Winter tyres for the F series.

B1RMA · November 21, 2018

I'm just about to put the winter tyres on my Mini, this got me thinking about whether it's worth putting them on the RCF.

These days tyre places charge you £80 a time to change over so each year you fork out £160. So for my Mini I bought a secondhand refurbished set so as I can change straight over with no more additional costs.

I've just done a quick couple of figures for the RCF a set of 4 Pirelli Soto-zero 3's will cost £954 from Camskill who are always good on price.

If I were to buy a set wheels for the RCF say a set of Bola's for £800 it makes the whole project a bit costly although it will only be a one off cost.

I'm sort of tempted to put the RCF away for the winter as our roads do get a bit hectic when the weather really turns, of course living down near the South Coast I only put the winters on for about three months at the most so I'm more tempted to put the car away.

Anyone else put winter tyres on their F car?

MNMJ · November 21, 2018

This will be my 9th winter with an F. There has only been one 10 minute experience when I wish I had had them in all that time.

Yes, I know I ma tempting fate for this coming winter.....

B1RMA · November 21, 2018

33 minutes ago, MNMJ said:

This will be my 9th winter with an F. There has only been one 10 minute experience when I wish I had had them in all that time.

Yes, I know I ma tempting fate for this coming winter.....

I'm not a fan of the stuff they put on the roads these days either, far too gritty.

rayaans · November 21, 2018

4 hours ago, B1RMA said:

I'm just about to put the winter tyres on my Mini, this got me thinking about whether it's worth putting them on the RCF.

These days tyre places charge you £80 a time to change over so each year you fork out £160. So for my Mini I bought a secondhand refurbished set so as I can change straight over with no more additional costs.

I've just done a quick couple of figures for the RCF a set of 4 Pirelli Soto-zero 3's will cost £954 from Camskill who are always good on price.

If I were to buy a set wheels for the RCF say a set of Bola's for £800 it makes the whole project a bit costly although it will only be a one off cost.

I'm sort of tempted to put the RCF away for the winter as our roads do get a bit hectic when the weather really turns, of course living down near the South Coast I only put the winters on for about three months at the most so I'm more tempted to put the car away.

Anyone else put winter tyres on their F car?

Lexus only charge me £12.50 inc vat for changing each tyre

Also worth asking them for winter tyre quote as they will change the tyres free of charge and also store your summer tyres.

Twellsie · November 21, 2018

ATS will also change the tyres for you and store your summers

gb1600e · November 21, 2018

Having just bought my ISF I'm in 2 minds about all this. I want to use it ALL the time (does that feeling wear off ?) but know by doing so it wont likely keep in the excellent condition I bought it. Winter tyres on a 2nd set of wheels is a compromise. Mind you so is keeping the other car. Ahhh decisions decisions. Should I rely on global warming to make the decision easier.

B1RMA · November 21, 2018

1 minute ago, gb1600e said:

Having just bought my ISF I'm in 2 minds about all this. I want to use it ALL the time (does that feeling wear off ?) but know by doing so it wont likely keep in the excellent condition I bought it. Winter tyres on a 2nd set of wheels is a compromise. Mind you so is keeping the other car. Ahhh decisions decisions. Should I rely on global warming to make the decision easier.

I think you have to consider where in the UK you live, down here near the South Coast it rarely gets that cold that you would benefit from the better braking/handling in cold/wet conditions that winter tyres give.

Plus there are the gritters, when I first bought my Porsche I loved using it all the time. But one evening I took it along to my Lotus Anoraks gathering and bugger me if I didn't get well and truly showered by a gritter on the way there, I caught it on the way back both times it was on the other side of the road so couldn't avoid it. My new cars bonnet was peppered and after the winter noticed underneath how it had collected in crevices really horrible stuff.

So I'm a bit reluctant to use my RCF in the winter if I'm honest.

gb1600e · November 21, 2018

1 hour ago, B1RMA said:

I think you have to consider where in the UK you live, down here near the South Coast it rarely gets that cold that you would benefit from the better braking/handling in cold/wet conditions that winter tyres give.

Plus there are the gritters, when I first bought my Porsche I loved using it all the time. But one evening I took it along to my Lotus Anoraks gathering and bugger me if I didn't get well and truly showered by a gritter on the way there, I caught it on the way back both times it was on the other side of the road so couldn't avoid it. My new cars bonnet was peppered and after the winter noticed underneath how it had collected in crevices really horrible stuff.

So I'm a bit reluctant to use my RCF in the winter if I'm honest.

Ouch. That makes me wince, never mind you, then or now. And Yes its certainly colder Uuuup North. Keeping my IS300 Sportcross, which arguably is cheaper than a 2nd set or rims and tyres maybe the way forward me thinks. Now let me note that justification down because is a conversation I fear I will be having with the wife before Christmas.

November 21, 2018

So I'm a bit reluctant to use my RCF in the winter if I'm honest.

Well that sorts it then :D

our Tyres less effective under 10 deg and next to useless under 7 regardless of moisture.

I use a 900 quid aygo - which is remarkable for the cost of a set of hoops. And the rc feels very fast again after.

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PhoeNicks · November 21, 2018

I once flagged down a gritter and made him stop so my new (to me) car didnt get peppered. Id done it before i even realised how bizzarre it must have seemed. He did stop though, possibly out of confusion.

Its been unseasonably warm this year and only now feels like winter is setting in. My first in several years without a quattro Audi, which just refused to get stuck in the Scottish snow. The ISF is skittish in rain, so I'm going to have to find an alternative if/when it snows. I'm not going down the winter tyre route though, I love my shiny paintwork too much.

Mark G · November 22, 2018

I couldn't run mine through winter, all the salt they put down and the fact that you might have winter tyres but the car behind you probably doesn't, too much of a risk for me, I have a cheap Honda Civic, cost me £900 and its just gone through it 3rd MOT with me for the cost of a wiper blade.

Keep the miles off the F and the corrosive salt away from it, it will feel amazing come April!!!!

November 23, 2018

15 hours ago, Mark G said:

you might have winter tyres but the car behind you probably doesn't

Exactly this.

Unless it becomes law like other countries........even then.......

V8ORBUST · June 14, 2019

Sorry to resurrect this old thread.

I live (relatively speaking) up north and i have fitted winter tyres to both my Alfa and my 640d in the past. With my Alfa, I couldn’t get across the pavement onto my drive when we had a few flakes of snow without a fight, so winter tyres it had to be. With them on, I could drive on snow almost like in the dry, totally transformed.

With my BMW, I purchased a spare set of brand new borbet alloys with tyres for less than a grand and sold them on a well known auction site after 2 years. Again, car transformed, even just in the wet.

I was sold on winter tyres given their superior performance from 7*c and below and the fact they wear more slowly. My winters on both sets of cars were far cheaper than my summers as well.

I will certainly investigate winter tyres for the RC F, whether that be with a spare set of wheels or not. My long commute necessitates I’m ready for all conditions in the winter, the RX I’m sure would hack it, but she ain’t getting any younger, but I suppose for the one or 2 snowy days we get, she’d manage.

B1RMA · June 14, 2019

13 minutes ago, V8ORBUST said:

Sorry to resurrect this old thread.

I live (relatively speaking) up north and i have fitted winter tyres to both my Alfa and my 640d in the past. With my Alfa, I couldn’t get across the pavement onto my drive when we had a few flakes of snow without a fight, so winter tyres it had to be. With them on, I could drive on snow almost like in the dry, totally transformed.

With my BMW, I purchased a spare set of brand new borbet alloys with tyres for less than a grand and sold them on a well known auction site after 2 years. Again, car transformed, even just in the wet.

I was sold on winter tyres given their superior performance from 7*c and below and the fact they wear more slowly. My winters on both sets of cars were far cheaper than my summers as well.

I will certainly investigate winter tyres for the RC F, whether that be with a spare set of wheels or not. My long commute necessitates I’m ready for all conditions in the winter, the RX I’m sure would hack it, but she ain’t getting any younger, but I suppose for the one or 2 snowy days we get, she’d manage.

I think if you live up North winter tyres are far more important than down here on the South Coast, although I will qualify that by saying low temperature performance is the thing with winter tyres.

If you can use another vehicle when it turns bad all the better it's something I do. After all it's the other drivers you have to be careful of when the weather's bad and as careful as i am driving to how the conditions dictate other people may not be. So my RCF doesn't get used much in the winter.

June 14, 2019

Yeah, spend a fortune on winter tyres and watch a BMW on summer tyres slam into you. Or take the aygo on skinny wheels and an 800 quid screen price.

Not only that but when they start salting, that gets everywhere.

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