Tire question for anyone driving their car in colder weather.

[Hack]

I have driven V6 and GT Mustangs year round, but I wouldn't recommend it with a GT500. I did drive my GT350 occasionally in the cold and sometimes in the snow, and it handled weather just fine. I used my Pilot SS tires down in the 20s and they were fine as long as I was sensible with the throttle. Of course if I was told the tire's can't be used below 40 I wouldn't use them in the cold. At the time I didn't have any information that said 20F was a problem for the Pilot SS tires.

But the nice thing about the GT350 is if you keep the revs down it doesn't have a lot of torque. And it has very tall gears, which also keeps wheel torque down. The GT500 with 7 speeds has a lot of engine and wheel torque. And heavier cars are not as good in slippery conditions.

I do expect that snow/weather mode is good in the GT500, but with a DCT you don't have quite as good control over how much power is applied to the wheels compared to a manual. You also don't have an easy power disconnect device (clutch) that you can step on. Engine braking can break the tires loose under no throttle just like heavy throttle can break the tires loose.

Sure you can drive a GT500 year round no problem, but I wouldn't, especially with something so valuable and a little less suited for it. I'd buy a second car for slippery conditions. I have a Fiesta ST, but if you're a baller buy a Cayman or something similar. I think a Porsche would be the perfect sporty car for low traction winter driving if you have money to burn. From what I understand they are great handling cars at the limits. And winter gives the only opportunity to explore those limits without going to the track.

You can get by with all season tires, but I don't like them. I prefer snow tires because you will get better grip if you hit a patch of ice or something. But then I also hate to slow down when it's snowy and icy. If you're a really patient and careful driver you can certainly get by with all seasons. My philosophy is I'm paying for a sporty car and I want as much traction as I can get at all times.

Edit: I also wouldn't recommend weight in the trunk. It can shift around and damage things. I learned that lesson back in my Fox body days.

 

[Mach VII]

Not a GT500 but had my 5.0 out this morning, 27* and moderate rain! That's not a wet road, it's ice! Blizzaks and thoughtful driving makes it doable. p.s. was out getting breakfast lol

 

[93 347 Cobra]

Driving a GT500 in the cold and driving a Mustang GT in the cold are two very different things. Not trying to be a snob but different demographic. GT500 owners typically don't daily drive their rides and are super anal about every detail about the tires. If a GT500 owner were to drive consistently in the cold they'd likely at least have performance 3 season tires on. Throw a large positive displacement blower on a V8 and that low end torque curve isn't amenable to driving on rock hard tires in the winter. For GT owners who are more likely to daily drive their rides just don't be stupid about it and watch out for tire cracking.

 

[Evolvd]

I have driven V6 and GT Mustangs year round, but I wouldn't recommend it with a GT500. I did drive my GT350 occasionally in the cold and sometimes in the snow, and it handled weather just fine. I used my Pilot SS tires down in the 20s and they were fine as long as I was sensible with the throttle. Of course if I was told the tire's can't be used below 40 I wouldn't use them in the cold. At the time I didn't have any information that said 20F was a problem for the Pilot SS tires.

But the nice thing about the GT350 is if you keep the revs down it doesn't have a lot of torque. And it has very tall gears, which also keeps wheel torque down. The GT500 with 10 speeds has a lot of engine and wheel torque. And heavier cars are not as good in slippery conditions.

I do expect that snow/weather mode is good in the GT500, but with a DCT you don't have quite as good control over how much power is applied to the wheels compared to a manual. You also don't have an easy power disconnect device (clutch) that you can step on. Engine braking can break the tires loose under no throttle just like heavy throttle can break the tires loose.

Sure you can drive a GT500 year round no problem, but I wouldn't, especially with something so valuable and a little less suited for it. I'd buy a second car for slippery conditions. I have a Fiesta ST, but if you're a baller buy a Cayman or something similar. I think a Porsche would be the perfect sporty car for low traction winter driving if you have money to burn. From what I understand they are great handling cars at the limits. And winter gives the only opportunity to explore those limits without going to the track.

You can get by with all season tires, but I don't like them. I prefer snow tires because you will get better grip if you hit a patch of ice or something. But then I also hate to slow down when it's snowy and icy. If you're a really patient and careful driver you can certainly get by with all seasons. My philosophy is I'm paying for a sporty car and I want as much traction as I can get at all times.

Edit: I also wouldn't recommend weight in the trunk. It can shift around and damage things. I learned that lesson back in my Fox body days.

GT500 is a 7 speed.

None the less, nobody is in here saying it’s impossible to drive on PS4 tires in cold weather. I do it, but I also drive like grandma when it’s below 50. Unfortunately some think they have to measure their driving prowess with the lengths of their Vienna sausages and give no consideration to the fact that these tires are not chemically designed for cold weather.
But I guess owning more mustangs than anyone and being a “racer” means you know better than the engineers who design the tire compounds , you know cause there’s so many races in 20 degree weather on summer street tires

 

[Evolvd]

Driving a GT500 in the cold and driving a Mustang GT in the cold are two very different things. Not trying to be a snob but different demographic. GT500 owners typically don't daily drive their rides and are super anal about every detail about the tires. If a GT500 owner were to drive consistently in the cold they'd likely at least have performance 3 season tires on. Throw a large positive displacement blower on a V8 and that low end torque curve isn't amenable to driving on rock hard tires in the winter. For GT owners who are more likely to daily drive their rides just don't be stupid about it and watch out for tire cracking.

