[AlbertaMS3]

Hi all,

I just picked up my MS3 on Tuesday and love the car. I am at 575 miles already, so very soon I will be able to test the car properly.

Enjoy the pictures from my drive home.

Dwayne

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

 

[kyasa]

Damn I envy you! While silver isn't the most exciting color, it looks great at night, and looks really nice in your pictures. Nice car, nice pics.
How is it handling in the snow?

 

[zoom_craigy_zoom]

Lookin' good! :goodjob: What kind of rims are those? They look like shoguns.

 

[AlbertaMS3]

[quote author=kyasa link=topic=66836.msg1148381#msg1148381 date=1168738684]
Damn I envy you! While silver isn't the most exciting color, it looks great at night, and looks really nice in your pictures. Nice car, nice pics.
How is it handling in the snow?
[/quote]

Thanks, that reminds me that I need to take some night pictures. The car handles fantastically in the snow and ice. I have to credit the Dunlop Winter Sport M3's for that as I have heard others driving the stock tires in the snow tend to slide around a lot. I have driven on 5% grades of solid ice with no difficulty.

[quote author=zoom_craigy_zoom link=topic=66836.msg1148570#msg1148570 date=1168748748]
Lookin' good! :goodjob: What kind of rims are those? They look like shoguns.
[/quote]

Actually the wheels are stock 17" Mazda6 wheels. I found them in Atlanta on Craig's List for $255 including shipping. I really like them for a winter set, but do want to see the 18's on the car. I haven't personally seen them on my car yet as I had the dealer put on the winter wheels before I picked the car up.

 

[zoom_craigy_zoom]

[quote author=AlbertaMS3 link=topic=66836.msg1148663#msg1148663 date=1168751488]
[quote author=kyasa link=topic=66836.msg1148381#msg1148381 date=1168738684]
Damn I envy you! While silver isn't the most exciting color, it looks great at night, and looks really nice in your pictures. Nice car, nice pics.
How is it handling in the snow?
[/quote]

Thanks, that reminds me that I need to take some night pictures. The car handles fantastically in the snow and ice. I have to credit the Dunlop Winter Sport M3's for that as I have heard others driving the stock tires in the snow tend to slide around a lot. I have driven on 5% grades of solid ice with no difficulty.

[quote author=zoom_craigy_zoom link=topic=66836.msg1148570#msg1148570 date=1168748748]
Lookin' good! :goodjob: What kind of rims are those? They look like shoguns.
[/quote]

Actually the wheels are stock 17" Mazda6 wheels. I found them in Atlanta on Craig's List for $255 including shipping. I really like them for a winter set, but do want to see the 18's on the car. I haven't personally seen them on my car yet as I had the dealer put on the winter wheels before I picked the car up.
[/quote]

Oh, no kidding... I should have picked up on that... one of my coworkers has a mazda6.

 

[bani]

[quote author=AlbertaMS3 link=topic=66836.msg1148663#msg1148663 date=1168751488]
Thanks, that reminds me that I need to take some night pictures. The car handles fantastically in the snow and ice. I have to credit the Dunlop Winter Sport M3's for that as I have heard others driving the stock tires in the snow tend to slide around a lot. I have driven on 5% grades of solid ice with no difficulty.
[/quote]

exact same setup as I have on my silver sport speed3. the more i drive on the dunlop m3's the more i'm impressed. i have no problems powering up ice covered hills while watching SUVs and trucks hopelessly slide around.

oh, and limited slip diff is awesome for ice...

 

[AlbertaMS3]

[quote author=bani link=topic=66836.msg1148904#msg1148904 date=1168785732]

exact same setup as I have on my silver sport speed3. the more i drive on the dunlop m3's the more i'm impressed. i have no problems powering up ice covered hills while watching SUVs and trucks hopelessly slide around.

oh, and limited slip diff is awesome for ice...
[/quote]

You live in Seattle don't you Bani? I had a layover there on Tuesday and found it quite balmy. Got on the plane in -5C (23F) in Calgary and got off in Seattle where it was about +10C (50F). Do you have a lot of snow and ice now?

 

[kyasa]

^^^^
A friend of mine is coming home from Bainbridge Island today which is about a 30 min. ferry ride from Seattle and when I talked to him on Saturday he said there was 2-3 inches of snow. While I don't think snow is common in the area, it's the second time this year. If you are a football fan you will remember when Greenbay played in Seattle it looked like they brought Wisconsin with them. So he has probably had a couple opportunities. Sounds like people have been leaving there cars on the highways because the roads were so icy.

