You need a good set of winter tires dealing with snow/ice in any type of drive (AWD, FWD, RWD) Duh! I driven a RWD car in Chicago for 10+ years and its been more than fine so i don't see a semi AWD (vs. 'true' AWD) being worse then RWD given everything else is the same.

 

The best way to drive a 996tt in the snow if you loose traction is turn OFF and I say again tirn OFF the PSM.
Why , What EEK I hear you cry .
Well its like this.

Once a rear starts to spin the psm will intervene and slow the spinning wheel using the brake on that wheel. Because we dont have limited slip diffs in the rear, the spinning wheel will slow down but the torque will go to the other wheel. Guess what. The other wheel is also in the snow so that starts to spin as well so psm intervenes again but now it knows it cant control the wheels from spinning so it shuts down power to the engine. This will keep going on until you are stationary. Switch off the psm and you will do a burn out on the snow. Ok OTT I know but honestly you get some forward motion.
My drive is on a 1:10 gradient. Last winter 1ft Snow with PSM on I could get out the car make a coffee and get back inn and it would be in the same place I left it. Switch off the PSM and I could take a run at the incline and wheel spin all the way up. I got up, every time.
Frank

 

The BMW XI works exactly the same way. As someone mentioned the key to any AWD winter driving is good dedicated snow tires. My old C4 without snow tires won't move on a snow or ice surface. With snow tires it is great.

 

I would love to see my local Porsche garage when I ask them for N3 rated Snow tyres with a speed rating of 180+. LOL :laugh:

I know your not going to do 180+ mph but try telling the insurance company that.....
Don't forget I'm in the UK. Laws might be different.
Frank

 

No definitely not 180 ha ha! I usually get the real dedicated snows and not performance snow tires, but with these sizes I probably don't have a choice.

 

Isn't there less control to the front wheel drive by turning off the PSM??

 

If we are talking of driving in deep snow with no traction then the answer is no. You will get some torque through the front wheels once the rears start to spin in other word more traction and not less with PSM off.
In any other situation IMHO it is safer, but not as much fun, to leave the PSM on.
Frank

Just remembered. The 996tt owners manual tells you that in certain severe adverse circumstances better traction will be obtained by switching off the PSM.

Just had another Just remember LOL. The PSM remains passive but active even when deactivated. It wont intervene with engine power but will still try to stop any unwanted skids.

 

O yes, insurance will probo be void. Had a mate have his insurance voided when they found a 265 tyres on the car instead of 255's. Insurance said that it wasn't listed as a mod with them. Not that it would of cost any more to insure if he had told then.

Thats u.k insurance for you tho.

 

No snow in Florida so no worry there, I noticed at a DE event once I turned off the PSM for a couple laps it seemed like the rear end slide a little more than usual??

 

so then, next question!

Dont you lot get through rear brake pads fast then?

Also did i read these cars dont have a limited slip diff? So with the traction control turned off are they hard work to get the backend out around islands etc? With the engine at the rear i dont think i would be trying high speed bends with the rear hanging out! The line between ending up in a field and making the bend must be very slim.

 

No Snow in Florida........ NO SNOW IN FLORIDA........If only looks could kill at this moment. You lucky s*d. I wish..........

 

Brake pads...no when we say wheel spin I not talking about real burn outs or anything like that. Its all relative. Not like putting the anchors on at 100 mph or anything. Not much heat gets into them. Probably because there buried in afoot of snow

The back end will come out on any car, thats what your right foot is for.
There is so much rubber on the rears traction is not a problem in the dry or to a smaller extent even in the wet. I have about 530 crank hp and if you boot it on a bend in the wet its going to step out. Just like any performance car.

 

Same principle, it's just electronic rather than VC, so faster in transferring power to the front - if you can notice in the real world - off marketing BS and paper spec, I can't.