Anyone drive their panamera in the snow?

 

why not?

 

Our Panamera 4 was bought with the Canadian winter in mind! Its def not a weekend car!

 

Just took the 970TT out on the PA turnpike in Western PA...it's been snowing since yesterday and the car handled great...I didn't exceed 90mph...My snow tires will be mounted Saturday...going with the Pirelli's...I did notice a draft of cold air in the ****pit with the temp set @87, the fan on max, heated seats and steering wheel on...outside temp is 26 degrees F...that was disappointing...not as rock solid as I would have hoped at this price point...but still fun to drive!!!

 

Taking my P4S to Mammoth next week, first ski trip of the season. I have 18" wheels with Pirelli Sottozeros from TireRack for my winter setup.

I bought the car specifically to be my ski car - it replaced an Audi S4 Avant (the last in a long line of Audi Quattros for me). I'm waiting to see it in the snow before I know for sure, but I'm expecting it to be great!

DMoore
'09 C2S
'10 P4S

 

Just remember that stopping distances are pretty bad with allseason/summers.

You must have torque vectoring on your Turbo, I'll bet that gives the 4wd a real sports car like feel in corners.

On a sidenote, hope optho is doing well down there -- up here, its the most desirable specialty!

 

I had a set of 20" staggered snow tires on my panny last winter and it behaved..but I didnt....handled a few ski trips to VT with ease...its like a hot knife through butter...

 

my 997 c2 with perrille sottozeros is fine in Chicago weather. Zero issues...

 

This is exactly what I try to explain every single winter. There seems to be a lot of people who drive their cars with summer tires on snow in the U.S. Just because it's a big 4x4 suv doesn't make it safe!
Sure, it can maybe take you around a corner or up a hill a bit better than a fwd/rwd car, but when you have to stop, the awd isn't worth ****!

I can't understand that it's even legal to use summer tires on snow?

You can be the best driver in the world but when you're standing on the brake trying to stop a car with summer tires on ice, your 7.30min nurburgring lap times and awd-pdcc-ptv isn't going to help you, at all.

Rant over.

 

Ok I knew better than to try driving on Summer performance tires. So I bought take off 19 inch turbos for winter driving that came with brand new All Seasons. Now I was in a jamb what do I do with the All Seasons as I wanted Snow Tires.

I decided to just drive on All seasons and see how they do. I'ts been snowing here in Rochester NY the past three days. All I can say is WOW the car performs wonderfull in the Snow. All wheel drive is the best I've ever had in any car. I am driving the Turbo so not sure itsw the same in all Panamera Models.

I realize stopping would be improved with snows but I'm reall happy with the all season performance. i'm going to wear the all seasons down and then but the Perelli Snow tires. I'll put my Turbo 2's back on in Apr.

 

Glad to that, but I just want to point out that it doesn't quite work that way.

Winter tire traction has a lot to do with temperature -- right now it may be snowing, but its very mild out. Your rubber compound in your all seasons is still fairly soft so it can track by bending and shedding snow with each revolution.


As the weather drops and temperature goes below freezing, and thensome (degrees Celcius)...ie. gets really cold -- your tire rubber compound will become hard, like plastic or a hockeypuck.

In this instance, you will not be able to track, though your AWD will help; but your stopping distance is going to deplorable and you may very well hit another car or two in your densely packed city.

This is why winter tires are important. Its about relative risk, you've taken on the increased probability of losing traction and being unable to stop in colder temperatures...the chance of something going wrong depends on driving style, weather, luck, etc.

I'd switch to winters. They'll run you 1000 $ at tirerack, max.

 

Yea, we don't exactly have your love for big government, so aside from Quebec (french, go figure)...no place in north America has laws for snow tires.

But yea I find in large urban centres, Toronto, New York -- where there is a lot of money and taste for fine vehicles, but little time because of long work days/commutes -- people don't realize the importance of winters. Often they just don't have the time to switch them at the shop or themselves.

 

Its been in the 20's here so not sure about your statement about mild temp is about. Also the first minute I get the indication my tires are inadequete for winter driving I'll buy the Snow. If you can afford a 150K car you can afford $1400 Snow Tires.

That aside I have been driving in Snow for 20 years without winter tires Lexus LS 460, Acura RL and never had any problems. I keep good distance and am always aware of my surroundings. I think its not fair to try and scare people into thinking if they don't have snow tire they will get into an accident. Most people on the road here don't have snow tires much less AWD.

It also depends on where you live. In Rochester the snow gets cleaned really fast and the roads are generally good. I also have my Mercedes GL 350 SUV as backup if it gets really bad.

 

The risk of being in an accident when not having snows is much bigger than if you have them, that's all. When your doing 30mph I think the stopping distance on snow differs about 30 feet when comparing all seasons vs winter tires. That's pretty much imo and the faster you go the bigger the difference becomes.


Not two hours ago I witnessed a big 4x4 pickup slooowly skid off the road when he was doing a left hand turn at about 20mph. So I'll take that "people in the U.S" comment back, fast!

 

I see accidents here all the time so what. Do they use salt on the roads in Sweden? I've lived in Colo Spgs for 3 years while in the Army at Ft. CArson and I remember I drove a Monte Carlo with All seasons and rear wheel drive. Never had any problem. And these were the days before traction control. All I'm saying most important off all is driver exerience in bad weather driving. Much more so than type of tire and electronics.

I will be getting Snows when I'm good and Ready.