Mnc4s- since our climates are somewhat similar do you find your ride takes a beating with the salt and sand on the roads?

 

I do find a LOT of frozen brown crud on the area in front of the rear wheels. This area is covered with the factory film, and despite looking gruesome at times, it always seems to clean up well. I have a full frontal (including full hood) clear bra as well. I use Optimum No Rinse frequently and keep my garage at 55 degrees so everything melts off by morning. The paint is midnight blue and shows everything! The area that shows the most wear is the rear of the front wheel wells - but this appears to be paint chipping that I first noticed this August, so winter sand vs summer pebbles???

 

MN- Thanks we see they same here I guess my hot water wand in the garage will get a bit more use than normal.

 

Should I be concerned driving during cold winter conditions, even if the roads are dry and no snow?

All my other cars have all weather tires, since I don't want to go through the hassle of having another set of winter tires/wheels. The cost and maintenance of having separate sets are just not worth it to me.

My AM has summer low profiles, but I was planning to drive through the winter as long as it didn't snow. Do summer tires not grip well in cold and dry roads?

 

I've driven through a couple winters with extreme performance rated summer tires on a 500whp Caddy CTS-V here in Seattle. It gets cold enough to snow a little here and there. I can't say I really ever noticed the tires getting slippery. I'm sure it won't hold a corner like they do in the summer. Not sure if the cold causes them to wear faster...

 

I have a 997TT and I lived in NJ. I change to snow tires right around Thanksgiving time bcuz the weather is cold enough and I do drive the car to work through out the winter even when it snows. therorectically, you should use winter tires for winter for better grip but I think it really depending how fast you go!!!

 

If winter driving is your thing, you might want to consider this: http://winterdrive.com/
Something to do when you've had enough on the ski slopes.

 

In the cold, summer tire compounds perform horribly, even on dry roads. Summer tires in the winter are a huge compromise in your personal safety and can prove to be a costly gamble.

 

To add to the above driving a srt8 jeep in our climate on factory equip tires is a white knuckle experience in the winter. My experience is winter tires are a must for any vehicle in cold climates, especially a TT Porsche.

 

They will take longer to warm up and will be a little slick for a few miles until they get warm. They will always have a little less traction in the cold than the warm summer even when warmed up. I used to use my summer tires as long as I could before switching. In the early cold mornings in October it would sure be fun going up the on ramp onto the interstate! I am in Illinois.

 

Exactly what he said. The car grows claws when you put it on 18" snow Michelins. My favorite season as well. Happy motoring!