[jimmuller]

My calendar tells me winter isn't too far off. Last year I drove my Cayman through the winter on its P4S tires as long as the temperature wasn't too low. Had one scary situation on a road which surprising had not been cleared of snow by either plows or traffic. This year? I dunno'. Porsche sells a complete winter wheel/tire set for the 718, a bit expensive. An alternative is just don't drive the car, which would be a bummer but sort of what I did much of last winter.

Thoughts?

 

[alf_17]

I would never drive through a winter without winter tires, and winters in Denmark is not especially harsh despite being part of Scandinavia which is know for having hard winters.
I don't know how different the winters in the Boston area are to those in Denmark, but I doubt it is substantially different.
Given that I wouldn't drive through winter without winter tires, I also wouldn't buy winter tires for my 718.
Counter intuitive? Not really, when roads in Denmark get near freezing temperature the roads are sprayed with salt to keep them free of ice, and I just can't bear the thought of putting my 718 through the corrosion **** that salted roads will cause, it is enough that it has to endure the salty air from the North Sea as I live only 3 km from the ocean and work on the harbour literally only a few meters from the water.

 

[phroenips]

FWIW, Michelin would really prefer if their Pilot Sport 4S tire weren't even exposed to cold weather

Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.

I do plan on getting a set of winter wheels and tires. I'm fortunate to be able to store the "off-season" sets in my climate controlled basement. Tirerack can put together a wheel and tire package for MUCH less than Porsche wants. I'll be going with 19" wheels because I want the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires, which are superior to Blizzak LM-32 in my experience, and still retain some dry sportiness characteristics in the dry. And they're not available in 18" sizes.

 

[718S]

Jim we aren't even into Fall yet and you are talking about winter?? **** you.

Do you have alternate transportation you can use in the winter? Personally, like Alf- there is no way I could drive on the salted roads with my 718. No way.

 

[DriveInHouston]

Jim is right! If you want to find the winter tires you want, now is the time to look. If you start looking in November, it might take weeks to get them, if at all. It's like bathing suits. You look for them in March. By July, it's back to school sales...

I wouldn't drive mine in salted roads either, but if that's all you've got... Or you are affluent enough not to care...

 

[jimmuller]

Jim we aren't even into Fall yet and you are talking about winter?? **** you.

Do you have alternate transportation you can use in the winter? Personally, like Alf- there is no way I could drive on the salted roads with my 718. No way.

Sorry to scare you, Dave. No untoward thoughts were intended.

Last year we had many days where I could actually drive. So many times after we had snow we'd have significant enoujgh rain to clean the streets. Plus, the car was so new that I really really really wanted to drive more. Then I got this flyer from Porsche about how the Cayman's handling was so great in the snow. Then my sweetie wondered aloud whether our x-c skis would fit inside. So...

 

[DriveInHouston]

For XC skis, I would try magnetic racks. I even carried regular skis on them, but I wouldn't dare on my Cayman...

All you need to be careful about, is to peel the magnetic sheets of the base carefully.

 

[RussellHodgson]

Check out TireRack. I got my winter wheels and tires from them. I purchased them in October I believe and got a great dela on some wheels they were clearing out of stock. $600 for 4 wheels! They are winter wheels so won't see hard driving, and have performed brilliantly for 2 winters now. I've got 19" continental tires on them. No issues at all with driving in the winter and/or snow in them.

As for salt, yes it does get put down more than I'd like, but the car has a 10 years waranty against rust/corrosion. That's more than enough as I'll most likely get a new one in 10 years anyway. And I get to drive it all the time.

 

[cbarra]

I daily drive my 718, even in the winter. It's my only vehicle. I went with a new set of 19" O.Z. Ultraleggera wheels and Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 tires. They weren't great, but they did fine for a Utah winter. I use these same wheels for track tires during the warmer months. Kind of a pain having two sets of wheels and three sets of tires, but I didn't want to expose my 20" Turbo wheels to winter or the track.

 

[CraigK]

Just ordered a set of 18” O.Z. Ultraleggera wheels and Blizzak WS90s on TireRack. 225/50/18 front and 245/50/18 rear. It’s not officially recommended sizing, but eventually got the phone reps blessing after I explained what I was looking for. I intend to daily drive my Boxster all winter in Michigan. I know it will completely soften the car from my summer setup, but I wanted the best winter option possible.

 

[C718GTS]

Winters are getting warmer even in Germany but you have a saver ride on winter tires - i drove them last winter for some 4 weeks and putting them back on by late October_:

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