South of UK - Winter wheels thoughts

[f1eng]

I guess there is a risk if you fit winters, everyone in their average cars will be rear-ending you when it gets cold!

That is the problem in the UK in winter, so few people have winter tyres you are continually concerned by cars tobogganing towards you or blocking a route you can easily follow because they can’t.

It is most annoying but I still feel safer being in control of my car even when loads of people aren’t.

Nominal stopping distances are just that too. One of the Michelin senior engineers I worked with in F1 told me they make low grip tyres for some SUVs so they slide rather than roll-over in order to pass sagety regulation tests. The side effect is long braking distances

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[BigBob]

Where does that 36,5 come from?

https://www.porschewestpalmbeach.com/2022-porsche-taycan-4s-vs-tesla-model-s-2/

60-0mph 107 feet. - edit: 107 feet x 1.12 to adjust for winter from your diagram.

First thing google showed me!

 

[4sCT21]

Just bringing up this subject again. I've had winter tyres on 3 different cars, all RWD. They transformed from a car i couldn't get onto our drive (at times) to almost like driving in normal conditions, but on snow.

Our drive is nothing special, but the Alfa on Goodyear f1 eagles, couldn't get over the pavement and the 6 series wasn't much better.

Also the area I live, especially around my parents, is very hilly.

Just flash reading through this thread and I'm not sure this point was made, that even with a slightly warmer ambient temperature, the road surface can still be cooler, meaning 7*c road temp can occur at warmer ambient temps.

I'm looking at my options for next winter.

Ive got 21" spyders. Winter tyres are available, but a spare set might be the way to go.

 

[W1NGE]

Just bringing up this subject again. I've had winter tyres on 3 different cars, all RWD. They transformed from a car i couldn't get onto our drive (at times) to almost like driving in normal conditions, but on snow.

Our drive is nothing special, but the Alfa on Goodyear f1 eagles, couldn't get over the pavement and the 6 series wasn't much better.

Also the area I live, especially around my parents, is very hilly.

Just flash reading through this thread and I'm not sure this point was made, that even with a slightly warmer ambient temperature, the road surface can still be cooler, meaning 7*c road temp can occur at warmer ambient temps.

I'm looking at my options for next winter.

Ive got 21" spyders. Winter tyres are available, but a spare set might be the way to go.

Should have got an AWD variant - absolutely brilliant in snow (up / down hills aided by motor braking). I've not had a need for snow / winter tyres but recommend their use.

 

[4sCT21]

Should have got an AWD variant - absolutely brilliant in snow (up / down hills aided by motor braking). I've not had a need for snow / winter tyres but recommend their use.

Out of my price bracket and I wanted the range of the RWD. Ok I've not got the right wheels, but ill still do better than a 4s with 20"s.

 

[simcity]

Just bringing up this subject again. I've had winter tyres on 3 different cars, all RWD. They transformed from a car i couldn't get onto our drive (at times) to almost like driving in normal conditions, but on snow.

Our drive is nothing special, but the Alfa on Goodyear f1 eagles, couldn't get over the pavement and the 6 series wasn't much better.

Also the area I live, especially around my parents, is very hilly.

Just flash reading through this thread and I'm not sure this point was made, that even with a slightly warmer ambient temperature, the road surface can still be cooler, meaning 7*c road temp can occur at warmer ambient temps.

I'm looking at my options for next winter.

Ive got 21" spyders. Winter tyres are available, but a spare set might be the way to go.

I bolt on, bolt off.

Taycan get 20-inch Taycan Turbo S Aero Design Winter wheel-and-tyre set, with full PZero Winter rubber. Basically as that what was available from Porsche, and I didn't want to fart around with meh does this rubber meet Porsche spec blah, blah...

The little Zoe gets Michelin CrossClimate2 195/55R16 on a spare set of rims.

 

[4sCT21]

I bolt on, bolt off.

Taycan get 20-inch Taycan Turbo S Aero Design Winter wheel-and-tyre set, with full PZero Winter rubber. Basically as that what was available from Porsche, and I didn't want to fart around with meh does this rubber meet Porsche spec blah, blah...

