[alexb76]

I am trying to get a set of Winter wheel/tire package for my new C4S (2007 model). Which of these are best?

- NEW Sport Cup 4 wheels + Michelin PA2 - 18" 235/265 --> $1600
- Blemished Carrera Classic 19" (but not used)+ Pirelli Sottozero Winter 240 - 19" 235/295 --> $2500
- Carrera Classic 3 18" + Michelin PA2 - 18" 235/265 --> $2838
- Carrera S2 wheels 19" + Pirelli Sottozero Winter 240 - 19" 235/295 --> $3180

The 19" Carrera wheels are a STEAL (scratched at install or what not, so taken off new car), but I am not sure if 19" Winter tires at that width and narrow sidewall are any good in snow. Also, the Sport Cup4 wheels are an option at good price, but they are HEAVY and hmm, FAKE!

- Any experience with 18 vs. 19 in the snow?
-Michelin vs. Pirelli, any better than the other?
- shall I pay a bit more for 18" now, and save later?
- Is it worth it to pay for Porsche wheels for Winter?

Sorry for all the questions, but a new P-car owner!

 

[Greywolf]

I'd suggest giving the folks at Tire Rack a call.

Other than that, unless this is for cold weather and snow only if you get caught out, I'd suggest going for a package that gives you a narrower, taller sidewall tire. In general a narrow tire will handle better in the snow than a wide one. You might have to go down in wheel diameter and width to get this. Of course you will give up some dry handling to gain better snow handling.

 

[alexb76]

Thanks, any experience with winter driving in 18s vs. 19s?

 

[Greywolf]

No, the reptile hibernates for the winter.

 

[CobaltCroc]

Thanks, any experience with winter driving in 18s vs. 19s?

I have driven both sizes with winter tires and I can honestly say that I didn't feel any difference. My 18 inch set-up had Michelin Alpine Sports - great tire, great performance dry or wet. My 19 inch set-up has the Pirelli Sottozero Winter 240 and they performed very well too. But I also don't drive the car too much in the snow.

In general a thinner tire is always better for snow... but I could not tell the difference.

 

[blue_eyes]

Anything more than 1/2 inch snow & Sottozeroes go south.

 

[CobaltCroc]

Anything more than 1/2 inch snow & Sottozeroes go south.

Are you talking form expierience? Or is this a guess?

 

[sixisenuff]

I am trying to get a set of Winter wheel/tire package for my new C4S (2007 model). Which of these are best?

- NEW Sport Cup 4 wheels + Michelin PA2 - 18" 235/265 --> $1600
- Blemished Carrera Classic 19" (but not used)+ Pirelli Sottozero Winter 240 - 19" 235/295 --> $2500
- Carrera Classic 3 18" + Michelin PA2 - 18" 235/265 --> $2838
- Carrera S2 wheels 19" + Pirelli Sottozero Winter 240 - 19" 235/295 --> $3180

The 19" Carrera wheels are a STEAL (scratched at install or what not, so taken off new car), but I am not sure if 19" Winter tires at that width and narrow sidewall are any good in snow. Also, the Sport Cup4 wheels are an option at good price, but they are HEAVY and hmm, FAKE!

- Any experience with 18 vs. 19 in the snow?
-Michelin vs. Pirelli, any better than the other?
- shall I pay a bit more for 18" now, and save later?
- Is it worth it to pay for Porsche wheels for Winter?

Sorry for all the questions, but a new P-car owner!

I think all these options are too expensive. You don't want 19's for winter. You don't want wide for winter especially. Pirelli and Michelin are both great choices. Get some speed rated "sport" style Winters and avoid "Ice" tires or winter tires without a speed rating. They will give away too much in handling and feel like mush.

I had Pirelli P210s on my M3 for a season and didn't want to give them up in the spring. They rode great and had a nice, progressive break-away that was addictive. Great also on dry, cold interstates, slush and packed snow. That's 90% of winter driving for me. Too much emphasis on the deep stuff is a mistake. You pay for it in really zero fun factor.

I went with the stock 18" sizes on my Cayman S this year. I got a great deal on them from Champion. I think they may have bought a few too many sets. I'm using my track wheels. (Boxster S take-offs purchased from Woodhouse). I think heavy wheels are OK for winter driving. You want them to have a good thick coating on them and think about waxing them before you drive on them. They'll stay clean longer.

New Porsche wheels are not a good value, but check the classifieds for bargains on Porsche take-off wheels.

