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#362

I like them, especially the R32. I have an '18 Golf R that I sold my last Porsche to get. It’s a great car. My wife does still drive a Macan Turbo though. After ten Porsches over 35 years it’s just fun to get in a hot hatch and flog it. It has great visibility plus holds four adult-sized people quite comfortably.

#363

I keep the rear-wheel-drive BMW stored in the winter, but the R32 is a blast to drive in the snow.

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#364

My winter car is a Blizzak shod RWD 335i. It is a wonderful winter machine. Six inches of fresh snow today and it happily zips along.

#365

Blizzaks are like rubber chains.

#366

Wow! I had a 335i and it was a great car, but with one rear wheel drive, even with 4 skinny Blizzaks and then Hakkapeliitta’s it was awful. I do live in a hilly area but jeez it was bad. If only BMW weren’t too cheap to offer a limited slip, it would have made it so much better. I had an '89 325is with lsd and it was great.

#367

I have a quarter mile driveway, uphill -downhill-uphill again, deep ravine on one side, and curves - no problem.

The modern F30 has an LSD, although it is electronic and activated by applying the rear brake on the spinning wheel. Inelegant, but functional. There are also conditions where it is best to turn off the basic traction control and switch to active traction mode.

I hate AWD with a passion

#368

ooooh the R32’s haldex system is a joy.

#369

I don’t remember my year but it just had “traction control” which was almost always worse than steady grinding.
I agree that awd can feel clunky. I remember Porsche’s first C4. Wow was that awful. No similarities at all now to the '89.

#370

While AWD helps to start moving in snow and ice, I cannot stomach the understeer induced by FWD and AWD.

A Haldex system (probably the oldest on-demand system) is a FWD car with a drive system which will transfer some torque to the rear wheels when the fronts lose traction, primarily when they are trying to both provide propulsion and steering. That is, it is trying to solve one of the inherent problems induced by FWD. I appreciate many are delighted to make the trade-off.

Many with AWD do not understand that once moving AWD does nothing to increase traction while cornering and braking. This is why most of those off the road in slippery conditions are driving AWD SUVs and trucks.

Manufacturing advertising has been superb in convincing people AWD improves handling when the opposite is actually true.

However, active torque vectoring is becoming more common. Porsche, for example, has made some AWD cars which which handle very well - with a price to match.

#371

I still get incredulous reactions from people when i tell them that about awd and why they absolutely need snows all around. I think one of the dumbest things is summer compound tires on an SUV in winter.

#372

There’s probably not a lot of people under 40 that know what a summer compound is. :frowning_face:

#373

Yup… ‘16 Macan Turbo with F/R modulated AWD and R/L Torque Vectoring…plus the usual ABD plus full 3 mountain snow tires all around=magic in the snow…assuming a driver that understands the physics of the situation.

#374

You got it. You call it physics. I call it common sense, spatial awareness, brains, driving while thinking about driving…,

Magico Magic (and unrelated matters)
#375

FWIW, I always run snows in winter on the R32. Separate set of 18" wheels with summer tires goes on in the spring.

All I know is that it handles like a dream in wet, dry or snow.

But… I love my RWD BMW E46 5-speed Touring. Lots of Dinan goodies on that one. :heart_eyes: