93rdcurrent

I have also driven in the snow here in Spokane, WA. I have Dunlop Graspix and they are working great. In just one storm we had more than 9" of snow fall so the roads were covered. I did have the snow build up on the lower section of my front end but I didn't have any cooling problems with the radiator. The temperature seems to stay about half as warm in the cold weather as it does when it's warmer outside.

I have yet to take my car on a long trip but I am looking forward to driving it to Santa Cruz, CA. for X-Mas. Anyway with new tires and 17" wheels I have been doing just fine in the snow & ice.

On a side note I would like to point out that since the RX-8's don't get a lot of torque until the higher end of the rpm range that seems to help quite a bit on the starts. Talking mine slow on the start I have been able to get around fantastically and it handles better than my BMW M3 did in the snow.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

cool, I'm actually from the A-town area! :p

LL7

Last Wed I still had some ice and snow on my driveway, but the roads were clear. I need to go pick my son up from school and tried to back the 8 out onto the street. I hadn't mounted the snow tires yet because of lazyness. I started backing up and couldn't get the car up the driveway. This is on a driveway that i have not trouble pushing a car up in the summer by hand. I tried for about 5 minutes to get up the driveway before I gave up and took the minivan that I have for sale at the other side of the house.

I mounted the snows when I got back. They are Blizzak LM22s on 17 inch rims. With them on I had no trouble backing up. Saturday we got the storm and had 12 inches of snow, so i took the 8 out for a drive. It felt as good as my wifes AWD Subaru with snows. I think it accelerated as quickly and handled as well. The traction control really controls the rearend if there is slippage. Once I turned it off the car fishtailed a lot. In the empty parking lot I tried a few donuts. The car would not do it with the traction control on it jsut drove in a circle. With it off I could scare the crap out of my 6 year old daughter - my 4 year old son loved it.

So in short if you intend to drive the 8 in any snow get some good snow tires. The traction control was worth the price for winter driving as well. I am in southern New Hampshire by the way.

racerdave

Do the 17-inch wheels still fit on the 6-speed cars?

Speed Racer

I know that the Kazera 17" wheels fit over the larger brakes on the 6-spd and I'd imagine that most 17" wheels will fit. :D

LL7

They fit on my 6 speed. I ordered them from the Tire Rack and they guaranteed the fit. There actually seems to be alot of clearance still left.

Gord96BRG

I wouldn't assume that - there's actually at least a few 17" wheels that don't clear the front brake caliper. If you compare Tire Rack's 17" wheels list for the RX-8 against 17" wheels for other vehicles, you'll see that quite a few 17" wheels aren't listed for the RX-8. Tire Rack actually test fit any wheels they recommend; other shops might just look at bolt pattern and offset and assume the wheel will fit. Be sure!

Regards,
Gordon

racerdave

Thanks for the 17-inc/TireRack recommendation. The fact that they test-fit is HUGE!

I buy all my tires from them anyway, so that's the way to go.

I usually go with factory steelies for the snows, but that won't be an option in the 8!!!

Thanks again,

--Dave

Racer X-8

I agree, Tirerack.com is all I use anymore...:D

cardinal35

one question, do you have to get new wheels too? Or can you just mount the snows and then take em off in spring?

Gord96BRG

You're not reading everything! There's some discussions about this - lots of people bought 17" alloy wheels with 17" winter tires (cheaper than 18" winter tires), and quite a few people bought 18" winter tires and are swapping them twice a year. I posted a cost analysis that showed that if you keep your RX-8 more than 3 winters, it's actually cheaper to buy separate 17" alloy wheels and 17" winter tires.

Regards,
Gordon

cardinal35

I just dont know the risk of damaging the beads on the rims with low profile tires. I would like to get the rims but rims and tires are a bit more than I factored into the equation. Sorry if I dont find all the info, I just dont have tons of time to look around. You guys seem real knowledgeable and I appreciate the help. Didnt mean to ruffle feathers.

Gord96BRG

No feathers ruffled, that's why there was a ! We're glad to help, ask away with any questions.

