6sp winter driving tips
 

A mix of rain and snow appeared today,and as I drove in the snow, I was so freaked out that it is SLIPPERY!

I will be getting the Blizzak winter tires in few days but I just want to find out more tips for driving 8 in the snow.

I searched the forum and came up with driving with row RPM (higher gear position than normal), putting some salt bags in the trunk (although some people doubt it does actually work) besides my knowledge such as no sudden stop, using engine brake, slow in curve etc.

So winter driving masters, please help me out thanks :)

ps.Is it safer to start with second gear? I feel like starting with first gear is more slippery than the second gear
ps2. Should I completely turn off the DSC or just an one-click off when I am driving in the snow? (I searched this but got confused)

winter tires will be a night and day difference.

Best advice is to take your car to an abandoned parking lot and get to know the feel of the car in snow. Turn TSC on and off. Start in 1st and 2nd. Do some drifting and some sliding (though nothing stupid!). If cops question you, just say your educating yourself on safe driving, and you'd rather be prepared in an empty lot, than on the busy streets :)

Just floor it around the corners and drift it. Thats what I do ;)

^ lmfao

Winter tires or don't do it.

Definitely go with RX8soldier on that play with it and find out what works and what doesn't. As a good Canadian I drove my 8 last winter through the worst snow storms. With your TCS on the car will guide you near perfectly around corners. the only issue may be starting on hills in the snow where you definitely want the TCS off and feather the gas on an off if you're slipping too much otherwise with it on you may never get going. (took me over an hour to get up my own driveway first time in heavy snow) I usually leave TCS off that way if I do slide too much you can control it better. As for starting in second, I don't recommend it. Slow engaged starts work perfectly fine.

pretty much said it all, keep your gas tank filled up too; max rear weight and in case you end up sitting for a long time and need to stay warm.

I don't find the car needs any help except winter tires, it's super predictable in the snow, you can slip the rear when you want to and drive straight when you need to, it's not going to surprise you. Stay out of deep snow though, don't want to get beached.

DSC definitely helps, though I don't trust it when things are really rough, it's easier for me to deal with predictable oversteer than computer-induced understeer. Try at your own risk though.

I put the Bridgestone Blizzaks on my 8 last winter. I had to drive through some of the worst storms of the season with inches of unplowed snow on the roads and I had absolutely no problem. I was amazed at how well it handled those conditions.

I have driven many sports cars that are rear wheel drive in snowy conditions (Chicago ice and snow) and I can tell you from much experience that driving these cars is nothing but a thing. Winter tires will help you out a little bit. I personally do it with brand new all season tires and have no problems. Where I live the roads stay plowed pretty well but if there is more than 1 or 2 inches of snow on the road you probably shouldn't be driving your car on the road period. Your car will slide around even with winter tires. I have tried adding about 300 pounds in the trunk with sand bags and it may slightly help but there is not much of a difference. Best advice is to be smart about driving. Go slow and creep around corners. I generally go slower than most of the traffic in winter conditions but that's ok because I enjoy driving my 8 year round. There may be only 5 days a year in which I cannot drive my 8 on the road. Drive the car and enjoy it no matter how slow you go. Just remember that winter is not made for sports cars but it's completely possible to drive them as long as your smart about it.

EDIT: Also forget to mention that last year I drove my car to work in a straight up blizzard. Just Google 2011 Chicago blizzard. I wouldn't dream of normally driving my car in these conditions but work called me in because everyone called off and they where willing to pay me time and half so I braved the elements. I avoided the expressway at all costs and stuck to the side streets. I went to work at midnight so there where no cars on the road and what cars where on the road where either stuck or ran off the road and abandoned. I didn't stop at any stop signs or red lights as long as there where no cars coming. Didn't care about getting pulled over cause all the cops where busy helping people who where stuck. Makes you feel really good when you pass up full sized SUV's who are stuck on the road but my little 8 had very few problems and never got stuck once.

what others have said:

1. winter tires
2. slow down and give yourself more time to stop
3. pay attention

as long as you've got the right tires and the snow isn't deep enough to get scooped into the radiator opening, the RX-8 is a great winter driver.

the rx8 is a decent driver in the snow... not better than AWD or FWD but the predictability of the car makes driving in snow pretty easy... much easier than my previous RWD cars (mostly camaros). Just go slow and give yourself time to react to anything, meaning proper speed and distance.