aviator

greetings!

please don't laugh if these questions sound silly! ok, laugh away!! i have just moved from bay area, CA to minneapolis. my s2k has summer compound tires, as expected. driving that thing on snowy/very-cold conditions is downright scary. there is absolutely no grip. in fact, i can feel that the car is floating/sliding. after a short drive on snow covered streets, i gave up and parked that thing. i 'will not' drive the car as is, in winter.

i am suspecting that the summer tires are the primary reason for the lack of grip, since these tires don't work well below 40. as the temperature goes down, they get harder. running that hardened tires on snow/packed snow/sleet conditions is like ice skating without control. i realize all these; so, here are the questions:

1. will mounting a set of snow tires help?
2. has anyone tried that option? if so, please share your experience.
3. any setup change required after changing to snow tires?
4. is there any fundamental design quirk in s2000 that would not help to drive in very low temperature/snow/sleet conditions even with snow tires?

i work and live in downtown. thanks to minneapolis's awesome skyways, i have been able to survive without driving (i just moved in last week of february). but, not being able to drive in case i need/want to is a serious limitation i can't live with, since s2000 is my only car. my other ride is a yamaha R6, which i yet to get shipped from bay area. so, my intention is to mount a set of snow tires, even if i don't drive much if that helps.

appreciate your thoughts/feedback. thanks a lot.

cheers.
henry, a.

Jonesy

There are a lot of threads on this, but here it is in a nutshell. The s2000 will drive fine in snow, but not on the summer tires. You will have to get some blizzaks or something, at which point you'll be ok. I drove it for two winters with blizzaks and did fine. In fact most suv's went off the road while I was still on. This was in deep snow too.

Just know your limitations

xc1097

Hi, i had 03 NFR S2000 before.
I lived in Boston, MA and it was my DD.
yes, you can drive s2000 in the snow without too much problem if you take basic cautions.

on my car i had following for winter driving:
ASA AR1 17x7 +48
ASA AR1 17x8 +45
Bridgestone Blizzak LM25XL
205/50/17
225/45/17

I've drove through blizzards with 12+ inches of snow without problem and also drove to Peru, ME after christmas until new year's eve for snowboarding.
Even with snow tires, if you are hard on gas, the rear slides out easily.
just be careful how you drive.
will try to post pix later if i can find one

wasupdu

If I were you I'd tough it out for another couple of weeks and wait to spend the $$ on winter tires next season. I live in the Minneapolis area as well (and oddly enough I use to have an R6 too) and I keep the car parked during the snowy months for the most part, but I did take it out this past Thursday on some local city streets just to see how it handled. I got stuck once, but really becuase I was pushing the limits. I have General Exclaim summer tires on the s2000 and was pretty impressed.

I drive an '05 BMW 525i in the winter (RWD) and have Michelin Pilot Alpins witner tires and the car is a monster in the snow. The BMW handles waaaaay better than my old Endeavor and Envoy that had all-season tires. It can be difficult at times to get going from a standstill, but overall I'd have to try to get the car stuck.

In other words, tires make a WORLD of difference. Would I use the s2000 as a daily driver in the winter? NO. But many people do and with proper winter tires you should be ok.

vtec9

I drive my S in the snow whenever I get the chance (its a lot of fun). I have dedicated snow & ice tires (michelin X-Ice), and they chew up the bad winter weather. Avoid driving in the snow, or even when the temp is below ~40

dmw16

My S did fine this winter on a set of Blizzaks. Just need to use caution and make smooth inputs. If you are a good driver you should have no problem getting around safely on a set of winter tires.

Jacques79

I just drove my 2003 S2000 through a huge 20-30cm snowstorm this week. No problems during or after the storm with Dunlop Graspic winter tires.

kill

i drive my car in the snow as its my daily driver...the key is dedicated snow tires and like 2 50 pound bags of sand in the trunk...you'll be fine...like other people have said i've driven past suv's stuck on the side of the road because people don't realize that all season tires (espicially bald ones) suck ass in the snow.. i went from a FWD eclipse to the s2000 and my s2000 with weight in the back and snow tires totally owns my eclipse in the snow with all seasons.. just make sure you don't let the other idiots hit your car other than that you shouldn't have any problems just get GOOD snow tires. i recommend the dunlop winter sports because you still get decent dry performance with them even though its a winter snow tire..

aviator

thanks everyone for your feedback; appreciate a lot.

here is something radical i am contemplating since i posted yesterday: live without the S2k and the R6! it is too radical for me. but, here is the reasoning: since i work and live in downtown i walk to work through Skyways. and, i everything i need is right around me. when i need to go somewhere on weekends (it is not every weekend anyway), just rent a car!

this idea is gaining momentum rapidly. i might make a trip to bay area (CA) and put the R6 in consignment for sale (it hasn't been shipped here yet). then sell the S2000! (the car is only about seven months old with about 8,200 miles on the clock; yellow)

i would miss these toys though, if i go ahead with this plan!

cheers.
henry, a.

vtec9

I dissagree. You do not need, or want, sand bags in the trunk. With snow tires, you should have no problem getting traction. I can get up my driveway (moderate hill) from a dead stop when its covered in ice. Sandbags would help, but traction isn't an issue in the first place so they aren't needed.

Sand bags will cause the car to oversteer more, which is the number one thing you need to try to avoid in the snow.