Z in the rain and snow

Mergnthwirker

I disagree with most of these opinions. There's really no reason not to drive the Z in winter if you and your car are prepared.

A number of the local car clubs run winter driving schools. I went with my daughter a couple of times and it was really worthwhile. We did skid pads on ice, and a road course, some braking exercises, and ice driving (with big snowbanks if you lost control). The one we went to in Franconia New Hampshire was sponsored by the Audi Quattro Club but there were a number of FWD, AWD and RWD cars there. A great chance to learn what you can and cannot do with your car in the winter.

Surprisingly, RWD with limited slip did quite well and was huge fun on the skidpad. The key thing is not to suddenly lift off on the gas when the rear end starts to slide out. Hard to do if you are used to driving front wheel drive, but once you learn to keep your foot in it and steer your way out of trouble, you can get great control. I strongly suggest that you get the feel for it before venturing out with the Z on roads with poor traction, especially if you are only used to driving FWD vehicles.

As long as you have the tires for it, the Z can work well in the winter. If you have it, the LSD on the Sport package is also a real advantage compared to traction control, especially when it comes to getting up hills. Traction control works by braking the opposite wheel to transfer torque, but you don't want any braking when you are trying to climb a slippery hill. Winter driving was the main reason we bought a Z with the sport package (and we wish the LSD was a bit faster-acting, more like a Quaife, but that's another topic).

If you do a lot of winter driving, you should carry some auxiliary stuff, like a nylon tow strap, and maybe some kitty litter for traction to help you get out of low traction situations like a driveway, or a ditch, if you do lose it

The other key thing for the Z is that you really MUST have full winter tires, and maybe even studs for the winter. Around here, where we get a lot of snow, we refer to all-season tires as "NO season tires." Size down and get some cheap 18" wheels and 225-18 snows and you should do well.

In fact, the only real problems (as others have said) are the other crazies on the road, and ground clearance on unplowed streets. With a bit of training and the right equipment, you'll be fine.

Hope this helps,

HJM