I got my RX-8 last year just before winter but never drove it much in ice conditions due to the mild conditions we had and the fact I was taking public transit for work. Well tonight was the first night we had freezing rain in Newmarket and of course my wife asks me to make a run to the grocery store for bread for my son's lunch in the morning. I was really pleased with how well the RX-8 handled in the weather particularly since some of the intersections were pure ice from cars stopping and going at the lights.

I've never had a car with traction and stability control before and it was nice seeing how much the traction control helped. Most of my winter driving experience is in front-wheel drive cars (Integra, Celica and wifes Golf) or All Wheel (Saturn Vue, Kia Sorento) except for four years in a Miata which had no driver aids. I remember with the Miata how much care you needed to take with the gas to get the car going on sheets of ice and to keep the back-end from swinging out one way or the other. The traction control on the RX-8 on the other hand does a great job of helping to keeping the car on the straight and narrow. I'm sure my experience in the Miata serves me well but a little technological aid doesn't hurt either and the couple of times it kicked in was nice.

BTW if anyone in Newmarket is out driving tonite take extreme care around the St Johns/Bayview intersection as that one was the worst and was a pure sheet of ice, there is already one truck off near the SuperStore in the guard rail.

 

Yeah tonight was definitely hazardous, I hope our beloved members are all safe and sound. This is as good as winter needs to get, as far as driving is concerned.

And for those who drive the 8 all winter long, I hope you're enjoying those extra moments of fun! Gerald, I can imagine the Miata experience went a long way to hardening your winter driving skills, that car would take quite a bit of handling to keep straight. (Presumably the older model, if there is no electronic assistance.)

The RX8 can give you the same, should you find yourself on a nice, wide, empty road, or a big open parking lot. You just flick off the traction, and find out how sideways you can get! Obviously you should be prudent if it's your first time trying it though, I've had a few DAMN close calls, in only two years of ownership, you could say I've learned my lessons on prudence.

 

Fell victim to the snow / freezing last week.

As some may have seen im looking for a pair of tail lights, I was still on my summer tires last weekend and was on the gardiner on ramp from the browns line exit.

I was half way up the ramp and hit some ice I was turning right and the car went straight on, i mounted the curb, damaged both my driver's side rims and the back bumper bounced off the curb, broke both my tail lights and I lost my front lip.

The car otherwise is physically fine, and I am also fine. All in all I got lucky, so if anyone has any leads for me on a set of taillights I would appreciate it.

Stay safe everyone, I have a feeling this is just the start of the bad weather, those of us driving the 8's during the winter need to be extra careful.

Cheers,

Wheels416

 

I don't drive my 8 in the winter but I did own a 1992 Miata that I winter drove. The car was lowered as well but with winter tires on I never had a problem. I drove the car through snow storms and even one really bad ice storm. Those cars are so well balanced that with the right tires they are awesome.
Tires are the most important handling aspect of your car, **** 'all season' tires, there is no such thing in my mind. Winters and summers, that's it.

 

Heyo there.

I just bought my 2009 GT last week.

It came with the summer tires and eventhough there was no snow or ice last week, I could tell that they wernt working rigth due to the fridged temps.

Went to aurora wheel and tire and grabbed a set of kumho kw-22's and 17' alloys for 1300 all in.

Diamond grey Rx-8. look out!

 

Good move if you plan on driving north of 7, keep an eye out for me. Red R3 it's my DD as well.
cheers
And a big welcome to the madness