Summer/Winter Cars, show them here.

[Bill Talbot]

Bill can reduce that to a sentence I can understand? Your saying your summer time has to give you all the lateral "g" grip your car can develop or your not happy? Are you driving a optimized racecar during the summer?

Being a life long moto guy (street and dirt) tires are the defining interface. Traction. Everything works from that.
If you are not using a winter specific tire in snow country, regardless of your platform type (fwd, rwd, awd, 4wd) you are not enjoying all the benefits possible, particularly your safety. Why compromise your Audi with a lessor tire?

 

[scott43]

The question is, do you soften up the suspension in the rain and snow??

 

[Kite Pilot]

@RickyG That's a nice collection of Porsches you had. Always liked the 924 and 928's, don't see many around. I had a 2005 Boxster, but luckily didn't end up with any IMS issues before I traded it for the 981 Boxster S. The TT's a pretty nice ride too!

 

[Philpug]

Yes, the 924/944/968 have aged very well, and particularly the 944, IMHO.

@Kite Pilot...are you a hanglider pilot?

 

[scott43]

I've never liked the 944 engine...the 2.5-4 is a jug-banger..however, the car is magic for handling. Slow to turn but utterly predictable. And the style is aging well.

Once saw a guy who had broken off both driver's side wheels in a 928 after an ill-advised cornering attempt..ouch..

 

[Kite Pilot]

Yes, the 924/944/968 have aged very well, and particularly the 944, IMHO.

@Kite Pilot...are you a hanglider pilot?

@Philpug I'm a paraglider pilot, been doing it for over 20 years, but not recently, need to get out again soon.

Near Golden, CO

Winter Flying

 

[Bill Talbot]

The question is, do you soften up the suspension in the rain and snow??

If you saw the roads around here you wouldn't have to ask that! Other than a touch more rear roll stiffness and firmer shock/strut valving I always leave ride height and spring rate alone.
In bike terms, supermotards and ADV bikes work really well on our back roads!

 

[RickyG]

Being a life long moto guy (street and dirt) tires are the defining interface. Traction. Everything works from that.
If you are not using a winter specific tire in snow country, regardless of your platform type (fwd, rwd, awd, 4wd) you are not enjoying all the benefits possible, particularly your safety. Why compromise your Audi with a lessor tire?

Bill I've never done much more than putter around on a MX motorcycle and my restoration of a BMW K75S I found no where as fun as my carbon Trek...so I sold it. I spent years in SCCA running in FVee and Spec RX7 (F440 in the beginning but it was too frustrating) I find the Michelin Pilot A/S 3(s) that I have on both cars fine. The sidewall isn't so stiff that I need a kidney belt. Honestly at my age the rigors of driving track prepared cars on the street as I had our Porsche 924S set up for PCA track days has lost all of it's charm. So if I trade off a little on the lateral for a pleasant driving experience that is OK by me.

 

[Bill Talbot]

I completely understand the slight compromise for much more ride comfort. Very little is lost there for real street use in the warm season.(Very good numbers!) What I keep talking about is the winter side of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 performance. You say the Audi AWD platform makes it a non issue for you which if you're happy with how they work is fine. I'm saying based on the review numbers much more is available with a dedicated winter wheel set like you did with the Porsche's.

Would You Recommend?
6.4 - Fair

Wet Performance
8.7 - Excellent

• 8.6 Hydroplaning Resistance
• 8.7 Wet Traction

Dry Performance
9.0 - Excellent

• 9.0 Cornering Stability
• 9.2 Dry Traction
• 9.0 Steering Response

Winter/Snow Performance
4.8 - Fair

• 5.8 Light Snow Traction
• 4.3 Deep Snow Traction
• 4.3 Ice Traction

Comfort Performance
8.0 - Good

• 8.3 Ride Quality
• 7.8 Noise

Treadwear Performance
6.5 - Fair

I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine. Drive systems don't make traction, only tires do...

 

[Bad Bob]

There are always other options available, like this.

 

[RickyG]

I completely understand the slight compromise for much more ride comfort. Very little is lost there for real street use in the warm season.(Very good numbers!) What I keep talking about is the winter side of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 performance. You say the Audi AWD platform makes it a non issue for you which if you're happy with how they work is fine. I'm saying based on the review numbers much more is available with a dedicated winter wheel set like you did with the Porsche's.

Would You Recommend?
6.4 - Fair

Wet Performance
8.7 - Excellent

• 8.6 Hydroplaning Resistance
• 8.7 Wet Traction

Dry Performance
9.0 - Excellent

• 9.0 Cornering Stability
• 9.2 Dry Traction
• 9.0 Steering Response

Winter/Snow Performance
4.8 - Fair

• 5.8 Light Snow Traction
• 4.3 Deep Snow Traction
• 4.3 Ice Traction

Comfort Performance
8.0 - Good

• 8.3 Ride Quality
• 7.8 Noise

Treadwear Performance
6.5 - Fair

I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine. Drive systems don't make traction, only tires do...

For the love of...................................OK (this is really getting old...) for the last time if you have a capable torque splitting system and 4 piss poor tires putting power to the ground it's better than 2 or even one (depending on the Front or Rear differential design) piss poor tires putting power to the ground. So at the end of the day four better than average tires putting power to the ground is better in mixed conditions. Besides I can't (even after my years of road racing) can't pull 100% of the tires capacity much less the cars capacity from any given moment. Can you? I"m really tired of this (pun intended)!

 

[Dakine]

 

[BS Slarver]

Replaces both the current sprinter and the A6 avant. Ours is scheduled to arrive in September and yes it will fit in the garage !

 

[Philpug]

View attachment 46328

Taken in a similar same spot...