The NSX is a great car in the rain as long as the stock tires have a lot of tread left. All season tires like the Pirelli P7000SS would be perfect in the cold and rainy season. They are even good in the snow.It snows here and most of us put the car away due to sand and salt. However a few NSX owners, leasers, drove the car year round and had no more problems than the average motorist dealing with snow.Apart from the occasional trip off the road for whatever reason. They had the best snow tires you can get and of course the NSX will start at -30C just like any other car.
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NSX in snow! :)
- Thread starter Runutzzzzz
- Start date
Warning .. newbie alert .. long append
I have used and enjoyed many of the features of this site, especially the forums, for some time and as a relatively new owner of a '91 NSX, I thought I'd like to contribute back to the NSX community by offering some real (as opposed to speculative) feedback on the use of an NSX in the winter. There haven't really been many threads on this topic and, from my perspective, there is a considerable amount of misinformation out there that I'd like to correct.
Although my car 'grew up' in the SW USA, it now lives on the plains of western Canada North of North Dakota. We typically see snow starting in Oct/Nov and it hangs around until Mar/Apr and although it usually doesn't come in more than 4-5 inches at any one time, we get feet of it in the course of a winter. Roads are almost exclusively asphalt; stay frozen during the winter; and are often covered with ice patches and/or packed snow.
With that as a background (and my 35 years of driving in it), let me tell you that, relatively speaking, the NSX has exceeded my expectations and does not deserve much of the criticism levelled at it in some replies, which should really be directed at the owners tires. I suspect that most owners' tires don't even qualify as 'all seasons' (and many are probably well worn) and for those who get caught in freak storms with these tires, I have sympathy. But don't then conclude that you can't drive an NSX in winter.
After a number of controlled but non-scientific experiments, I am now running Michelin Arctic Alpin winter tires on all 4 wheels and the traction is WAY superior to any front wheel drive car I have driven in similar conditions. My best comparison is probably to my old '93 Probe GT which is FWD and has 225-50-16s, the same as the NSX back ones. But even before I put the Alpins on the back of the NSX, I was running a nearly new pair of Goodyear Eagles and the combination of rear weight bias; limited slip diff; and traction control gave me better traction than the Probe even on those summer tires. Unfortunately, although I could accelerate well in a straight line, the combination of light weight and Bridgestone Potenzas on the front meant I couldn't turn worth a damn which re-inforced my decision to go to the Alpins and fixed the problem.
Don't assume that my above statements mean you can drive the NSX in winter with the same verve that you do in summer. And I didn't say that you won't spin the tires or slip sideways slightly under acceleration (which you will .. in fact you'll have to get used to the TCS warning light coming on a LOT) but the end result is a vehicle which I have found to be a safe, competent winter vehicle and is my daily driver.
To some degree, I'm just testing the vehicle's limits much like some of you are experimenting with other limits such as power and handling. Other 'tests' that I've successfully put the car through recently include a 750 mile highway trip (at about -10F) and this week it started fine at -30F in an un-heated, un-insulated garage without having the block heater plugged in. I can almost feel the collective wincing of the readers at this point so let me say this was just a test and not something I plan to do on a regular basis. However, in this part of the world we occasionally have to leave our vehicles for >4hrs in those temperatures and need to have the confidence that they'll start. If they don't, we usually trade them in on something that will (and I really don't want to have to do that with this car as I'm really enjoying it!).
Now I fully realize that most of you are only reading this out of idle curiosity and will never benefit from what I just said but for those few who are maybe considering driving the NSX during the winter, take heart .. it may be move viable than you think. I've only scratched the surface of some of the considerations but I'd be happy to share my thoughts and experiences.
I have used and enjoyed many of the features of this site, especially the forums, for some time and as a relatively new owner of a '91 NSX, I thought I'd like to contribute back to the NSX community by offering some real (as opposed to speculative) feedback on the use of an NSX in the winter. There haven't really been many threads on this topic and, from my perspective, there is a considerable amount of misinformation out there that I'd like to correct.
Although my car 'grew up' in the SW USA, it now lives on the plains of western Canada North of North Dakota. We typically see snow starting in Oct/Nov and it hangs around until Mar/Apr and although it usually doesn't come in more than 4-5 inches at any one time, we get feet of it in the course of a winter. Roads are almost exclusively asphalt; stay frozen during the winter; and are often covered with ice patches and/or packed snow.
With that as a background (and my 35 years of driving in it), let me tell you that, relatively speaking, the NSX has exceeded my expectations and does not deserve much of the criticism levelled at it in some replies, which should really be directed at the owners tires. I suspect that most owners' tires don't even qualify as 'all seasons' (and many are probably well worn) and for those who get caught in freak storms with these tires, I have sympathy. But don't then conclude that you can't drive an NSX in winter.
