Winter driving - what car?

yoda · Post by **yoda** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 7:59 am

Hello

Was reading Graham's thread about salt and thought I am not quite ready to give up the weekend drives just yet. I love the early morning drives around A / B roads and want to continue doing them. Agree an old 911 might not appreciate it though and things like salt, weak headlights etc put me off.

I was thinking about a more modern car that could be used and rather boringly, my default choice was another 911. The idea of a 997 GT3 on winter tyres really appeals for some reason but it's a fair amount of cash and I would ideally want to garage it and look after it properly etc.

I was reading an old copy of Evo and they had an article on hot hatches. I am also thinking of going down to Hot Hatch Sunday at Goodwood which got me thinking a hot hatch might do the trick! Looking for ideas and main criteria (in priority order) are fun to drive, reliable, can park / leave outside and under £10k.

Would love to hear from people who have owned something fun or just ideas.

Thanks

Feroz

911hillclimber · Post by **911hillclimber** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:13 am

Tin top or open to a Mk3 MX5, folding steel top on winter tyres?
RWD, enough power to thrill and robust.
Lots of them, £10K will buy a very nice high-spec car.

Resell easy next spring.

inaglasshouse · Post by **inaglasshouse** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:16 am

Feroz - don't you own a 993?
Tore Bergvill's HID conversion, or LED H1s (work quite well on the 993 - already quite a sophisticated lens design). Job done.

If you must go hot hatch, you might be interested in Michelin's newish Crossclimate tyre:
http://www.michelin.co.uk/GB/en/tyres/p ... imate.html
Has the winter accreditation (as required in Germany) but also claims to require little compromise as a summer tyre. We've got a set on one of our cars - don't know yet about snow, but very good in the dry and excellent in the wet.

Something Renaultsport? (Clio in Viper Green?). Not owned one, but one or two DDK-er's like them.
Don't forget the baseball cap.

Cheers, Richard.

hot66 · Post by **hot66** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:19 am

All these were bought specifically for winter use :

993 C4 cab
996 turbo
M3 csl

Most fun in the winter was the 993 with the roof down . Just seemed to have some great winter drives in that car

Is year I've not got a winter fun car ( yet ) , but if I have been re looking at cheap boxsters, mx5's etc .... Ideally you also want cheap and reliable running costs if it's just an extra winter toy. Both my 911's will be coming out regularly though

inaglasshouse · Post by **inaglasshouse** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:24 am

Great minds, James! I use my 993 in winter and it's perfect.
I also used to use my CSL. Here we are in Guildford, ready for the London commute, early one winter morning:

(CSL was, honestly, not a great winter car!)

But reminds me: my old B5 RS4. Now that was a good winter car. And a good car full stop. Underrated I think:

[

targa/red · Post by **targa/red** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:26 am

you can get the tail out on those pick up trunks
have you seen what Mercdes are planning an off road version and a road version my son showed me some pictures he found the other day looked awesome and you can bet expensive also

sladey · Post by **sladey** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:40 am

Backdated 911 with Lumetek lights

targa/red · Post by **targa/red** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:42 am

how about this on e-bay 192016868231

yoda · Post by **yoda** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:44 am

911hillclimber wrote:Tin top or open

Either is fine although now you mention it, an open car with a decent roof could be good fun and economical if sold again in spring. Good idea.

yoda · Post by **yoda** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:50 am

Richard - I did have a 993 but sold it as most of the year, I much preferred driving my 911E. Found I wasn't using it much and a trip to Wales confirmed it. Also sold the SC.

Renaultsport and cap sounds like a good idea although there are so many to choose from (sporting Renaults and caps) I would prefer to start with a shortlist.

Thanks for the steer on the tyres, they sound ideal.

shoestring7 · Post by **shoestring7** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:52 am

About 5 years ago I was running a new Cayman and looked for a set of cheap winter wheels to save the Porsche from salt and poor winter driving. I found a nice low-miles, one owner Golf VR6 for sale for a couple of thousand pounds; heated leather seats, a/c, smooth (and very heavy)six-pot sitting over the driven wheels. It was filthy dirty (the owner used it at weekends to go to the golf-course and it was full of dried grass!) and the suspension was knackered. A thorough service, a set of Bilsteins and a weekend's clean and it was transformed.

The problem was it was nice clean, rust-free manual 30k VR6 Highline, pretty much unique and too good to use in the salt and snow, so I ended up using the Cayman.

Nowadays I just put a set of winter tyres on the ugly hatchback:

C>

hot66 · Post by **hot66** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:57 am

I'd have thought unless the car you get offers something g radically different to your daily.... you'll end up taking the daily instead .... that's why I'm not convinced a hot hatch will get used as much as a cab .... even though it's winter you still want to have something that makes the trip special / memorable

If you really want a hot hatch how about a modern fiat 500 abarth ... just jump in and drive

inaglasshouse · Post by **inaglasshouse** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:11 am

yoda wrote: Renaultsport and cap sounds like a good idea although there are so many to choose from (sporting Renaults and caps) I would prefer to start with a shortlist.

Good point. Here is my cap recommendation:

An excellent match with most of Renaultsport's products, having the same broad aesthetic of taste and subtlety.

You're welcome.
R

scalino65 · Post by **scalino65** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:15 am

Lotus 7.
THE END

alastairp · Post by **alastairp** » Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:25 am

Are there any heats for the Fuckin' Championships?

DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker