Just bought winter tyres

[sasha320]

Just bought winter tyres for my C4S, they are new Pirelli N rated winters and I paid around £1,100 for all four (2 x 295 & 2 x 235).

I bought the tyres on ebay from a Porsche parts shop and although the tyres have been fitted to wheels before as demos, they have never actually been used on a car.

Given that these tyres *should* soon be available at OPCs at these prices, the reason I bought these tyres in this way is because I am concerned that there is going to be a shortage of winter tyres in the UK.

I have this concern having spoken to what feels like every car tyre distributor / wholesaler / dealer in the country and not one could assure me of a set of N rated winter tyres - even on a full advance payment.

So, the reason for this long and boring post is to ask how others fare in their pursuit in purchasing winter tyres this year; a part of me would like to see if my early purchase was founded, the other part of me is not looking forward to the pi55 taking if and when the UK is flooded with N rated winters!

Any experiences to date, or to come with respect to buying N rated winters this year welcome!

p.s., I drive to the Alps once a month throughout the winter for work, so arguably have a need for winter tyres a little beyond the increased performance at UK lowish temperatures and for the odd few days heavy snowfall.

 

[Rich1221]

What was the model of tyre?
I have been looking for some N rated winter tyres for a few weeks.
I get a lot of people saying they are winter or N rated but never the two are true at the same time from eBay/pHeads/local tyre shops round Heathrow.

 

[chimp911]

Last year I left it very late before looking to get winter tyres for my RS4. Even though they were a modest sized tyre without the need for n-rating it was like searching for hen's teeth!! I vowed I would never make the same mistake again and hearing about the difficulties getting summer n-rated tyres I think you did the right thing buying early. Who cares if there is a flood of them, at least you have a set and it is one less thing for you to worry about...

I have my turbo s with me in Germany where most people tend to have an extra set of wheels for their winter tyres so they can easily swap them over. I decided to go for a complete set of 19" RS spyders fitted with Pirelli Sottozero F - 235/35/19, R - 295/30/19...

At my local (German) OPC I was quoted a little over €6150 or approx £5350 !!

UK OPC offered the same set for £3895, but then I'd have the problem of shipping. Even so they were considerably cheaper? :?

After a bit of shopping around I found another UK supplier www.alloywheelsdirect.net. They offered exactly the same wheel/tyre set for £3680 including delivery straight to my German OPC. They provided a fantastic service and they arrived within 7 days of placing my order.

I'd convinced myself I needed the extra wheels, I'm even considering having one set painted so I can get a bit of an Imelda Marcos vibe going, but seeing that I needed only pay ~£1100 for rubber I'm starting to feel a bit foolish... :sad:

That said, like you I can now sit back and relax safe in the knowledge I have my winter boots ready and waiting for me when winter arrives

 

[mbak]

I picked up a set of Nokian N rated wnter tyres for my turbo for a total cost of £946. They should be delivered by the end of this week. I spent ages going through various websites/suppliers to find N-rated winter tyres, but for the turbo there were only two possibilities the Pirelli Sottozero or Nokian WR. I believe that the Nokian WR have gone out of production (I think someone on here said this) but I manageed to pick a set up from mytyres.co.uk. The Pirelli's were impossible to find in the right size. I think searching early e.g. August/September is probably wise as winter tyres in the UK appear to have very limited availability.

I'm now toying with the idea of getting a new set of wheels so changing over is not so much hassle.

 

[Rich1221]

I am sorely tempted with some new accompanying alloys but I suspect to get official Porsche ones then there will be no cheap option and no deals to be had at the OPC.

Anyone know if OPC would store the non- winter tyres and vice versa out of season?

 

[chimp911]

Whe I was looking into it a few weeks ago I asked at OPC Hatfield but they said they didn't have the storage facilities - other centres might...

German OPCs are better set up for this type of service and charge around £50 a season (not sure if that actually means £100 a year?) which should give you an idea what to expect...

 

[pzero]

I am sorely tempted with some new accompanying alloys but I suspect to get official Porsche ones then there will be no cheap option and no deals to be had at the OPC.

Anyone know if OPC would store the non- winter tyres and vice versa out of season?

Rich,

OPC Hatfield will do a package where they will supply a set of four rims, with new winter boots. For that they offer a service of storing your summer set (rims and tyres). They will be kept in storage at Reading and come the warmer weather will reverse the process. At the moment this service, I'm told, is free.
All they need from you is the cost of the four wheels and four winter tyres. I don't think you'll get much change from £3800, (OPC quote) based on 19" rims.

Bottom line is for the storage facility, you have to buy from them



997.2 GTS White

 

[c4srmsims]

N rated 19" Pirelli Sottozero's should cost you less than £1100 fitted, then I can sell you a set of mint and unrefurbished carrera classics (ideal winter wheel - five solid spokes and easy access to brake calipers for cleaning).
Plus you get a decent set of Bridgestone RE050A N1 (manufactured 2009) with 5mm & 4mm into the bargain! C4S offsets.

You may still be able to get a set of N rated Nokians from mytyres.co.uk for under £1000.

PM me if interested.

 

[sasha320]

What was the model of tyre?
I have been looking for some N rated winter tyres for a few weeks.
I get a lot of people saying they are winter or N rated but never the two are true at the same time from eBay/pHeads/local tyre shops round Heathrow.

Pirelli Sottozero

 

[david993]

My 993 is my daily drive. I used it throughout the awful weather last winter on summer tyres, including the day when it was -8C. It was seriously scary.

I was driving far slower than other people who were zipping past in complete confidence. The steering wheel felt like a tiller with no feel whatsoever as though the wheels were suspended from the ground. I was lucky to get away with it.

It will be winter tyres this year.

 

[drgav2005]

I'm half way there

My 997 C4S came with Carrera S alloys (badly needing a refurb), however, these were the same style of wheels I had on my 987S... I'm a bit strange in that I like my new car to have different alloys to my last (weird, I know) but ended up finding a set of fully refurbed Carrera Classics (+Bridgestone N-rated tyres) on eBay for less than £1k...

They have now been put on the car and look perfect (together with the 5mm OEM spacer kit I found on eBay too!) :lol:

I've since had the original Carrera S alloys refurbished (in gunmetal - just for a change) and now have Pirelli Sottozero N-rated on the fronts... still waiting for the rears to come in... When this will be I'm not too sure, but as long as they get here before the temp. drops from our balmy Indian summer it should be ok! :wink:

 

[Moonshine]

Just to let you in on an alternative strategy, I spent £3.5k on a Subaru Forester, it already had winter tyres fitted

 

[drgav2005]

That is definitely the sensible option...

... problem is, I've never been sensible with cars!!!

 

[Moonshine]

I reckon it will be sensible for the 2-3 weeks that we seem to be having where I live that the snow is significantly higher than the front of my car!

 

[Red993C4]

I reckon it will be sensible for the 2-3 weeks that we seem to be having where I live that the snow is significantly higher than the front of my car!

It's a very common misconception in the UK that winter tyres are just snow tyres.