In case any of you had any doubt to the abilities of this car in snow i'm here to tell you there is none. Now i'm not surprised at all and know fully I shouldn't expect any with the weight of the car. I live in New Jersey and my 16 mile trip home from work on Friday took 2 hours of terrfiied, sweat filled, tense driving. I was so afraid I was going to ding my new baby. Luckily I made it taking my time with only 2 instances of real danger. No RPM's over 1500 or the wheels spin. Do not attempt to drive this car in any snow, ever. That is my warning. But drive it every second its nice out cause it is so much fun, and worth every penny.

 

OK, but, man, haven't you been reading anything in here? The word has already been out for quite a long time...never on snow with oem rubber, but not bad at all if wearing winter treads.

Don't mean to be mean, but,,, duh?

 

Ya I know, I have been reading and it was a DUH by me cause I got stuck at work. Just wanted to say it again, its incredible what little traction you can get. I will NEVER attempt again, I'll sleep at work before I'd ever try.

 

OK, yeah, I hate when that happens. Down here, they go crazy when there's even a remote chance of frozen stuff. Most companies shut down before the grass is covered. Streets are still clear / slushy at that time, unless it's sleet.

I know up in NJ & PA, 6" is the rule, right?

 

The key point here is the tires, not the car (nor it's weight). Performance summer tires are going to be horrible on snow and ice on any vehicle. My Miata weighs significantly less than the RX8, was equally horrible in the snow with summer tires, and is remarkably sure footed with proper winter tires. In fact, its an absolute blast in the snow, letting you have some fun if you want to goose the throttle and toss it around, or stay safe by driving conservative if you want.

I don't have any experience with the 8 in the snow yet, but I'm sure its going to be even better than the Miata due to the DSC/TCS and ABS systems as well as perfect weight balance.

Needless to say, I've got winter tires being shipped to me as we speak, and I don't pick up my RX8 until next weekend.

-Sean

 

Cue Gordon in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

:D

 

I live in Winnipeg Canada, and we've had snow since mid-November ... I have ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS driving my RX8 on snow, ice or dry roads.

I switched the OEM tires with Blizzak LM 22 ...

By the way, I also added two sand bags in the trunk to add more weight over the rear wheels ... should I keep them in there or take them out?

Anyone else driving on snowy roads with or without sandbags?

 

Well putting this behind me, whats past is past and I did make it home safely without as much as kissing a curb and now I have a great story and even better learning experience. What kind of winter/snow tires does every recommend?? It is obviously my next move! Any particular brand people have had good experiences with?

 

Gordon has made an oath to reply to this topic every time. Hehe. Man, you're really in for it. Can a whole thread be deleted by its originator? I don't think so. Too bad, guy.

Just kidding, dude. Look around for tire types. You have the Blizzak LM 22 endorsement already. Gordon has one that he likes, dunno if its the same. There are others in here, just look around & search...

Peace!

 

I was talking about this with a co-worker Friday as we watched the snow build up. He drove what is possibly the worst snow car ever built- a 1972 Buick Riviera, with a long hood, short deck with an engine with cast iron block and heads, and never got stuck once. This, in upstate New York.

I've owned some really crummy snow cars too. My dad even dumped a bag of Sakrete in the trunk of one of them to get more rear wheel traction.

In the meantime, people in SUV's routinely get their butts into all kinds of trouble since they think they're superman.

If you don't have a good winter technique, which generally calls for a lot of patience and a good ear, even a Bradley tank won't help you.

 

Im pretty sure the Bradley Tank I could have gotten home, not to mention the fun I would of had crushing the people in traffic, and the look of the a**hole who thought he could ride my a** in roads covered with ice when I pointed the turret at his beautiful Volvo with AWD.

 

This topic is getting redundant. It is widely accepted that the RX8 makes a fine snow car when properly equipped with snow tires. Take a look at one of the several other threads.

Closed.