All year round driving, use in winter in the uk
Discussion
Hi,
I’m looking at a 12c but would be driving all year round, which includes winter in the uk.
I have a land rover if it snows or really bad, but would like to use it for my commute (100 miles) once a week.
I would avoid salty days as much as possible.
I would put winter tyres on, but is winter use just a bad idea ?
Basically can I use it like a 911, or is it more Ferrari ownership style …
Thanks
I’m looking at a 12c but would be driving all year round, which includes winter in the uk.
I have a land rover if it snows or really bad, but would like to use it for my commute (100 miles) once a week.
I would avoid salty days as much as possible.
I would put winter tyres on, but is winter use just a bad idea ?
Basically can I use it like a 911, or is it more Ferrari ownership style …
Thanks
Hi , since I am on PH this evening , I'll give you my contrarian 2p's worth ( which is actually only a ha'penny's worth as I have never owned a McLaren and you are considering a 12C - but these same 1st principles apply to any high powered , wide-tyred supersportscar )
I SORN all my toy cars when the weather turns bad .
The previous posters provide real life evidence that you can happily use supersportscars in the depth of winter and they are entriely right .
I dont because :
- I am too precious with my cars .
Bear in mind that I tend to keep my toy cars for decades rather than months or years .
I understand that some people want regular changes of car , and so need to fit in their driving experiences within a much shorter time frame , which in turn dictates that they utilise every month availabe in the calender for this .
- Mike Pullen ( Countach guru ) once refused to receive my car in mid-March unless it arrived in a fully covered trailer - he told me of a Countach that was essentially terminally wrecked by being transported to him in an uncovered trailer - the wet salt was impossible to get out of some of the more covered-up nooks and crannies of the spaceframe chassis .
I appreciate that a12C has a CF monococque but saline is corrosive to all ferrous materials and there is plenty of such stuff on the underside of most cars .
- You cant use the power or the torque that are central to the supercar concept - so why bother getting the supercar out of the garage ?
It seems pointless to start up these cars if you cant utilise or exploit their defining and core abilities.
-The above is further compounded by wide tyres on damp/wet roads
- I hand wash all my cars myself and have never used a detailer , and this washing and drying and nannying is so time consuming for the little time that each winter drive affords .
And to do justice to these cars you have to clean them regularly .
- The salt spray will cover your low-slung sportscars windscreen making outwards visibility even worse
- I like to drive my toy cars as '' hard '' as I can and is sensible , without ever having to rouse the Traction Control system from its slumber . Unlike Cinderella , i believe the TC system should never be kissed awake . That's just me .
- There is so much anticipation that builds up over the winter in anticipation of getting the cars out when the weather turns good - that is joyous .
I have a 2006 Toyota MR2 Mk3 worth about £3k which has ABS , but no TC or Stability Control and I use that throughout the winter for my al fresco thrills . I SORN the Toyota when the weather turns better and get the other cars out then .
Admittedly I have access to a very long private road which is never salted on which to exercise the cars during the winter and I do this religiously following a strict schedule .
This programme has worked for almost 25 years now so I dont subscribe to the mantra that cars have to be '' used '' .
What cars do however need is to be '' used compassionately and appropriately '' .
For instance , I never just start up a car for 5 minutes in the winter and then turn the ignition switch off .
I kg of water is produced for every 1Kg of petrol combusted , and this water will remain within the drivetrain's lubricants ( diluting the oil which will then be less effective on the next start up ) unless you make every effort to ''evaporate away '' this water .
For this reason each and every time I start up a car I run it until the radiator fans kick in - which in the winter can take up to 25 minutes for a Murcielago Roadster or 45 minutes for a Countach QV depending on the ambient temperature .
I follow this schedule for my more modern toy cars too .
My Toyota MR2 gets waxoyled ( actually the garage use some thing more modern now ) every autumn , but the after-effects of the winter are always evident come the spring .
So the experiment re road -salt has been done , and the results are clear and dindisputable - at least for a 2006 Toyota MR2.
