Winter tyres do exactly what they say on the tin : verdict
12-21-2003, 12:21 PM
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Winter tyres do exactly what they say on the tin : verdict
I fitted Goodyear Eagle Ultragrip GW3's to my S on saturday and they got a baptism of fire this afternoon.
I must have done c 100 miles varying from hardpacked snow to slush and they were VERY impressive.
They seemed to grip very well on all types of snow surface, and even achieved things my old Saab 9-5 would have struggled to do. You could drive around in snow without any concern that you were going to get stuck.
I even found a small car park with 2-3 inches of virgin snow (on a small incline) where I spent 10 mins deliberately flooring it and losing the back end. Great fun, and at the end I just drove away on low revs no problem.
There was also a steep, tight, double corner, covered in frosty slush which the car took in 2nd in low revs no problem - extraordinary.
This "mod" has basically turned my S into a true all season vehicle. Now I can understand how X-Viper and his mates can have so much fun in the snow
.
(I did have 50 kg of sand bags in the boot, which may have helped, although 25kg would have been enough - I think the extra weight was affecting the front end grip in the dry)
The tyres also perform well in the wet - the braking and accelerating is much better than the SO2's (predictably), and you carve your way through standing water without getting any of the "lightness" you get when on the SO2's.
Dry performance was not so good on first impressions.
Although they never broke away, they often felt that they were going to (I guess down to the much softer sidewalls), and you had nowhere near the confidence of the SO2's on the motorway or on fast A road corners. I think I will have to spend more time assessing the dry weather performance, probably after pushing up the pressures from 34 to 36 (or more?). Ditching one of the 25kg sandbags would also improve front end grip I reckon, and it was also very windy today (which I find affects the S) which did not provide ideal test conditions.
I took loads of pics of the car on the snow, but my
ing camera has ed up the card, so I will lose them - hopefully I will get some more by the spring.
Can't remember the last time I had so much fun
- can't wait for the next snowfall 
I must have done c 100 miles varying from hardpacked snow to slush and they were VERY impressive.
They seemed to grip very well on all types of snow surface, and even achieved things my old Saab 9-5 would have struggled to do. You could drive around in snow without any concern that you were going to get stuck.
I even found a small car park with 2-3 inches of virgin snow (on a small incline) where I spent 10 mins deliberately flooring it and losing the back end. Great fun, and at the end I just drove away on low revs no problem.
There was also a steep, tight, double corner, covered in frosty slush which the car took in 2nd in low revs no problem - extraordinary.
This "mod" has basically turned my S into a true all season vehicle. Now I can understand how X-Viper and his mates can have so much fun in the snow
.(I did have 50 kg of sand bags in the boot, which may have helped, although 25kg would have been enough - I think the extra weight was affecting the front end grip in the dry)
The tyres also perform well in the wet - the braking and accelerating is much better than the SO2's (predictably), and you carve your way through standing water without getting any of the "lightness" you get when on the SO2's.
Dry performance was not so good on first impressions.
Although they never broke away, they often felt that they were going to (I guess down to the much softer sidewalls), and you had nowhere near the confidence of the SO2's on the motorway or on fast A road corners. I think I will have to spend more time assessing the dry weather performance, probably after pushing up the pressures from 34 to 36 (or more?). Ditching one of the 25kg sandbags would also improve front end grip I reckon, and it was also very windy today (which I find affects the S) which did not provide ideal test conditions.
I took loads of pics of the car on the snow, but my
ing camera has ed up the card, so I will lose them - hopefully I will get some more by the spring. Can't remember the last time I had so much fun
- can't wait for the next snowfall
12-21-2003, 03:15 PM
#2
Be very interested to hear how they perform in the dry, even if warm is unlikely this time of year. I as you know don't have 2 sets of rims so have to strive for the impossible all-weather tyre Euan 
Oh and thanks for the returned cheque for the balance of the Pforce shipment. A pleasure doing business with a Scot. Pity we can't have some of your rules and attitude down here in England.
Rog
Oh and thanks for the returned cheque for the balance of the Pforce shipment. A pleasure doing business with a Scot. Pity we can't have some of your rules and attitude down here in England.
Rog
12-22-2003, 02:40 AM
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Hi,
The GY GW3 are a good tire in the wet and the wear rate is pretty low to, but I've never had a problem in the wet with the S0'2(touch wood). I think it's something to do with the set up on the 03 model and I drive as smooth as possible in the wet. The grip from the S0'2 in the dry is immense, (that is really the best word to describe it).
The GY GW3 are a good tire in the wet and the wear rate is pretty low to, but I've never had a problem in the wet with the S0'2(touch wood). I think it's something to do with the set up on the 03 model and I drive as smooth as possible in the wet. The grip from the S0'2 in the dry is immense, (that is really the best word to describe it).
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12-23-2003, 05:17 AM
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Euan, I wish I had an empty spacious car park and a spot snow to play around with in my area. It is the best way to learn how the car handles and how to control it. Have a happy Christmas and i wish you some light snow in the new year
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