Winter is (almost) here... E92 M3 at all usable?

[anom3]

We are expecting our first (light) dump of snow in the coming week or so.

Having bought the E92 in May, this will be the first season I plan on using it in the winter.

Bought a new set of Michelin Alpin PA4's. They seam to be rated quite highly everywhere I read.

Obviously if I see knee deep snow I wont even bother... But with this (supposedly) good set of tires, is the E92 M3 at all usable in slushy / snowy conditions?

Thanks.

[Rupes]

Yep.

[M3 Esq]

Yes with the appropriate rubber.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by anom3

We are expecting our first (light) dump of snow in the coming week or so.

Having bought the E92 in May, this will be the first season I plan on using it in the winter.

Bought a new set of Michelin Alpin PA4's. They seam to be rated quite highly everywhere I read.

Obviously if I see knee deep snow I wont even bother... But with this (supposedly) good set of tires, is the E92 M3 at all usable in slushy / snowy conditions?

Thanks.

Here's one for you mate: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1053335

[Ggeezer]

I have the same tires. They're actually pretty decent in the snow and the best winter tires I've experienced in the dry. Try to avoid driving in deep snow and you'll be fine.

Daily drove it last year in Montreal over the winter and never got stuck.

[anom3]

Thanks for the pointers guys. Looks like I should be ok.

If it can handle Montreal, should be able to handle my neck of the woods. Winters can be quite brutal in eastern Canada

[byroncheung]

Has anyone tried to brave the winter without winter / snow tires?
In NY tri-state area usually they clean the road pretty quickly. My daily drive will be 10min drive to / from train station if the condition is bad. Can i get by without winter / snow tires? (I know ideally i should get them, but money, space to store the summer tires etc comes into play...). Seems like majority of the member would have winter tires on, just want to see if there are other people who survived without them?

[pbonsalb]

Car won't go anywhere on summer tires like Michelin PSS in the snow. But if you drive the car only when the roads are clear, you will be OK. Summer tires have reduced grip in freezing weather due to the tread compound. On the other hand, snow tires will perform poorly in hot conditions.

[sam0329]

I live in Alberta here and I have no problem driving around. I do have a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Has anyone tried to brave the winter without winter / snow tires?
In NY tri-state area usually they clean the road pretty quickly. My daily drive will be 10min drive to / from train station if the condition is bad. Can i get by without winter / snow tires? (I know ideally i should get them, but money, space to store the summer tires etc comes into play...). Seems like majority of the member would have winter tires on, just want to see if there are other people who survived without them?

Good luck with that.

[GRUESOM3]

You should wear your slippers to work in the snow. That's ok too.

[Rupes]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Has anyone tried to brave the winter without winter / snow tires?
In NY tri-state area usually they clean the road pretty quickly. My daily drive will be 10min drive to / from train station if the condition is bad. Can i get by without winter / snow tires? (I know ideally i should get them, but money, space to store the summer tires etc comes into play...). Seems like majority of the member would have winter tires on, just want to see if there are other people who survived without them?

I drive my car only when it is nice enough to do so on summer tires. Cold is no problem. You'll be traction limited, sure, but it works ok for putting around town. Small patch of snow or ice though? Forget about it. I had a small bit of hard packed snow at the end of my mostly flat driveway once and couldn't get the car in the garage without someone pushing me.

For a daily driver in NY, don't even think about it. Get some snow tires.

[Epoustouflant]

Slap some LM60 on and you'll have a blast.

I've never been stuck and we have amongst the worst winter climate in the world here.

Make sure your battery is OK and enjoy the drifts.

[burtonsbs5114]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Has anyone tried to brave the winter without winter / snow tires?
In NY tri-state area usually they clean the road pretty quickly. My daily drive will be 10min drive to / from train station if the condition is bad. Can i get by without winter / snow tires? (I know ideally i should get them, but money, space to store the summer tires etc comes into play...). Seems like majority of the member would have winter tires on, just want to see if there are other people who survived without them?

Not worth it! Get snows, they are a lot cheaper than a crash. If there is any amount of snow/ice on the road you will have no grip.

[STooK]

I've tried to get by in nyc with summers on my s2000. If the roads are clear you will be able to drive slowly but once snow comes forget about it.

I chalked it up this year and got a set of winters. Even in 50 degree weather I noticed a huge difference vs rock hard summers. I'd definitely invest in a set of winter tires and rims especially for a car with 400hp.

[byroncheung]

Got it guys. I will get some snow tires at least. Next question is should i get 18" wheels as well (I have 19" wheels) or 19" snow tires on them ok ok? Again if condition isn't good, my driving will be just local around town and not going onto highway etc. Will 19" with snow tires be alright?

[z3papa]

Invest in getting some dedicated snows. Not only for the peace of mind for your car and the safety of you/others, but because you can continue to enjoy the car year around. It ends up breaking out nearly even as your non-winter wheels get preserved, the tires last longer, and about the hassle you have is swapping wheels.

[Flying Ace]

When I lived in the mid-atlantic, winter tires were sufficient for cold and slushy and occasional light snow days. Anything over 4 inches or so on the ground, don't even bother, the RWD just doesn't provide enough traction for daily driving, it'll drive you nuts. I was constantly toggling between DSC on and DSC off/MDM on to get optimized traction. I got stuck a few times as well, and had to turn MDM on or DSC off to get out.


You should buy dedicated snow tires and even with those, it'll be tough to get around with RWD. (I came from an AWD Evo 8, which was perfect for winter)

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Got it guys. I will get some snow tires at least. Next question is should i get 18" wheels as well (I have 19" wheels) or 19" snow tires on them ok ok? Again if condition isn't good, my driving will be just local around town and not going onto highway etc. Will 19" with snow tires be alright?

should not matter for performance, tire width matters, whereas you'd want to go narrow. I would prefer Sport Edition A7 wheels with 245/40/18 (or 235) square setup

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...=winter+wheels

I've used OEM 219M wheels with 245/40 square setup with no issues, but tires are a bit stretched in the rears. The reason I prefer 18s to 19s is simply the cost of tires.

[ZEEM3R]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Has anyone tried to brave the winter without winter / snow tires?
In NY tri-state area usually they clean the road pretty quickly. My daily drive will be 10min drive to / from train station if the condition is bad. Can i get by without winter / snow tires? (I know ideally i should get them, but money, space to store the summer tires etc comes into play...). Seems like majority of the member would have winter tires on, just want to see if there are other people who survived without them?

I made this mistake last year and it was a nightmare. Car got stuck twice with about 1/8th of an inch of snow, once it had to be towed, my rear spoiler got damaged by my brother as we tried pushing the car, the paint on my tires was damaged, and at one point, I had to replace all 4 of my tires. NOT WORTH IT.

[Ezio]

I get around fine in the winter.

[byroncheung]

If I get 19" snow tire to fit on my current 19" wheels, the TPMS would work right? I only need to get another set of TPMS if I'm getting dedicated winter wheels?