If you are keeping a car for a short period of time then these considerations become less important to the current owner .
As I keep my cars for the very longterm , I dont drive them on salted roads at all , and for me this is a small price to pay as it has preserved some of them with minimal damage over the last 2 decades .
Beware mechanics who have one ( or both ) eyes on their bank balance who tell you that cars have to be used all the time irrespective of the prevailing conditions .
I SORN all my toy cars when the weather turns bad .
The previous posters provide real life evidence that you can happily use supersportscars in the depth of winter and they are entriely right .
I dont because :
- I am too precious with my cars .
Bear in mind that I tend to keep my toy cars for decades rather than months or years .
I understand that some people want regular changes of car , and so need to fit in their driving experiences within a much shorter time frame , which in turn dictates that they utilise every month availabe in the calender for this .
- Mike Pullen ( Countach guru ) once refused to receive my car in mid-March unless it arrived in a fully covered trailer - he told me of a Countach that was essentially terminally wrecked by being transported to him in an uncovered trailer - the wet salt was impossible to get out of some of the more covered-up nooks and crannies of the spaceframe chassis .
I appreciate that a12C has a CF monococque but saline is corrosive to all ferrous materials and there is plenty of such stuff on the underside of most cars .
- You cant use the power or the torque that are central to the supercar concept - so why bother getting the supercar out of the garage ?
It seems pointless to start up these cars if you cant utilise or exploit their defining and core abilities.
-The above is further compounded by wide tyres on damp/wet roads
- I hand wash all my cars myself and have never used a detailer , and this washing and drying and nannying is so time consuming for the little time that each winter drive affords .
And to do justice to these cars you have to clean them regularly .
- The salt spray will cover your low-slung sportscars windscreen making outwards visibility even worse
- I like to drive my toy cars as '' hard '' as I can and is sensible , without ever having to rouse the Traction Control system from its slumber . Unlike Cinderella , i believe the TC system should never be kissed awake . That's just me .
- There is so much anticipation that builds up over the winter in anticipation of getting the cars out when the weather turns good - that is joyous .
I have a 2006 Toyota MR2 Mk3 worth about £3k which has ABS , but no TC or Stability Control and I use that throughout the winter for my al fresco thrills . I SORN the Toyota when the weather turns better and get the other cars out then .
Admittedly I have access to a very long private road which is never salted on which to exercise the cars during the winter and I do this religiously following a strict schedule .
This programme has worked for almost 25 years now so I dont subscribe to the mantra that cars have to be '' used '' .
What cars do however need is to be '' used compassionately and appropriately '' .
For instance , I never just start up a car for 5 minutes in the winter and then turn the ignition switch off .
I kg of water is produced for every 1Kg of petrol combusted , and this water will remain within the drivetrain's lubricants ( diluting the oil which will then be less effective on the next start up ) unless you make every effort to ''evaporate away '' this water .
For this reason each and every time I start up a car I run it until the radiator fans kick in - which in the winter can take up to 25 minutes for a Murcielago Roadster or 45 minutes for a Countach QV depending on the ambient temperature .
I follow this schedule for my more modern toy cars too .
My Toyota MR2 gets waxoyled ( actually the garage use some thing more modern now ) every autumn , but the after-effects of the winter are always evident come the spring .
So the experiment re road -salt has been done , and the results are clear and dindisputable - at least for a 2006 Toyota MR2.
If you are keeping a car for a short period of time then these considerations become less important to the current owner .
As I keep my cars for the very longterm , I dont drive them on salted roads at all , and for me this is a small price to pay as it has preserved some of them with minimal damage over the last 2 decades .
Beware mechanics who have one ( or both ) eyes on their bank balance who tell you that cars have to be used all the time irrespective of the prevailing conditions .
