GTI-R in the Snow - Quick Poll

Q

QuickNick

New Member
Hi guys just wanted to get the general consensus view on how you are coping in the snow...

I havent driven in about 2 weeks, I tend to avoid the snow at all costs, not so much for me but the stress being around other drivers on the road who have no idea how to control their cars in these conditions.

You guys get much traction? struggling? Had many near misses? How would you compare the the GTI-R to comparable rides you may have driven in the past i.e. Scooby etc

Find it very interesting how cars handle in the snow, as I believe it brings out the best/worst characteristics in any car.

N


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PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Mine is my daily driver, so it's been out every day (although we haven't had more than a couple of inches at any one time). No big problems with traction, but definitely not completely planted.
I've discovered that the proxes tend to kick the back out to the right if you apply the power too quickly in the snow (read ice), which isn't a problem when you're expecting it because you can steer into it and you just get a bit wide before it straightens-out. It's not good if there are other cars on the road because people get twitchy.
Braking is about what you'd expect on ice/snow; lock the wheels and you are f*cked, so I use as much engine braking as I can (although if you compression lock it, that does the same thing).
Steering feels a bit light, but so far I haven't had any major problems with understeer.
I've only had it really out of shape once, and that's because I got cocky when the snow first started falling, gave it too much power... then locked the brakes. I didn't hit anything (or at least not hard, I may had slid to a gentle stop against the kerb).
I'd say the biggest problem is the other road users who seem to either drive dangerously slow (so you risk slamming into them when you come across them going so slowly), or insanely fast with no concession for the snow on the road... and on the windscreen... and the fact they're in a RWD car.
I haven't had any near misses, but my wife was almost cleaned-up by an HGV which couldn't stop. So I'm still driving, but she isn't.

So far I've had great fun spinning all four wheels, and I'm getting better at the rally-style starts; I can take off in a straight line (well maybe a bit snakey) and get up to speed almost as fast as in the dry. I've had a couple of nice, but unintentional, drifts around the roundabouts; as the back came out I caught it and pointed it at the right exit.

I know it sounds like I'm a maniac, but I'm not really. I do take it reasonably cautiously, and I'm not giving it full boost with anyone near me... but I am enjoying myself and the fact that an AWD car doesn't get particularly upset by this weather.
 
T

Tk1

Member
i chose to use the pulsar when the weather was bad , but was quite suprised at how well the e46 bmw did (with traction control swithed on) i did turn it off and the car was pretty undrivable tbh, my subaru's in the snow where ok if taking it easy but being a 60/40 split the arse does want to overtake you very easily (more so than the pulsar)
main problem was in the R i have it very low on the coilovers and its like a snow plough ,, all good fun even in my transit connect
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Trondelond said:
Oh.. you guys don't use snow-/winter tires, do you..?
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No, but I really wanted to get a set. I bought some spare rims for thm, but the wife decided the money was better spent elsewhere.
I used them in Finland last year (on a rental car), and was amazed at how well they went driving in Lapland. They were the type with the little metal studs, and they really bite into the icy roads meaning you get little wheel spin and the brakes work too (well, I went past my turn a couple of times, but at least I was going in a straight line).

I know VSS Irvine has a set on his FWD Sunny, and he's been pulling people out of the snow with it.

Maybe next year (unless I see a cheap set on eBay in the next few weeks).
 
stumo

stumo

Active Member
I got tugged for drifting around a corner the other night 8) but i wasn't in a GTiR, it was a SWB Terrano :thumbsup:

I just said the road was icy and got away with it! :thumbsup:
 
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PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
shroom said:
what would they handle like once your on a main road and there is no snow? lol
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Fine. You don't use them in summer, but the main thing is that they are a softer compound which doesn't get stiff and loose grip when it's cold.
The studs aren't so big that they destroy the road or make a lot of noise, but they are enough that they bite the ice when the soft rubber exposes them. - At least, that's what I think.
 
jjs

jjs

Member
hi, used mine a fair bit during the snow, noticed when you are changing down gears if you dont blip the throttle, there is a lot more engine braking to the rear wheels and the back end steps out quite a bit, not sure if it is due to the back end being lighter, or the lsd ,? have mud and snow tyres for the autocross car, its still fitted with the standar pulsar wheels, but have ap's on the road car, so would require changing the brakes to fit the smaller wheels so didint bother, would consider it next time we get some bad weather, Jim. over all id say a good car in the snow,
 
B

baza21

New Member
stumo said:
I got tugged for drifting around a corner the other night 8) but i wasn't in a GTiR, it was a SWB Terrano :thumbsup:

I just said the road was icy and got away with it! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
snap we have a massive round about near mine which unfortunatly has camera's on it some one musta called the cops after id been going round it sideways for 5 mins hah
 
pulsarmoley

pulsarmoley

Member
I had fun pulling a friend of mines scooby out of a ditch by a corner, too much throttle leaving the corner :doh:. I luckily havent stacked mine yet :pray2: but i ve been doing handbrake turns and drifting it out of junctions :thumbsup:
 
M

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
I've only taken mine out a couple times, R888's arent the best snow tyres :lol:

Still managed to get up on the hills though which i would of had no chance of doing in anything 2wd, even ended up towing somebody on a quad out after they got stuck :lol:
 
M

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
Dont worry i'm aware of all those warnings, although its probably just to cover themselves more than anything. I've never heard of any that have cracked yet!

My tyres are nearly down to the limit and about to be binned anyway so i just thought i'd see how much grip they had on snow. Theres no way i'd have a brand new set of them on and be using them in temps well below freezing :lol:
 
A

astarozna

Active Member
I guess it doesn't get that cold that lakes would freeze up? Otherwise i could sort you out with the spoke tires, those would be no good for road but on ice they would be the best things ever! Only down side would be a lot of pressure on gearbox.
The road tires are soft compound and if you drive them during the summer, all they do is make noise like you were followed by step dancers all the times and scrape up some tarmac.
 
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