Coochas

Today I put my snow tire package from Tire Rack on my machine without any casualties.

The wheels are Silver Mille Miglia 3 with Conti Winter Contact TS 810S
Front 18x8.5 235/40VR-18
Rear 18x10 265/40VR-18

The whole package cost about $2100 including mounting, balancing and shipping. I think this is a reasonably economical alternative for those of us who need our cars to be daily drivers. It also means that my stock 19” Classics with that fat 305 rear rubber are safe in my mother’s suburban garage hibernating until Spring.

On the road, I can appreciate slightly more road noise (tested up to 95 mph on the way back to Boston) and they may be a tad ‘rougher’ going but I’m not sure. No white stuff yet so the acid test will have to wait for another report.

Overall the look is pretty good. Since the rears are 305 mm stock and the snow rears are 265, I was concerned about a 40 mm gap. The offset on the snow rims is I’m guessing about 15-20 mm more than stock hence looking at the rear snow tires on the car it looks like a –20 mm swap (see pics below). While it’s a bummer not to have that beautiful phat *** filled with rubber (my God that sounds wrong), I think the functionality of having snow tires that perform is more important…for now!!!!!!!!! In some of the pics below I have changed the passenger rear to the 265/40/18 so that a direct comparison to the stock 305/35/19 on the driver rear can be made.

Analogously, the front snow tires are slightly WIDER appearing than stock because of the increased offset of the rims.

Here is my detailed photojournalistic chronicle of changing to the snow shoes today.

The tools for the job fit nicely in the boot of the 4S. The jack is from Sears – note that the torque wrench, socket, and Porsche security socket all fit nicely as well:



Pic of snow tires waiting to be used:



To make the comparison, I first changed the passenger side rear wheel to the snow tire:



Here is the rear snow tire…



…compared to the stock 305 rubber here:



This is what a 305 looks like next to a 265,…40 mm is a lot!



Here are the stock 19” tires:



Here are the 18” MM3 Snow Tires:



In this profile shot you can see how the rears are about 20 mm shallower than stock and that the front fills out the wheel well.


Here is an isolated shot of the rear snows:


Overall I think this package from Tire Rack is a good one. I suppose I could put some spacers on the rears but I’m going to wait a while and see if it grows on me. I also wonder if the fronts could use a slightly smaller wheel depth with 225s to achieve the same look as stock. Your comments are welcome.

If anyone is interested in this tire package, get in touch with Damon at Tire Rack from their website – he’s a really nice guy and he sold me a good product here.

Riad

The jack on the 997 is much nicer than the 996. I would have preferred an East German woman that lifts the car when you need to change the tire. Oh I'd feed her!

Le Chef

Got the same package on my C2S and it works a treat. Fun thing is in corners having less grip at the rear and how much easier it is to push the back out accelerating out of a bend. Where I miss the summer tires is in braking - the winters on a dry surface take l-o-n-g-e-r-t-o-s-t-o-p

OCBen

Hey Dave, thanks for the photojournalistic report. What's surprising to me is that the "snows" look like ordinary tires and not like snows at all. Guess I was expecting to see some knobby, gnarly rubber the kind I used to use in my days of living in the Snow Belt.
LOL ... Reminds of that line from the movie "The 40 yr old Virgin" where he says to this hottie, "Hope you have a big enough trunk to fit my bike." ...

Coochas

Been wanting to rent that flick.
I agree about the tread,...it's not the way I think of snow tires looking. We're supposed to get 6 inches tomorrow and my car will be outside at work - the acid test is upon me!

OCBen

Let us know how they grip!

Yeah, what that "beautiful phat ***" needs to be filled with is a pair of Studs (Studded Snow Tires that is, remember them?) ... Talk about sounding like a scene from a good **** flick!

Riad

I use 17" rims on my C4S and it's surprising how well they grip.

The_Phantom

I bought the exact same wheels from tirerack but with Bridgestone tires for my 996 C4S (but with 17 mm spacers in the rear). It's good to know that they'll fit if/when I get a 997. Thanks.

Edgy01

Are those mud and snows (M+S) or a compromise tire? When I lived in Concord I got some serious SNOW tires for my car.

Dan

Coochas

I'm not totally sure...anyhow, our 8" of snow today turned out to be 1 mm of ice - so no chance to test the tires on the way home.

Coochas

I think I have that one bookmarked on my browser!

itradem

Get some spacers...

Sobe

Yea get the spacers we do not want that look to grow on you buddy , you have been too good to us .

Coochas

One comment on spacers that Tire Rack (Damon) told me today is that for optimal traction with snow tires, you want the rear tires to track in the front tracks...this makes sense to me...on the other hand, maybe a little spacing woulod be OK !!! I really do need these tires to work in the snow so maybe I'll leave well enough alone.