Edited by carspath on Sunday 29th September 18:56
Edited by carspath on Sunday 29th September 19:02
Wayne95 said:
Basically can I use it like a 911, or is it more Ferrari ownership style …
Erm ... I used my Ferrari all year round too, it was fine.My McLaren is even easier to use in inclement weather, as long as you respect it then it's honestly no harder to use than a 3-series. I wouldn't recommend having it as literally your only car for year-round driving, but since you have another car to fall back on I really wouldn't worry about it. Avoiding freshly gritted roads isn't a bad idea though.
murphyaj said:
Erm ... I used my Ferrari all year round too, it was fine.
My McLaren is even easier to use in inclement weather, as long as you respect it then it's honestly no harder to use than a 3-series. I wouldn't recommend having it as literally your only car for year-round driving, but since you have another car to fall back on I really wouldn't worry about it. Avoiding freshly gritted roads isn't a bad idea though.
Well done on using the Ferrari, but you know what I mean... My McLaren is even easier to use in inclement weather, as long as you respect it then it's honestly no harder to use than a 3-series. I wouldn't recommend having it as literally your only car for year-round driving, but since you have another car to fall back on I really wouldn't worry about it. Avoiding freshly gritted roads isn't a bad idea though.
I only have 2 parking spaces, so each car has to earn its place. From what I have seen so far the 12C is a good option for daily with its broad ability to be comfortable and exciting when the opportunity allows
I used my old 12C all year round, including winter, for 3 years & 14k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S were fine.
I have used my 675LT all year round, including winter, for 5 years and 15k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S have been fine. I do avoid using if roads have been salted, I have Subaru for that, but the 675LT gets plenty of dry winter use.
I have used my Mk 1 (NA) MX5 all year round, including winter, for 11 years. It lives outside in all weather, it gets a rinse every few months. It has no rust and is in fine health. It has 11 year old tyres and slides everywhere in style and panache.
What is worth noting, in respect to the 12C, if you dont use for around 5 days and has been left wet the brakes will start to bind / lock. So make sure you don't leave it for more than 5 days with wet brakes / wheels. Unless you have CCB's, steel are standard and they will lock. I had to have the AA drag my car around on 5 separate occasions to unlock the brakes. I used to leave it with the parking brake off and chocked up but the main brakes would also 'rust' and bind after 5 days. Otherwise all fine, just don't open the window in heavy rain either, or you and hvac controls will both get soaked.
If you are really worried you could protect critical components underneath with ACF-50. Modern cars are not as bad as 70's Lamborghinis & Ferrari's. I can still get almost all the power down on my McLarens on a dry winters day when its over 7 degrees, no problem, without TC intervention on good modern tyres. I did use my F355 throughout winter too, it leaked like a sieve and steamed up. I sold it, my wife got fed up of it....
I have used my 675LT all year round, including winter, for 5 years and 15k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S have been fine. I do avoid using if roads have been salted, I have Subaru for that, but the 675LT gets plenty of dry winter use.
I have used my Mk 1 (NA) MX5 all year round, including winter, for 11 years. It lives outside in all weather, it gets a rinse every few months. It has no rust and is in fine health. It has 11 year old tyres and slides everywhere in style and panache.
What is worth noting, in respect to the 12C, if you dont use for around 5 days and has been left wet the brakes will start to bind / lock. So make sure you don't leave it for more than 5 days with wet brakes / wheels. Unless you have CCB's, steel are standard and they will lock. I had to have the AA drag my car around on 5 separate occasions to unlock the brakes. I used to leave it with the parking brake off and chocked up but the main brakes would also 'rust' and bind after 5 days. Otherwise all fine, just don't open the window in heavy rain either, or you and hvac controls will both get soaked.
If you are really worried you could protect critical components underneath with ACF-50. Modern cars are not as bad as 70's Lamborghinis & Ferrari's. I can still get almost all the power down on my McLarens on a dry winters day when its over 7 degrees, no problem, without TC intervention on good modern tyres. I did use my F355 throughout winter too, it leaked like a sieve and steamed up. I sold it, my wife got fed up of it....
