did you know that later in the production cycle they started putting Dunlop summer tires on instead of Potenzas?

 

I thought that at some point they went back to Potenzas, or am I wrong?

 

I think you may be right

 

My 2005 RX-8 purchased in August 2005 came with Dunlops. My theory is that once they got the performance reviews they needed, they went to tires with a little less grip, but more tread wear.

 

ok maybe I am right

either way the dunlops are better and I wish I had them

 

This car is h_ll even in snow or slush with the stock tires (mine were Potenzas - I sold them last week). Last winter, after only one encounter with slush, I got a set of pretty cool 17" BBS rims and Bridgestone Blizzaks for under $1,000 from Tire Rack. I even put them on myself - it took about 2 hours last year, and maybe an hour this year.
My winter set up is just sweet, gives the car everything you could ask for in the bad weather. The tires also softer and quieter. The handling isn't razor sharp anymore, but my rump and ears appreciate the trade-off.
We got 2" of slushy snow here since I arrived at work this morning and I'm about to go home.

 

I drove an RX-8 with worn Dunlops in slushy weather several weeks ago, everyone else was spinning tires and stuff, I was leaving them behind off the line and never slipped a wheel or invoked traction control , I was actually quite impressed with as well as it did under those conditions, sometimes low torque can be a blessing

 

Hey buddy, i went through the same situation yesterday, up here in chicago! I feel your pain, and i'm definetly taking the step to buying winter tires. I think this thread has alot of useful info. One trick you must keep in mind though, is driving with DSC off! That thing does more harm than good, especially when its snowing and your trying to gain traction.

 

We had a good snowfall overnight (4" to 6") in the Toronto area. I am running 225-50-17" Icebears and had no problems. My traction was at least as good as the front drivers around me but my car was easier to control. I tried driving with and without the DSC and would not recommend switching it off unless you are trying to spin the car (like I did for fun in the parking lot).

 

I can't say enough about Blizzaks. I have 17's with the Blizzaks 50's and I never had a problem. With my factory tires I couldn't get out of my driveway when the temp dropped below 50. (A little exaggeration)

 

driving without DSC in the snow is foolish, with stock tires I don't know that is just foolish anyhow

but with snow tires, DSC is a must (except for fun spinning of course )

 

Yes, because of the technological marvel of DSC, people in wintery climates can drive RWD vehicles in the snow for the very first time!

Thanks DSC!

 

DSC is a must in the snow. I can't stress that enough. I did some playing in the snow in a parking lot with and without DSC and was amazed at how much of a difference it makes.

 

My first Post on this Forum but after my first experiences this past week of getting stuck 20' outside my garage and then driving in just two inches of snow earlier in the week was a friggin nightmare. I've owned a Stealth and an MR2 in past years but never experienced anything like this with any car as they must have had at least all season tires as I'm 55 and simply have never had traction this bad or as scarry as driving in these performance tires on this Shinka. Went from a BMW 321 with all wheel drive to this thing and it's a nightmare even in the smallest snowfall.

Definitely must pony up the money to make this thing safe as I have 2.5 yrs left on the damn lease as I'll either die driving this thing or lose my job because I cannot get out of my driveway let alone down the street. Kind of cool having the sport wheels and tires but hell I want to live and in SE MI I can count on likely another 45" of snow for the next 3-4 months.

Does anyone make any snows that can be used year round? Already returned vehicle for a recall and this winter driving seems alot more dangerous than the recall item. My Father had a car dealer and I grew up in the business and I've never driven anything this bad in snow. Are the Blizzaks the most recommended tires and will they work on the Shinka wheels? Thanks folks but driving in these stock tires in snow will either wreck the vehicle, get you stranded or a heart attack when it goes out of control.

 

Even all wheel drive cars like the WRX are terrible in snow when they have "summer" tires.

 

my parents grew up with only RWD cars in the winter, they survived just fine

but driving a perfect 50/50 (not the simulated 50/50 the 350z has) in weight ratio and such a light vehicle as well things are very different from those days

 

I have Blizzak LM-22s on an extra set of stock rims, the car drives beautifully here in Minnesota

 

Yeah, that was my point.
Bah. I know someone who drives a 2200-pound first-generation Miata all-year-round. He doesn't have any problems and that car is significantly worse in the snow than the RX8. DSC is helpful, but it's not a must.

 

I was driving through snow so deep with my wintersport M3's that I actually packed the inlet to the radiator full of snow (about 8-9inches worth).... thankfully I have the RB screen there to catch it all before messing up my AC condensor

 

hell yeah,yesterday i was driving in wendys parking lot 1-2 inch snow goinging 3-4 mph and freaking drifted like 3 feet into plowed snow, thank god no damage.. oh and picked up a friend (her streets were not plowed, yup. stuck in the middle of the street side ways for a good 10 minutes) worst day ever. i think im unplugin the batt and just garaging it for the winter, very upset.

 

Are you still running the summer tires? What do you expect them to do in the snow?

 

Too many people have grown up with all season tires and FWD! RX-8 OEM tires are summer only. They are a stretch to run on cold pavement, a danger on cold wet pavement and suicide on snow. RWD is fun in snow if you understand how the car will react.
The cure is to put on winter tires, go out to an empty parking lot and learn how to drive the car (DSC off) in snow.

 

Blizzaks will work on Shinka wheels. Don't drive winter tires all year long. They will wear out before you know it. The tire compound is made for cold weather. Heat will destroy a winter tire. I ended up with Dunlop Wintersport M3. Can't believe how well they work.

 

My Blizzaks make my RX feel like it has 4WD. Blizzaks ROCK! On in November, Off in April. Plus they're runflats.

 

dang runflats too I couldn't find 18inch runflats for winters but I do have another set of TPMS monitors on them