Larry/car

Now that Labor Day is upon us it is time to start thinking how cooler weather will affect the car's handling/operation. Your engine will perform better, unfortunately tire performance degrades with declining temperatures. Eighty degree days and fifty degree nights, start thinking about tire performance after the sun goes down. Below fifty degrees traction really declines. Don't explore the real estate along the side of the road, be careful.

maugust24

Cooler weather!!! Whathu talken bout? Southern Cal don't have winters.

Patman

Maybe not winter in terms of snow, but you can certainly get your share of nights into the 40s. And I'm sure at higher elevations it's going to occasionally dip into the 30s even. That's cool enough to see a pretty big difference in traction compared to summer time weather. I'd much rather be in Southern Florida in the winter, where it's still 75-80 degrees a lot of days and typically only drops to the low to mid 60s overnight.

YO-EL

Solution:

4thC4at60

Got more than 600,000 miles in Corvettes over the past 26-years in 45 of the lower 48-states in all sorts of weather - including blizzards - watch the torque.... you'll be fine.

Patman

I drove my old C5 through 7 Toronto winters and I'd never do it again, I had far too many close calls. Just because you can drive a Corvette in the winter doesn't mean it's a good idea. These cars sit far too low to drive in the snow, even with the right tires you're still faced with the problem of very low ground clearance. Plain and simple, these cars should be kept out of the deep snow.

Silver Stingray

Yeah right macho man. Try some snow driving on modern day performance rubber. It won't even sit still on a flat driveway. Heck, even cold asphalt is treacherous with these tires.

C2367

Cooler weather don't think well be anytime soon here. Next Saturday in Fontana well be in the low 90's, that is good if you want to go slow. It is never too cold her, just to hot. You could treat your tires with some Formula V tire treatment if you want to soften them up.

maugust24

Your statements are true mostly. But the last 2 yrs have been hot and dry even in the mountains. We did have a week or two of some 40 degree days but not many. We were in the 90,s most of Jan, Feb & March this year. We need some rain & snow badly. We have been on water rations for 2 years now.

JerryU

I recall a year or two ago a poster from Southern CA (perhaps from a higher elevation) said he "refused" to use my suggested method of dealing with excess chatter! Perhaps he has switched to all-season or winter tires!

When it gets to 45 F in the mornings in Eastern SC I do not turn my steering wheel near full lock when backing out of the garage. I turn much less and make a "K" turn. It does feel like the front end is falling apart at 35 to 40! The car hops!

Vetteman Jack

OP is right - won't be long before the temps will be dipping down and traction will be affected. We've already seen a few nights in the 50s.

Larry/car

Use 50 degrees as a good reference number. When I had my C6, the OEM GY tires would really start to lose traction at that temperature (a .5g turn would be about the limit). The C7's base tires are considerably better. I have driven my C7 at temperatures in the low thirties and the car didn't exhibit any bad tendencies (did drive it like a Buick).

Mike Campbell

50 degrees?!?! We'd be wearing our snuggies and huddled together
by the heater down here! Of course I don't know if the heater works. Never turned it on yet.

JerryU

For those first time recent owners, the traction does get poor at 45 until the tires warm up. I live ~2 miles from a 4 lane divided highway and must merge into 65 mph traffic. I'm leaving our 25 mph limit road so no time or speed to warm the tires. I'm usually in Sport and with even less throttle than when warm the rear steps out slightly when I accelerate moderately into traffic. In ~5 miles the tires do get warm and traction is back to ~normal. If it's under 45F I set it in Weather Mode and the nannies provide even more control. I fine the best indicator to tire temp is tire pressure. At our temps the Cold/Warm/Hot tire temp display always shows reads Warm.

Had the car 3 years and after the morning we're usually past 50 F by mid day at the coldest time of the year. However last year I had a late night meeting. When I came out it was 35 F and didn't think about it! Traction stayed poor the 15 miles home. Just have to be careful.

alamo1974

Texas - not a problem 99% of the time