After a number of controlled but non-scientific experiments, I am now running Michelin Arctic Alpin winter tires on all 4 wheels and the traction is WAY superior to any front wheel drive car I have driven in similar conditions. My best comparison is probably to my old '93 Probe GT which is FWD and has 225-50-16s, the same as the NSX back ones. But even before I put the Alpins on the back of the NSX, I was running a nearly new pair of Goodyear Eagles and the combination of rear weight bias; limited slip diff; and traction control gave me better traction than the Probe even on those summer tires. Unfortunately, although I could accelerate well in a straight line, the combination of light weight and Bridgestone Potenzas on the front meant I couldn't turn worth a damn which re-inforced my decision to go to the Alpins and fixed the problem.
Don't assume that my above statements mean you can drive the NSX in winter with the same verve that you do in summer. And I didn't say that you won't spin the tires or slip sideways slightly under acceleration (which you will .. in fact you'll have to get used to the TCS warning light coming on a LOT) but the end result is a vehicle which I have found to be a safe, competent winter vehicle and is my daily driver.
To some degree, I'm just testing the vehicle's limits much like some of you are experimenting with other limits such as power and handling. Other 'tests' that I've successfully put the car through recently include a 750 mile highway trip (at about -10F) and this week it started fine at -30F in an un-heated, un-insulated garage without having the block heater plugged in. I can almost feel the collective wincing of the readers at this point so let me say this was just a test and not something I plan to do on a regular basis. However, in this part of the world we occasionally have to leave our vehicles for >4hrs in those temperatures and need to have the confidence that they'll start. If they don't, we usually trade them in on something that will (and I really don't want to have to do that with this car as I'm really enjoying it!).
Now I fully realize that most of you are only reading this out of idle curiosity and will never benefit from what I just said but for those few who are maybe considering driving the NSX during the winter, take heart .. it may be move viable than you think. I've only scratched the surface of some of the considerations but I'd be happy to share my thoughts and experiences.
I am responding to comments 1/2 way up this thread about hp increases in cold. Its funny, because in kart racing we can definately feel the increased hp, but there is nothing we can do with it because the track is so much colder we have no adhesion, so lap times end up being about the same. catch-22.....
- Joined
- 3 February 2000
- Messages
- 3,942
Welcome aboard from NSX2398!
I agree 100% - tires do make all the difference in the winter. It also seems to me that dropping the camber and toe on the car's alignment close to zero all around would also make it handle more predictably on snow and ice, but I have never tested that theory.
I agree 100% - tires do make all the difference in the winter. It also seems to me that dropping the camber and toe on the car's alignment close to zero all around would also make it handle more predictably on snow and ice, but I have never tested that theory.
What most people don't realize about winter tires is that they're not just for snow and ice. They are designed to operate effectively in much colder temperatures than high-performance tires, which are often called "summer tires" because of THEIR optimal temperature range.
Even within the winter tire category, there are trade-offs - one tire will do better on snow, another on ice, another will have a better highway ride, etc.
Even within the winter tire category, there are trade-offs - one tire will do better on snow, another on ice, another will have a better highway ride, etc.
Originally posted by Runutzzzzz:
My NSX is worthless in the snow!I tried to goto work, there's about 1/4-1/2 inch of snow on the ground, and I barely get out the driveway!!! Is a stock NSX, as bad?? I've got TT's with some Yoko A520
Amazing story! Our summer tires become very hard anywhere below 10C, and the ride and adhesion suffer enormously! If your climate is frequently in that range, and you have days with snow/ice you should simply put high speed winter snow-ice tires on your regular rims and get a nicer set for summer. In Saskatoon, below 0C November to early April I wear lovely Michelins ( forget the code-numbers/letters). The ride is immediately VERY nice, and performance levels very acceptable ( traction and cruising speeds well above 160kph). And the NSX IS a great snow-ice car with its traction-control system etc. We have little 'salt' and I do not drive in deep snow or slush ie. I am not an idiot! KIWICanuck
Actually, that may be very beneficial to tire wear as well. Winter tires have a much softer compound so when combined with the NSX's well known appetite for tires, you may not get many miles from them even if you plan to have them remounted each spring/fall or have a second set of rims you can change
This thread is a year old.......!!!!!!!!!! Must be some record, eh Ken??
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Todd Arnold
http://www.geocities.com/nsxcessive/index.html
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Todd Arnold
http://www.geocities.com/nsxcessive/index.html
Hey, don't look at me - I'm not the one who restarted it...
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