Winter Tyres ?
Discussion
Question really to those that use their Elises / Exiges all year round.
Last winter was miserable. We had snow on the ground in NL from Dec 24th until pretty much the end of March. A few days I took the train, but drove my 80 mile round trip in the Elise almost thoughout. I took it very gingerly but had a few "bum clenching moments" but did not swap the Yoko AD07's.
This winter I am thinkiing about switching tyres to winter tyres, and have had a good offer from my friendly independent Lotus garage for 4 new wheels, Michelin sport winter tyres all for around EUR1,400 / GBP1,100.
Has anyone else experience of winter tyres on their Elise / Exige and do they feel "safer" ?
I have an idea that the Elise is such a light car, that winter tyres wont make the car heavier and so still won't cut through the snow and ice much better than the AD07's ??
Cheers
Steven
Last winter was miserable. We had snow on the ground in NL from Dec 24th until pretty much the end of March. A few days I took the train, but drove my 80 mile round trip in the Elise almost thoughout. I took it very gingerly but had a few "bum clenching moments" but did not swap the Yoko AD07's.
This winter I am thinkiing about switching tyres to winter tyres, and have had a good offer from my friendly independent Lotus garage for 4 new wheels, Michelin sport winter tyres all for around EUR1,400 / GBP1,100.
Has anyone else experience of winter tyres on their Elise / Exige and do they feel "safer" ?
I have an idea that the Elise is such a light car, that winter tyres wont make the car heavier and so still won't cut through the snow and ice much better than the AD07's ??
Cheers
Steven
I'm in the same position as use mine all year round on ad07's. I found putting a few bags full of books in the boot helped immensely, don't go over the 50kg limit though, I had 47kg in mine! To get to my house in snow I have to take a slow left hand corner then go up a rising hill, with the books 2nd gear and no throttle at all it just crawled up the hill without a need for winter tyres although I'm sure they would help further.
t driver and should of bought a fiesta instead!John D. said:
S Works said:
Search for cyberface's post on this subject from last year. He's your best bet for advice. My view? If you're using it all the time, and you can afford a spare set with winter-specific rubber, go for it.
Good advice.My only concern would be beaching the car in the snow
jon- said:
John D. said:
S Works said:
Search for cyberface's post on this subject from last year. He's your best bet for advice. My view? If you're using it all the time, and you can afford a spare set with winter-specific rubber, go for it.
Good advice.My only concern would be beaching the car in the snow
I don't run the Lotus in the winter as I took the view it wouldn't be much fun in the snow winter tyres or no winter tyres but the main car gets it's wheels changed in 10 days time. I really doubt if after having some time on them (even just in the cold) you'll want to run a winter without them.
We went to the NL last winter and got caught in the snow. After only really driving here in Switzerland in the snow where everyone is on winters and drives just like normal we were creasing ourselves at folks sliding their way around without a clue what to do. Get a set, it will be just like driving in heavy rain.
We went to the NL last winter and got caught in the snow. After only really driving here in Switzerland in the snow where everyone is on winters and drives just like normal we were creasing ourselves at folks sliding their way around without a clue what to do. Get a set, it will be just like driving in heavy rain.
jon- said:
John D. said:
S Works said:
Search for cyberface's post on this subject from last year. He's your best bet for advice. My view? If you're using it all the time, and you can afford a spare set with winter-specific rubber, go for it.
Good advice.My only concern would be beaching the car in the snow
Nope, with proper winter rubber you won't beach it. I made it up a hill in Somerset with snow up to the bottom of the doors - had to take the front numberplate off as it was pulling on the splitter, but the tyres got me through. The only other vehicle that made it out of the hotel car park under its own power (was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday party) was the hotel owner's Landy Defender towing everyone else up. And I got up the hill faster than the Landy
As already said - search for my posts. It's not about snow, it's about rain, standing water, road temps below 6˚C and crud on the road (leaves, mud, etc.) - the tyre companies are trying to rebrand the rubber as 'cold weather tyres' rather than 'winter tyres' and they're spot on.
