Carpokes

I'm located in Atlanta and with the temps here don't typically worry about running summer tires all through the winter. We are heading to NC over Thanksgiving and there is a cold front coming through that will drop temps at night into the high 20s and daytime up to mid 40s.

I'm concerned about the car sitting outside overnight and the tires being so cold when we need to return home on Friday.

Obviously I really want to take the C4S but don't want to make stupid mistake either.

How much of an issue will this really be?

TIA

Virtually all the ultra high performance tires caution against running in temps under 40 and though many of us have done it on occasion, a long drive with temps that low would not be an enjoyable drive. Grip and traction will be quite a bit sacrificed and though it would be fun, keep in mind the pavement is also going to be equally cool with even spots of possible black ice. Park Das Porsche this time with Thanksgiving you are blessed to own such a fun car -- and enjoy the Holiday with your family without a stressful drive.

WillyDaP wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 11:08 am Virtually all the ultra high performance tires caution against running in temps under 40 and though many of us have done it on occasion, a long drive with temps that low would not be an enjoyable drive. Grip and traction will be quite a bit sacrificed and though it would be fun, keep in mind the pavement is also going to be equally cool with even spots of possible black ice. Park Das Porsche this time with Thanksgiving you are blessed to own such a fun car -- and enjoy the Holiday with your family without a stressful drive.

Yeah, I know this is the smart and prudent thing to do...

Thanks for the input.

I was going to make a reply similar to the one Bill just posted. If your F1 tires are extreme performance summer-only (which is likely the case), then as WillyDaP mentioned, 40° is generally the cut-off. Unlike MPSC2s, I don't think the Goodyears will crack in the temps you mentioned but that is still always a possibility for soft summer high-performance compounds. Tire wty won't cover that kind of damage.

However, I'd be much more concerned about safety while driving in the colder temps. The tires will have virtually no grip and can be quite dangerous in the wrong situation.

Yeah, my biggest concern is the emergency braking and having zero grip. I can restrain myself from pushing the car in cold temps but I can't control the deer that runs out in front of me.

At home I've had the car out at 40 and just drive carefully until it warms up. But, that is coming out of my relatively warm garage. I think two nights sitting outside in such cold temps makes this a no go.

Thanks!

blueline wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 11:20 am Unlike MPSC2s, I don't think the Goodyears will crack in the temps you mentioned but that is still always a possibility for soft summer high-performance compounds. Tire wty won't cover that kind of damage.

I don't know about the Goodyears, but Pirelli is adamant that at 20°F the tires should not even be rolled or pressure adjusted until the tires get back to 40°, to prevent cracking. The PO of my Cayman lost all 4 original Yokohamas to severe tread cracks after a single short drive in 25°F weather. I wouldn't chance it either.

Arne2 wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 7:04 pm

blueline wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 11:20 am Unlike MPSC2s, I don't think the Goodyears will crack in the temps you mentioned but that is still always a possibility for soft summer high-performance compounds. Tire wty won't cover that kind of damage.

I don't know about the Goodyears, but Pirelli is adamant that at 20°F the tires should not even be rolled or pressure adjusted until the tires get back to 40°, to prevent cracking. The PO of my Cayman lost all 4 original Yokohamas to severe tread cracks after a single short drive in 25°F weather. I wouldn't chance it either.

Here's an older (2016) Porsche tech bulletin regarding same for MPSC2s mentioning your exact 20° warning in bold type. That warning would definitely apply equally to the Pirellis and probably all other high-performance summer and track-focused tires.

Having sold high performance vehicles for over 30 years I always cautioned my customers not to get excited during the late Fall or Winter for those days where a 50 degree popped up, because so often the evening before was in the 20s or 30s and the pavement was far from warm enough. Add tires that had low grip in cold temps with very cool pavement and that was the most common denominator when I got a call about an accident. Granted the number of crashes was nothing like the idiot CarFox commercials, but those two ingredients were a solid recipe for sketchy driving.

Park your Porsche and save the drive for a beautiful , warmer day! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanks for the input guys. Packing the Audi right now!

Hi. I live in Chicago IL. While my car is put away for the true winter months I've struggled with the shoulder months with just such conditions as you anticipate. I finally bit the bullet and bought a used set of BBS Sport Design wheels and put on Michelin PS AS 4 tires. They go on in September, staying on until the following spring. Storage and cost is a pain but worth it for peace of mind.