Regards,
Gordon

BOOSTD 7

Anybody opposed to moving this to the Wheels/Tires forum?

grogiefrog

I have had a lot of experience driving RX-7's in Colorado winters, and I did find that weight in the back helped very much to get going. If the back end comes around, then either you meant to do that or you were just driving to fast. :D

Although it's a pain to put chains on a sports car, it's like having a 4WD RX.

dimmerclan

What a timely note and information. I really appreciate it. We just had our first snowfall in kentucky and have about 1 inch of snow/rain on the road. I had the stock oem tires on my rx8, and damn near killed myself. I didnt go one mile before I had to turn around. The dsc/tsc was on constantly and I want into a flat spin. Luckily, I avoided hitting anything.

Come monday, I am buying some snow tires! Glad that it makes all the difference.

rieskame

I had no problems here in indiana in the snow with the stock tires. Just have to be a couple gears higher than normal to keep the torque down.

Draco

fhfghfgh

canzoomer

The 8 is a lot better in winter driving than any 7.
Centre of gravity is right smack in the middle, and weight distro is 50/50.

The traction control system and ABS are also top notch, and it makes driving the 8 on ice a fun exercise.

I actually find myself going into corners too "hot" and trusting the DSC to sort it out for me.

Jag

Sorry, I gotta call B.S. on this one. Even if you manage to get your 8 moving by being a couple gears higher its not going to do anything for you when you get to a corner.

I hope nobody takes this statement as truth and thinks they can use their RX-8 as a winter vehicle with the stock tires on, its just plain dangerous if you're in an area that gets snow. Throw some real winter tires on it and save yourself an expensive repair bill caused by the stock summer tires.

racerdave

Listen to Jag and Gord, folks!!

A WRX is reduced to being GARBAGE in snow when it's on Falken Azenis! Not even Ike can agrue that one! :D

But put it on Blizzaks and it's a snow terror.

It's all tires, and if you're trusting the RX-8 on its stock tires in the snow, you're playing Russian Roulette.

carnut

I agree. The Blizzaks are great, and I wouldn't risk winter driving without them. As others have pointed out, it's not just the tread pattern that makes the difference, it's the winter rubber compound that stays softer ("grippier") in the cold.

rieskame

I guess i played russian roulette this week in the 2 inches of snow. traction control kept the revs down. The back end wanted to move a little under braking, but still controllable. It just took a while to get on the main street that was on an incline, but nothing 1200 bucks worth. Its NOT that bad. I have driven many worse vehicles in the snow, ie 96 Impalla SS and camaros.

racerdave

Yeah, and the first time you have to stop or turn in a hurry, you'll find out how "not bad" it is.

Moving is one thing. Avoiding an accident is another.

Hey, it's up to you.

I just don't want to see you wrinkle yourself or your car by relying on those tires in the snow.

The $1400 will seem awfully cheap if a loss-of-control issue arises in the snow and causes an accident -- which could've been avoided with proper tires.

Sorry for the rant...

Gord96BRG

Damn right you played russian roulette. Check out this link to a thread on ClubSi from a guy who's buddy lost control of his RX-8 (on OEM tires) who lost control on an icy patch, wrecked, and his passenger died in the accident. Yeah, I bet he's real happy he saved $1200 right now, isn't he?

I have been warning people about using the OEM tires in winter conditions, and suggesting that the tires are cheaper than the inevitable body work and suspension damage. I had not suggested the danger to human life, but of course with any sort of out-of-control vehicle at any speed on a road, with or without other traffic, that is always a risk. Why increase that risk when it is well known that the OEM tires are inadequate, and that a reasonable solution is readily available?

Sorry, I still believe that the OEM tires in winter conditions are very dangerous. It really sucks to have an extreme example to prove that, rather than just a few bent suspension components or fenders. Rieskame, you're obviously free to do as you wish about the tires and to tell people that you're taking your chances. I just honestly hope that NOBODY will listen to you and believe that the OEM tires are adequate. They're not.

Sad regards,
Gordon