Also, there is a set of lightly used Winters on 18" aftermarket wheels for $500 on recent classifieds. I'm kicking myself for buying my new set of Pirellis for $600 with no wheels. :wall:

Happy shopping!

 

[blue_eyes]

Are you talking form expierience? Or is this a guess?

Those are my winter tires. Used them last winter. I am going to have to use them again this winter.

They feel like all season tires when there is more than 1/2" snow on the road.

 

[sixisenuff]

Those are my winter tires. Used them last winter. I am going to have to use them again this winter.

They feel like all season tires when there is more than 1/2" snow on the road.

Pirelli P210s were perfect on my E36 M3. I got them 10mm narrower and one aspect bigger than stock (225/45 instead of 235/40). They stuck well enough in the snow and were great on highway and everywhere else. My wife preferred them over stock. So did I unless I was going for lap times. High limits aren't always the most fun.

Stock tire on that car was Pilot Sport. They were comical in 1/2 of snow. I proved that the day I picked the car up new from the dealer.

 

[sixisenuff]

Anything more than 1/2 inch snow & Sottozeroes go south.

Is Sottozero the Pirelli 240 tire?

If it doesn't work well on deep snow, it's because they're too wide for the weight of this car. Wide is good on dry. Narrow is good on snow.

 

[sixisenuff]

Thanks, any experience with winter driving in 18s vs. 19s?

All the experience you need is to think about the road surfaces in winter. Potholes, frost heaves etc. Low profile tires are not a good idea. First, they will beat you up. More important, your rims will be at risk. I'd stay away from 19's for winter.

I also use 18's on the track because the tires are cheaper to buy and you need new ones quite often.

As far as actually getting through snow, the size rim won't matter much. Wider tires will tend to ride on top of the snow instead of digging in...so do not get any tire larger than stock. A narrower size is highly recommended for winter.

I think Porsche recommends a different size for their N winter tires.

 

[boxman]

Hi Alex,

I have 18" Michelin Alpine's on my '07 Cayman S for Ohio weather and they work fine. I would have sold my set but I'm turning the car back in with them on since they won't be doing me any good for new Panamera arriving in 3 weeks. I will be selling a set of 19" Carrera wheels with new tires in August, excellent condition, never seen salt.

 

[alexb76]

All the experience you need is to think about the road surfaces in winter. Potholes, frost heaves etc. Low profile tires are not a good idea. First, they will beat you up. More important, your rims will be at risk. I'd stay away from 19's for winter.

I also use 18's on the track because the tires are cheaper to buy and you need new ones quite often.

As far as actually getting through snow, the size rim won't matter much. Wider tires will tend to ride on top of the snow instead of digging in...so do not get any tire larger than stock. A narrower size is highly recommended for winter.

I think Porsche recommends a different size for their N winter tires.

Thanks man, and for other posts as well. I was gonna go with aftermarket Sport edition wheels from Tirerack at $180/wheel, but just didn't feel like using aftermarket on a nice C4S... even for winter!

Porsche recommends these for 4S:
19"

• 8x19-235/35R19
• 11x19-295/30R19

18"

• 8x18-235/40R18
• 11x18-295/35R18

Also, for Carrera and CS:
18"

• 8x18-235/40R18
• 10.5x18-265/40R18

As others said I just dont feel comfortable with 19s in winter and cost of wheels/tires become a lot too for just 3-4 months a year! The recommended 18s for C4S are a bit too big in the rear too, so I thought the C2S winter sizes are a better option (265 vs. 295), specially since I got a 17mm spacer in the back.

Now, I almost bought a set of used 18inch wide-body Carrera 3 wheels, to use the CS tires on, just realizing that 265 won't fit on 11inch rims!!! and not only 295 is a lot more money, but I didn't think it gives me enuf grip.

So, now looking for a set of wheel at 10/10.5" for rears.

Questions:

1. Should I go with recommended C4S wider tires 295? or get 265s?
2. Would 10" wheels in the rear WITH 17mm spacer be TOO NARROW for wide-body? they end up being 15mm (0.6 inch) narrower than regular wide-body wheels, and 29mm (1.15 inch) narrower than Carrera Sport wheels (my current wheels).
3. Generally, is there any issues using C2S wheels on C4S?

Thanks guys!

 

[jake]

Anything more than 1/2 inch snow & Sottozeroes go south.

I had Sottozero N1's on my Cayman S and my experience was just the opposite. They worked well in up to a few inches of snow, but beyond that vehicle ground clearance starts to become an issue. They are probably not the best "pure" snow tire but the hardcore snow tires also don't drive as well as the Sottozero's on snow-free pavement. It's a tradeoff.

