it on the windshield, and voila! Instant snow/ice removal from your windshield, very little scraping required.

wont wind blow it off lol

well that is a good idea i did that when i had my mazda3 a few years back, but living in a somewhat ghetto area with the 8 is already bad enough, people would just take the cardboard off my car and give them more a reason to mess with it.

as for winter driving. i got me some winter wheels/tires. no snow to find out how they work yet but i will definitely be good.

and for no wash winter!? why! all that salt eating away at the paint. not good. stop at a no touch car wash every week or so. 5 dollars gets at least the salt off the car. i will not be washing mine but will be on at a no touch was every week. won't clean it very well but will get the salt off.

No WAsh Winter is fine but I'd strongly recommend giving it a VERY good waxing before the snow and salt hits. Wax will protect it amazingly. I wax mine twice a year, and I've gone through 5 winters in MD and NY, and it still looks shiny and beautiful and relatively clean.

Also, you really need to either get winter tires or don't drive it in the snow. I can't comment on all-seasons, but as people have mentioned, I suspect they are only marginally better. With good snows the only limitation I have is snow depth, anything less than the bumper height and I'm fine.

You will hear people say "I drive with my summer tires and it's fine, you just have to drive really carefully." They are Idiots, to be polite. Being able to get a car rolling isn't the same as being able to drive it even remotely safely....

Enjoy! With the right tires, this car is a blast in the snow, beautiful to drift and slide around in, and more capable than you might think...

That's why you put it underneath the wipers.

Indeed. I wonder how many Idiots have spent far more getting their 8s repaired than it would have cost to get winter tires.

ha ha could not drve even if i wanted too! (wyoming weather suck! and streets in a little town? a joke) and yeah summer tires are garbage... even if you car get it moving on a snow packed road, lets see you stop? i had to use my 4 wheeler to pull my car in the shop. decided to just park it this winter not buying snow tires saving up for wheels and tires in the spring.