I recently bought a 2003 S8 and it has since transpired that it is equipped with "High-Performance Summer Tires".

Also I can't find any categorical information on the advisability of driving in the Winter Season using Summer Tires and not being a professional Tire technician I don't know that much about it but my research has highlighted that freezing temperatures, and ice are not suitable for these tires. I live in NYC so winters here are hardly mild but not that harsh either, the car is 4WD so I have no idea what to expect or whether it is indeed advisable. There is a huge difference between Not Suitable/Optimal and Not functional.

Does anyone out there have any insights/experiences with optimal tire configuration's for S8's?

 

summer tires in snowy/icy conditions = not fun....

 

I would think the S8 is somewhat the same when it comes to tires. I have pirelli p-zeros on my s4. I live in Central Oregon and I have never put snow tires on and we get about 6' of snow a year. I have been over Mnt. Hood and the other passes and have never had a problem, but to each there own. .
Im sure if I had studs on it would do a ton better. I just go slow and pay attention. Good luck.

 

You drive with the P-Zero's on year round???

Eh, remember it's not the tread that makes the tires more problematic in the winter, but more so the compound. High Performance tires are made out of a softer compound rubber than winter tires or all season ones for that matter. When exposed to a certain temperature (normally around the freezing point) they will begin to crack when used often in cold weather, eventually damaging your tire and hurting your performance.

 

I never thought of that, maybe its time to look into a winter tire. Ive ran P-zeros since I bought the car brand new in 2002. I have never noticed a decline in the performance from one winter to the next. I got almost 45000 miles on the first pair. Im on my second know.

 

There are numerous PZero models including one for "All Season" the "PZero Nero M+S"

 

I was thinking about it and dont you think the manufactures would have some issues if there tires were cracking under certain cold temps? So the temp thing does not really make sense. I can see if it is a 10000 mile true street tire, but not an all round tire.

 

All season tires don't have the problem, it's the tires which the S4's come with or other tires you may buy which are high performance "summer tires". Most dealers will usually tell you this when you purchase the vehicle, too (in fact, an Audi salesman told me this when my father was thinking about purchasing a B6, and that since we live in Wisconsin, it's not safe to keep the tires on for this reason). The tread does make a difference but it's a common misconception that that is why people change them in the first place. Softer compound tires stick to the road better and offer superior performance in optimum weather over a harder compound that doesn't grip nearly as well. But in the snow, that soft compound will harden due to the low temperature and become brittle. The cracks aren't extremely noticable either, but it will hinder the life-span of your tires if it happens.

The dealer SHOULD recommend you to change your tires during the winter, most do. A lot of people just think it's the tread pattern that is important. And it really isn't a huge safety hazard, they aren't going to blow out on you or anything obscure, it's just going to hurt your tires.

 

Mott, that makes sense. I looked at some studded tires today and bought them. It is much better know in the snow and ice and I get to put my stret tires in the nice warm garage. Thanks for the insight.

 

Heh, no problem man. Just wanna make sure you keep your nice tires in check for when the pedal is down