 

[bani]

[quote author=AlbertaMS3 link=topic=66836.msg1150380#msg1150380 date=1168876106]
You live in Seattle don't you Bani? I had a layover there on Tuesday and found it quite balmy. Got on the plane in -5C (23F) in Calgary and got off in Seattle where it was about +10C (50F). Do you have a lot of snow and ice now?
[/quote]

it just recently snowed again. it melts during the day then re-freezes in the evening. result = glare ice all over the place. pretty treacherous, since it alternates between bone dry pavement and sudden patches of polished ice. the speed3 + dunlops handled the conditions like a champ, while everyone else spun their wheels wildly.

 

[zoom_craigy_zoom]

Its been terribly icy in this part of the nation as well, and I just converted over to Pirelli P6 Four Seasons before winter started. I haven't had a problem as of yet, slipping or spinning at all. I'm pleased with them.
The key really, is to just take your time, and make sure that you keep a safe distance from other vehicles, and give yourself plenty of extra stopping distance.

 

[mica3speedy]

congrats and welcome to the forums 8) . I may consider those m3's for next winter

 

[kyasa]

Ya... be careful guys, I don't want to hear of any beautiful ms3 slidding of the highway and into a divider or anything

 

[e60lover]

I'm Jeleous....

 

[r-sports]

I also have a sunlight silver MS3 it's the one with the missing Bose and CD changer posted on forums. I live in Portland, Oregon and we are having a freak snow storm most the main streets are fine now. Tonight when trying to climb up a short hill I just spun like crazy with stock tires. I dropped the pressure in tires way down and no traction at all worst handling FWD I have ever driven in snow. The road was off the main streets and had about 1.5" of slushy snow with maybe some packed snow under it less than .75" and I got no where! Luckily some friends were all there in their cars and they pushed me up the hill on foot while spinning the tires up the hill it took a long time and a lot of effort.

I am a professional & competition driver I have even ice raced in the past and after that hill I am scared to drive the car in this weather. The car started sliding down the hill backward with the handbrake on when we were letting air out of the tires. I jumped in and just parked it at the bottom of the hill before making a last attempt at the hill with a slew of friends applying brute force to the car to get traction up the hill.

What has everyone experienced with stock tires in the mid western states in the snow? Should I spend the $800.00 and get some winter tires for the car. Never in my life had to buy winter tires for a FWD car before. We also get very little snow here and when we do it's a couple day thing at most once every few years.

Drives me crazy because I am a Renault owner for over 35+ years have had at least 20 of them and could go any where climb any hill snow or ice. My Hopped up LeCar with all R5 Alpine Turbo running gear even with 185-60-13 falkens I had no issues, and with the stock 155 SR70 13's I could literally go anywhere.

 

[AlbertaMS3]

I guess if you only have a few snow days a year, you should just not drive the MS3 on those days. I think this car handles great in the snow. Yesterday I was driving 75 mph on a snow covered freeway, changing lanes, braking, etc. and the car never had a hint of losing traction. I believe it's all in the tires. I bought the four Mazda6 rims and the Dunlop Winter Sport M3's for ~$830 USD, and think it is well worth the investment. Plus I am saving wear on my 18's.

We have snow on the roads for about 6 months of the year, so I need a good set of winter tires.

Dwayne

 

[bani]

[quote author=r-sports link=topic=66836.msg1155595#msg1155595 date=1169113792]Should I spend the $800.00 and get some winter tires for the car.[/quote]

if you really have to ask this question, your ms3 should remain parked. :squint:

what exactly were you expecting from RE050A's? :huh:

 

[sgon]

will season tires work? I was in downtown seattle yesterday was kind rainning , on the very step hill red stop light , first gear,but the wheel spin out, the tire had trouble gripping the road, the moron behind start honking at me like WTF so I gave him the finger

 

[bani]

[quote author=sgon link=topic=66836.msg1157392#msg1157392 date=1169205051]
will season tires work? I was in downtown seattle yesterday was kind rainning , on the very step hill red stop light , first gear,but the wheel spin out, the tire had trouble gripping the road, the moron behind start honking at me like WTF so I gave him the finger
[/quote]

get winter tires.

 

[zoom_craigy_zoom]

[quote author=bani link=topic=66836.msg1159171#msg1159171 date=1169266815]
[quote author=sgon link=topic=66836.msg1157392#msg1157392 date=1169205051]
will season tires work? I was in downtown seattle yesterday was kind rainning , on the very step hill red stop light , first gear,but the wheel spin out, the tire had trouble gripping the road, the moron behind start honking at me like WTF so I gave him the finger
[/quote]

get winter tires.
[/quote]

I have Pirelli P6 Four Seasons tires, and I haven't had an issue with them in any weather. When its really slick out, I just start out in 2nd gear. (I have an atx transmission, tiptronic.)

 

[bani]

how the p6 compares 8)

with better tires you wouldnt have to start out in 2nd gear...