Edited by Bispal on Tuesday 1st October 18:17
I could easily use my R8 over winter but I Sorn it (just have) until the rain properly clears the salt in the spring ( so the perma damp sheen is gone). Its just crazy how much salt and grit they put down im Somerset, even through an entire iceless and snowless winter. Add to this I drove past an oncoming gritter which resulted in a paint repair touchup job at my local detailers in the first month of ownership and I decided its just not worth it.
Im sure the Macca is reliable enough but I'm also sure you'll hit the value of it hard with the corrosion. My one dalliance with winter driving resulted in an advisory for slightly corroded springs (which I didn't get this year... Same springs).
I will add I drive in the rain happily (and she's 4WD), its the salt I avoid. Horrible, horrible salt.
Im sure the Macca is reliable enough but I'm also sure you'll hit the value of it hard with the corrosion. My one dalliance with winter driving resulted in an advisory for slightly corroded springs (which I didn't get this year... Same springs).
I will add I drive in the rain happily (and she's 4WD), its the salt I avoid. Horrible, horrible salt.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Wednesday 2nd October 10:33
Bispal said:
I used my old 12C all year round, including winter, for 3 years & 14k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S were fine.
I have used my 675LT all year round, including winter, for 5 years and 15k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S have been fine. I do avoid using if roads have been salted, I have Subaru for that, but the 675LT gets plenty of dry winter use.
I have used my Mk 1 (NA) MX5 all year round, including winter, for 11 years. It lives outside in all weather, it gets a rinse every few months. It has no rust and is in fine health. It has 11 year old tyres and slides everywhere in style and panache.
What is worth noting, in respect to the 12C, if you dont use for around 5 days and has been left wet the brakes will start to bind / lock. So make sure you don't leave it for more than 5 days with wet brakes / wheels. Unless you have CCB's, steel are standard and they will lock. I had to have the AA drag my car around on 5 separate occasions to unlock the brakes. I used to leave it with the parking brake off and chocked up but the main brakes would also 'rust' and bind after 5 days. Otherwise all fine, just don't open the window in heavy rain either, or you and hvac controls will both get soaked.
If you are really worried you could protect critical components underneath with ACF-50. Modern cars are not as bad as 70's Lamborghinis & Ferrari's. I can still get almost all the power down on my McLarens on a dry winters day when its over 7 degrees, no problem, without TC intervention on good modern tyres. I did use my F355 throughout winter too, it leaked like a sieve and steamed up. I sold it, my wife got fed up of it....
Good point on the ACF50, I might give mine a clean up and coat it.I have used my 675LT all year round, including winter, for 5 years and 15k miles. No winter tyres just MPS4S have been fine. I do avoid using if roads have been salted, I have Subaru for that, but the 675LT gets plenty of dry winter use.
I have used my Mk 1 (NA) MX5 all year round, including winter, for 11 years. It lives outside in all weather, it gets a rinse every few months. It has no rust and is in fine health. It has 11 year old tyres and slides everywhere in style and panache.
What is worth noting, in respect to the 12C, if you dont use for around 5 days and has been left wet the brakes will start to bind / lock. So make sure you don't leave it for more than 5 days with wet brakes / wheels. Unless you have CCB's, steel are standard and they will lock. I had to have the AA drag my car around on 5 separate occasions to unlock the brakes. I used to leave it with the parking brake off and chocked up but the main brakes would also 'rust' and bind after 5 days. Otherwise all fine, just don't open the window in heavy rain either, or you and hvac controls will both get soaked.
If you are really worried you could protect critical components underneath with ACF-50. Modern cars are not as bad as 70's Lamborghinis & Ferrari's. I can still get almost all the power down on my McLarens on a dry winters day when its over 7 degrees, no problem, without TC intervention on good modern tyres. I did use my F355 throughout winter too, it leaked like a sieve and steamed up. I sold it, my wife got fed up of it....
Edited by Bispal on Tuesday 1st October 18:17
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