Are performance tires a poor choice in very cold, but dry, weather?

[Dick Schneiders]

I have Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position tires on one of my 1991 525i's. I know that they would be very dangerous to use on any icy or snowy roads, but I wonder how they would handle on dry pavement in very cold temperatures. I live in Kansas, where the temps get below zero degrees F. in the winter. Is it possible that there might be something in the rubber composition of these tires that would also make them poor handlers under these very cold conditions? I want to try and leave them on the car through the winter and drive our 3rd car, a 1986 VW GTI, those few times that we have snow or ice on the roads.

Any thoughts or experiences?

By the way, these S-03's are easily the best tires I have ever used on warm weather, wet pavement. They are very sticky on wet pavement, and I have given them several tests during a rainstorm on isolated stretches of road. I love these tires!

Thanks,

Dick Schneiders

[bahnstormer]

Kumho 712's which are similiar harden up tremendously below 35F. The Kumho tech said the tire are not meant to be used in the winter b/c the compound is too hard, thus it won't grip.

Even so, I drove all winter with them, a little slippy but nothing that being careful
wouldn't handle. =]

-Martin

[Mr Project]

I drove my RX-7 on Yoko AVS-Intermediates in the cold a few times. In snow or ice, it was a deathtrap. When just cold, it was ok, but not great. The cheapo snow tires I bought were better, not necessarily more grippy, but more predictable in cold temps, and if you hit a patch of ice or something, you would live through it. Not so much with the AVS-I's.

I would recommend a least a set of all-seasons (no-seasons, I call them :) ) for winter. You won't be able to enjoy the S-03s anyway, so why wear them out? It's just asking for trouble IMO.