Will A Set Of Winter Tyres 'Ruin' Your Performance Car?

Winter tyres work brilliantly in snowy and icy conditions, but how much do they compromise performance on warmer days? Tyre Reviews decided to find out with a road trip and a track day
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Not everyone tucks away their performance cars in winter. But if you do want to drive throughout the coldest period of the year with no issues, it’s worth considering fitting winter tyres. Particularly if you live somewhere that experiences very low temperatures, or intend on taking the car to a chilly environment - on a skiing trip, perhaps.

Winter tyres are a compromise, however. The ‘sipes’ that are cut into the tread are great for gripping cold, slippery surfaces, but they introduce a lot of block movement. This affects both wet and dry performance on warmer days, while also introducing an element of vagueness to the steering and chassis feedback.

Winter tyres work great on a road like this, but how much performance and feedback do they take away in better conditions?
Winter tyres work great on a road like this, but how much performance and…

Tyre technology is improving all the time, however. So, to see if these boots can perform a double act, Tyre Reviews took a 992 Porsche 911 Carrera S on a road trip to the Alps to locate some snow, and also blasted it around a damp sprint course back in the UK.

Take a look at the video for the conclusion.

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Comments

Anonymous

Videos about tyres should be boring, but I enjoyed this one and it’s amazing what a dramatic effect they can on drivability. Most drivers don’t think about this, they rely on the various safety systems but non of them are any good when you run out of grip, completely

01/08/2020 - 10:45 |
16 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Thank you :)

01/08/2020 - 17:05 |
4 | 0
Myron Tang

Funny story about me and winter tires. My older brother challenged me to a time attack on Project Cars 2 in a KTM X Bow, he let me go first for setting a benchmark. Unknowingly midway on my in-lap I secretly pitted for winter tires and max fuel load, when he got out on the track to set his time, he’s always 20 seconds behind and constantly spinning out. Y’all should see his face when I told him the truth, and to this day its still one of my finest pranks I’ve ever pulled.

01/09/2020 - 07:05 |
6 | 0