Comments on: Tips for Preparing and Driving your Porsche in the Winter

By: Ray Vanderhulst

Ray Vanderhulst — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:22:28 +0000

Your tips are all good, but the most important one is definitely snow tires. I once tried to drive my car (’07 Carrera coupe) in snow on the standard tires, just to see how bad is was. Belive me, it is downright dangerous. The oem tires (Michelin PS2) might as well have been coated with grease as that is about the amount of traction they provided. If you value your Porsche, don’t even think about driving in the snow without proper tires.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:35:43 +0000

Yes – Michelin Pilot Alpins. I put them on the OEM Cayman S rims (18 inch) that car came with. Bought a different set of rims + tires for summer.

There is lots of traction in snow, after adjusting for wheel spin and a little slip to the right in first gear. PSM kicks in and the car gets going.

I started winter driving the Cayman S because my leased X3 wouldn’t start below -20 Celsius! A little nervous at first, and my co-workers thought I was crazy. Some of them now drive 996 C4′s as winter beaters.

By: 993C4S

993C4S — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:54:55 +0000

@Bruce,

We were curious how the mid-engine cars did. Do you put winter tires on? What about wheels?

I love the guys in the 4x4s. Just because you have slightly better traction at speed and in turns doesn’t mean you can stop any faster…

By: Bruce

Bruce — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:28:30 +0000

Coming up on my sixth winter with my Cayman S.
Just go a little easier in everything… Accelerating, steering, braking.

And watch out for the guys in 4×4 pick-ups who feel they just have to beat you on the slippery roads to make a point. Almost got taken out by one on a freshly-bladed multi-lane highway bridge near home. He went sideways and almost over the edge into the river (a 100-foot drop). I just kept steady throttle to inch away from him as he spun.

If you’re a motorcycle rider you know what “space cushion” means. I make mine a lot larger when winter driving my Porsche.

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:48:47 +0000

I drive my porsche year round since my first 1984 928 to my current 2008 C4S. My last two have been all wheel drive, because I drive more and I am older (wiser?). Less prone to adventure on the roadways. All wheel drive is more fun in the winter (I live in Minnesota), less likely to bring the rear end around. I think you covered everything very well. Two suggestions: get the best set of snow tires and turn off the PSM when on ice. Maybe one more item: get away from idiots “FAST”.

By: 10 Easy Steps to Winterize Your Porsche | Porsche Cars, Products and LifeStyle

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:21:35 +0000

[...] of the weather, this post probably isn’t for you (but you may want to check out this one on preparing your Porsche to drive through the winter). For the rest of you, do read on as it’s that time of year again and you may be thinking [...]

By: Start-up Procedures for a Porsche | 993C4S: Porsche Cars, Products and LifeStyle

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:46:03 +0000

[...] Posts Tips for Preparing and Driving Your Porsche in the Winter Tire Choices for Your [...]

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Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:37:54 +0000

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By: 993C4S

993C4S — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:35:18 +0000

@Jane,

Each state is different as to what is considered a “classic” and what isn’t. Hagerty also offers I use Hagerty Classic Car insurance (they are one of the biggest http://www.hagerty.com). Your rates sound similar to what we pay here in MA. If you qualify, you should see considerable savings. If you don’t yet qualify (your car may need to be 25 years old) as a classic, they also offer a class called “exotics and special interests”. Your 944 may qualify for this. Check out their web-site or give ‘em a call, you might just save a few $$$$

As for what you should drop, that’s tough if you’re still going to have the car on the road. I’m not an insurance agent, so I can’t say for sure. However, my agency is quite responsive. As a result, what I’ve done in the past is to call them and have them drop 100% of the liability (NEVER DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT THIS INSURANCE IN PLACE) and lower the remaining coverages to the minimum. We call this the “winter policy”. Then, whenever I wanted to drive the car I would simply call them and tell them to bring it back to the “summer state” of full coverage. The only thing I ask for is an email confirming our discussion and that the insurance is in place. This approach might take a little extra work on your part (turning the insurance on and off), but given your insurance costs the savings could be substantial if you’re only going to drive it to the shop a few times!!!

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:40:08 +0000

you mention .. “reduce your insurance coverages. Specifically, remove all the liability coverage (as you won’t be driving) and reduce your other coverages to the state required minimums. Depending no where you live and the type of coverage you have on your Porsche this could save you anywhere from $50 to $500 a year in insurance costs. ”

i have my ’44 insured to the hilt.. full glass, full collision, full liability, property damage.. you name it… it costs me $875. every six months.. this is a weekend car.. the cost is the same as my daily driver honda accord.. i just dont get that.

i hear some folks say i can get collectors insurance on the (1988) ’44… any suggestions on who offers this? and in the case i keep my current policy (allstate), what option should i drop? i will semi-hybernate the car, as i may be doning some upgrades to it and will need to get it to the shop…. i hate paying thru the nose for insurance and i dont think the highschool kids in the office know what the heck they are talking about.. they are simply ‘order takers’…