The little Zoe gets Michelin CrossClimate2 195/55R16 on a spare set of rims.

I will definitely get Porsche wheels if I'm doing this. You'll always get a chunk of your money back at the end anyway.

21" winters are available, but I risk damage to my Spyders and dropping to 20/19 will offset some of the winter range loss.

 

[simcity]

I will definitely get Porsche wheels if I'm doing this. You'll always get a chunk of your money back at the end anyway.

21" winters are available, but I risk damage to my Spyders and dropping to 20/19 will offset some of the winter range loss.

Correct and correct. Imho ?

 

[tigerbalm]

Agreed on the 20" Pirelli PZero Winters.

If they can handle this in arctic Norway they'll handle anything England sends at you.

Starting to climb the Saltfjellet

 

[4sCT21]

Agreed on the 20" Pirelli PZero Winters.

If they can handle this in arctic Norway they'll handle anything England sends at you.

Starting to climb the Saltfjellet

Stunning scenery.

 

[simcity]

Agreed on the 20" Pirelli PZero Winters.

If they can handle this in arctic Norway they'll handle anything England sends at you.

Starting to climb the Saltfjellet

I always see your tour photos and drool ?

 

[f1eng]

Should have got an AWD variant - absolutely brilliant in snow (up / down hills aided by motor braking). I've not had a need for snow / winter tyres but recommend their use.

AWD really doesn't make anywhere near enough difference to compensate between the grip of winter tyres on snow with even good summer tyres.

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/Best-Performance-Winter-Tyres-2025.htm

is the latest test and in summary snow traction is 6 to seven times better on winter tyres than summer so AWD is nowhere near enough to compensate.

In my case I am sold on winter tyres (or probably best average for cold and wet are all seasons down here in Oxfordshire) but mainly because of the massive improvement in braking and lateral grip stability - not much point in being able to "get going" if you can barely steer or stop IMO.

 

[f1eng]

Just bringing up this subject again. I've had winter tyres on 3 different cars, all RWD. They transformed from a car i couldn't get onto our drive (at times) to almost like driving in normal conditions, but on snow.

Our drive is nothing special, but the Alfa on Goodyear f1 eagles, couldn't get over the pavement and the 6 series wasn't much better.

Also the area I live, especially around my parents, is very hilly.

Just flash reading through this thread and I'm not sure this point was made, that even with a slightly warmer ambient temperature, the road surface can still be cooler, meaning 7*c road temp can occur at warmer ambient temps.

I'm looking at my options for next winter.

Ive got 21" spyders. Winter tyres are available, but a spare set might be the way to go.

I bought the 20" winter tyre set from my Porsche dealer. There were several choices in 19" and 20" but pricy.

I have had a set of winter wheels and tyres for my cars for 20 years, though we just put all-seasons on my wife's car because they may well be the best year round compromise for somebody who doesn't drive near the limit but just wants better winter safety. The Taycan is my first 4WD car, IMO not needed for road use if you have the right tyres unless EV then I thought it better for regeneration from all 4.

 

[tigerbalm]

On our first winter trip to Norway we had our MY21 Taycan 4S – which still had the older software with the "tube" that showed the split between front and rear wheel drive utilisation. (still miss that screen).

I drove a large amount of the trip with that tube displayed to understand how often the front axle put power down in our rear-axle biased car.

The answer: surprisingly rarely.

When it did though – usually when rear wheels lost a bit of traction when pulling off in slippy conditions – it did feel like it was helping.

Even though we have winter tyres on our Taycan from mid November to mid March – I'm still glad to have AWD.

 

[f1eng]

When it did though – usually when rear wheels lost a bit of traction when pulling off in slippy conditions – it did feel like it was helping.

Absolutely.
It certainly will help sometimes but my feeling has always been that on UK roads, certainly southern England, it is very rarely needed at all and I have always felt it is not worth the weight and price, personally.
Certainly the data shows that a 2WD car on winter tyres will be very considerably better on snow than 4WD on summer tyres.

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