Too many people in the UK equate 'winter tyres' with 'snow tyres' and it's only the Scandinavia-spec studded specialist stuff (hisssss) that are true 'snow' tyres. Normal high-performance winter tyres (like the ones I've got on my Exige) are good from September to April easy enough and make the car safe in the British winters, whether there is snow or not.
IMO the Exige (and any Elise supplied from the factory on A048s) is dangerous in the winter since the compound doesn't work at low temperatures let alone the well known problems with aquaplaning we've all experienced. It's an opinion that's caused a few flamewars on here but when you've binned your expensive pride and joy due to A048s in conditions out of Yokohama's own specified range, a spare set of rims with winter tyres is CHEAP insurance and lets you enjoy the car (my winter tyres have lasted two full winters now and I'd expect another couple easily).
Hence if you've already got a decent all-season tyre on your car, you may not *really* need winter tyres. But if you've got A048s on, and you want to use the car all year round…. you'll need something other than A048s for the non-summer months. And if you're going to have two sets of tyres and rims - get proper winter stuff.
In that way you'll get dedicated sticky stuff for the summer and trackday season and dedicated performance cold-weather stuff for the winter. You'll be astonished what you can do with an Exige in foul weather on winter tyres
What to buy? Pirelli Sottozero rears, and if Pirelli make the Sottozero in the front size now then get that, otherwise the Snowsport. I did 400 miles in my car today and had a few unintended (but predictable…) lairy moments - will be switching to the winter wheels next weekend
And I'm seriously considering getting another set of cheap rims and some winter tyres for my sensible saloon, which was bordering on lethal in the snowy bits early this year...I know alot of the above talk has been about the Exige tyre set up with the tyres definitely not being suitable for the wetter/colder months but are winter tyres really needed for the 111R set up?
I've had a handful of oohhh that was interesting type moments in the 12 months i've had the car. TBH they were mostly around January when i drove up from Portsmouth upto Edinburgh and decided to go down a not totally gritted A road from the M8. But even then i drove slow and calmly and got home (eventually) and for the other times (when Scotland isn't flooded with sunshine and great hot weather) I don't go round pushing the car into the second cam....(i.e. i drive to the road conditions) i'm not saying i'm a driving god but the question is if you drive a 111R is there a marked improvement to spend 500+ on winter tyres?
I've had a handful of oohhh that was interesting type moments in the 12 months i've had the car. TBH they were mostly around January when i drove up from Portsmouth upto Edinburgh and decided to go down a not totally gritted A road from the M8. But even then i drove slow and calmly and got home (eventually) and for the other times (when Scotland isn't flooded with sunshine and great hot weather) I don't go round pushing the car into the second cam....(i.e. i drive to the road conditions) i'm not saying i'm a driving god but the question is if you drive a 111R is there a marked improvement to spend 500+ on winter tyres?
If you only drive it when it's above six degrees you won't notice a difference. Below that and I'd be very hesitant to go out.
It's a bit like when you go to the opticians and you need a new prescription. When you get the new lenses you really don't want to put the old ones back on and probably wonder how you drove with them. It the same with winters. Yes it will cost more -and I'd seriously think about getting them on a second set of wheels - but of course your summer tyres don't wear when they're not being used. If you intend to keep the car for about the same time as it would take to go through two sets of tyres you won't fell much extra cost.
It's a bit like when you go to the opticians and you need a new prescription. When you get the new lenses you really don't want to put the old ones back on and probably wonder how you drove with them. It the same with winters. Yes it will cost more -and I'd seriously think about getting them on a second set of wheels - but of course your summer tyres don't wear when they're not being used. If you intend to keep the car for about the same time as it would take to go through two sets of tyres you won't fell much extra cost.
otolith said:
Chimjunkie said:
What is the correct size though? Std size or a bit narrower with higher profile?
The winter tyre/wheel specification is in the manual, if I remember rightly. I would suggest something like:
S1 - 205/50R16 and 185/55R15
S2 - 215/45R17 and 195/50R16
Yoko have these listed in W.Drive...
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