 

[hawc]

It's always, always, always a trade-off between dry road handling and deep snow traction. Porsche's OEM recommend tends towards dry road handling not deep snow traction. Last year I went and bought 4 nokian hakkapeliittas which Porsche does not recommend but which fit on my 17" Cayman wheels fine. Dry road handling is definitely compromised. They're soft and a bit squirmy if you saw at that steering wheel, but their deep snow traction is INSANE. So it's a trade-off. You try and guess what the conditions will be like for your particular winter and what's more important to you.

 

[sixisenuff]

It's always, always, always a trade-off between dry road handling and deep snow traction. Porsche's OEM recommend tends towards dry road handling not deep snow traction. Last year I went and bought 4 nokian hakkapeliittas which Porsche does not recommend but which fit on my 17" Cayman wheels fine. Dry road handling is definitely compromised. They're soft and a bit squirmy if you saw at that steering wheel, but their deep snow traction is INSANE. So it's a trade-off. You try and guess what the conditions will be like for your particular winter and what's more important to you.

I agree with that and I'm more on the Sotto Zero side of the equation. For the most part, roads are pretty well plowed in Chicago area. Not a lot of steep hills here either. I also don't drive the CS daily or anywhere near daily in winter. The ground clearance of the CS pretty well dictates that you aren't going to drive it in really deep snow anyway.

I've been driving around in the dry with new Pirelli 240s in stock 18" size for the last couple days on dry, 50 degree roads. They are not delivering a more comfortable ride. They are pretty stiff riding and traction on the dry is pretty comprable with my summer tires. The tire carcass is really stiff on the 240. Not like the old 210s I had, which were perfect on my M3.

I guess you need to downsize the tire size to get the ride benefits. I'm tempted to buy a pair of 8" wheels and put some 215/45s on the front and put the 335's on the back.

I've had cars with certain Blizzaks on them that were mushy handling like the
Hakkapeliittas although with possibly a bit less tread noise and snow traction. If you buy Blizzaks, even for your plain car, make sure you know what you're getting. They go the full gamut from mushy-handling snow and ice tires to near dry handling tires with speed ratings. I don't need that kind of snow and ice tire traction for the CS.

To the guy with the C4S, I would definitely go narrower for winter. 265 is really wide for a winter tire. Even wider and the tires are going to work like "high flotation" golf cart tires designed not to damage turf. You will be amazed at how much you can enjoy a good handling car with narrow tires on it.

 

[alexb76]

I've been driving around in the dry with new Pirelli 240s in stock 18" size for the last couple days on dry, 50 degree roads. They are not delivering a more comfortable ride. They are pretty stiff riding and traction on the dry is pretty comprable with my summer tires. The tire carcass is really stiff on the 240. Not like the old 210s I had, which were perfect on my M3.

To the guy with the C4S, I would definitely go narrower for winter. 265 is really wide for a winter tire. Even wider and the tires are going to work like "high flotation" golf cart tires designed not to damage turf. You will be amazed at how much you can enjoy a good handling car with narrow tires on it.

So, go even narrower than 265? I just don't think I can go narrower due to my wide-body rear! Unless I use like 50mm spacer or something!

Just one clarfication. I do NOT intend to drive much in the snow, just to make sure I got some tires under the car, if I got stuck in a snow storm, or if I wanted to go out after snow is plowed.

 

[hawc]

To the guy with the C4S, I would definitely go narrower for winter. 265 is really wide for a winter tire. Even wider and the tires are going to work like "high flotation" golf cart tires designed not to damage turf. You will be amazed at how much you can enjoy a good handling car with narrow tires on it.

Wanna talk narrow? Take a look at how narrow I went in the back. Almost too narrow, but these fit on my 17" OEM Cayman rims. I think this is about as narrow as you can go. Beside it is my 18" Cayman summer wheel.

 

[alexb76]

Wanna talk narrow? Take a look at how narrow I went in the back. Almost too narrow, but these fit on my 17" OEM Cayman rims. I think this is about as narrow as you can go. Beside it is my 18" Cayman summer wheel.

Looks good!

Well, I can't do 17s, doesn't clear the C4S brakes. By narrow, I mean too narrow of a wheel for C4S widebody, not the tire size.

I am pretty much set for a 10x18 wheels, which with my 17mm spacer, would be 0.6" less track width on EACH SIDE!

Is this an issue? Anyone? I am about to order and appreciate if anyone knows.