Hey now, I daily my GT500 lol. The power and torque means nothing at light throttle. There’s zero difference between driving a GT and GT500 until you’re past half throttle. I’ve owned both and the car has no impact on the tire compound and chemical composition. You can wreck a Corolla just as fast as a GT500 if you’re not using common sense with temps and tires.

 

[Evolvd]

I must have a special set of rear tires. I can’t tell any difference between winter and summer driving with these tires. But of course I’m a race car driver. I’ve probably owned more mustang than most people on here. But I don’t know what I’m doing according to tire gods on here. Guess I will break out the GoPro. And show you people how a mustang was meant to be driven. Better yet I might just start my own driving school.

You’re a race car driver but can’t tell the difference how tires react to different temps? Tell us you’re full of without telling us you’re full of .

Hope you offer free tuition to that school since it seems you don’t understand the basics of tire compounds.

 

[justinmiles]

Driving skills is all it takes.

 

[Hack]

GT500 is a 7 speed.

None the less, nobody is in here saying it’s impossible to drive on PS4 tires in cold weather. I do it, but I also drive like grandma when it’s below 50. Unfortunately some think they have to measure their driving prowess with the lengths of their Vienna sausages and give no consideration to the fact that these tires are not chemically designed for cold weather.
But I guess owning more mustangs than anyone and being a “racer” means you know better than the engineers who design the tire compounds , you know cause there’s so many races in 20 degree weather on summer street tires

Thanks for the correction. I was confusing the DCT with the automatic, I guess. I think my point still holds that the wheel torque available on launch is high with the GT500 - making it a little more difficult to control when there's not much traction available.

Yeah, I also take it easy when it's cold. Of course. My easy means I pass most other people on the road, but I'm still being careful.

I assume the second half of your post is aimed at someone else, not me. I'm not a racer and I only own a single S550. It's currently in the garage on jackstands with the Pirellis stacked in the corner because you aren't supposed to have the car's weight on them when it's below 40 or 45 or something like that.

 

[Hack]

Hey now, I daily my GT500 lol. The power and torque means nothing at light throttle. There’s zero difference between driving a GT and GT500 until you’re past half throttle. I’ve owned both and the car has no impact on the tire compound and chemical composition. You can wreck a Corolla just as fast as a GT500 if you’re not using common sense with temps and tires.

Florida doesn't have cold weather so there's really nothing to worry about there. Definitely daily whatever you want in Florida.

 

[Tonymustang302]

I must have a special set of rear tires. I can’t tell any difference between winter and summer driving with these tires. But of course I’m a race car driver. I’ve probably owned more mustang than most people on here. But I don’t know what I’m doing according to tire gods on here. Guess I will break out the GoPro. And show you people how a mustang was meant to be driven. Better yet I might just start my own driving school.

Yea, and you’re probably driving the v6 so you dont have enough power to spin the tires in the ice

 

[Evolvd]

Florida doesn't have cold weather so there's really nothing to worry about there. Definitely daily whatever you want in Florida.

You’re right I wasn’t referring to you about the racing comments lol. And you’d be surprised, last week I drove to work in mid 30s temps. And yes there is a lot of torque available, but just like a GT if you don’t hammer it down, it drives like any other car. The power is not an “on or off” switch. It’s very easy to drive the car and never enter boost.

 

[93 347 Cobra]

Hey now, I daily my GT500 lol. The power and torque means nothing at light throttle. There’s zero difference between driving a GT and GT500 until you’re past half throttle. I’ve owned both and the car has no impact on the tire compound and chemical composition. You can wreck a Corolla just as fast as a GT500 if you’re not using common sense with temps and tires.

Not true at all. That's just hyperbole. You actually thought and typed on your keyboard that you can wreck a Corolla just as fast as a GT500. I'm not sure where it doesn't compute with you that torque on tip-in throttle and at thresholds well below 50% can break the tires loose on a GT500 in cold road conditions.

 

[AngelDeath]

You’re a race car driver but can’t tell the difference how tires react to different temps? Tell us you’re full of without telling us you’re full of .

Hope you offer free tuition to that school since it seems you don’t understand the basics of tire compounds.

He has a '20 Mustang GT, standard they come with all season tires, not summer tires, and according to him he isnt going to spend money on tires, but he's going to upgrade them when its built? Please, its not even a gt premium, so let ignore the kiddies and move on with this conversation with educated people and not people who drive

and consider themselves a race car driver.

 

[Evolvd]

Not true at all. That's just hyperbole. You actually thought and typed on your keyboard that you can wreck a Corolla just as fast as a GT500. I'm not sure where it doesn't compute with you that torque on tip-in throttle and at thresholds well below 50% can break the tires loose on a GT500 in cold road conditions.

Uhm maybe because I own a GT500 and have owned a Corolla lol. But I don’t care if you believe me. I’ve actually driven both in January in NW Florida where temps get into the low 30s. I can break traction with either car at those temps. However, I don’t drive like a jackass when it’s cold and can actually use common sense when conditions aren’t ideal.
Maybe that’s the part you aren’t understanding? We can “what if” this all day but I’m not an idiot when I drive. It’s like you seem to think it’s impossible to ever drive a high horsepower car safely in cold weather and anyone who claims otherwise isn’t to be believed

 

[Jmeo]

Unless you can fill this, you can't talk on the subject............