I have my XKR and Infiniti G37 convertible garaged stored for the winter. Fortunately, I have a 4X4 truck and an AWD Volvo also to drive which I use for winter driving. I'm just wondering what the XK/XKR is like in the winter with rear wheel drive and 510 hp on the XKR? I find my XKR lacks traction in the best of conditions. Also, where I live the streets are over spread with traction stones (very small stones left over from processing gravel) which I find very damaging to cars without mud flaps. I find the XK/XKR has no stone chip protection. I'm going to apply 3M clear stone chip protection on the lower 12" of my car before I dive it again. Comments please.

 

If you're asking whether we drive when there's snow on the ground, then my answer is no. The other factor is the amount of sand/salt left over from inclement weather. However, it's 11F this morning, roads are clear and I'll be driving the XKR to work. The Dunlops that came with the car tend to flat spot in cold weather so I try to minimize this by taking the XKR out about once every 2 weeks in winter.

Mike

 

As long as the road is not white, I am driving my XK all year long. If I have to drive like an old lady to be safe, so be it... Heck, I drove an S2000 through 4 winters with S03's on them. Talk about taking it easy on the road!

 

if you have an XKR...the chances are you're wearing summer tires

summer tires + snow = DEATH

as far as the salt and stones are concerned....you're going to create a nightmare for yourself with chips all over the bottom ends of your car. the 3M protector is necessary.

 

+1

 

This isn't even an exaggeration. Just because your summer tires may look similar to an all season tire or snow tire (they're round and black!) it will not work at all in the snow.

 

As your teacher Mister Spock is fond of saying, 'I like to think there always are ...possibilities.'

-Admiral James T Kirk

 

They have a great product called clear bra. You may be aware of it because it is offered at Jag dealers. You can see the edge of it but otherwise it is invisible. It is typically used on the front bumper, hood, door edges etc. but I don't see why you couldn't use it on the lower side of the car, I would. I put it on every new car that I buy.

 

I picked up a role of 12" 3M Clear Paint Protector. I'm going to run it down the sides between the wheels. Will need to do it in sections. I have side sill mouldings on my XKR as part of the 175 aero package option. I tried to take them off so I could put the 3M protector just under the mouldings, but the screws just kept turning and would not come out. So, I will go around everything. My car only has 3,800 miles and I can already see paint damage from road stones. I've also seen a recall notice concerning stone damage and the bulletin suggested an application of clear film protector.

 

Now THEY would probably make it safer in ice and snow.
Are they for real? If so what are they?
I'm not sure I need to drive in it that badly.

 

... for some maybe ... not all

 

[for some maybe] For some absolutely. Without a doubt some people have lost their life because they were driving in winter conditions with summer tires.

[not all] Not all, but why make yourself the next victim or worse, you may take someone else's life (the little boy or girl crossing the street and you could not stop in time, or control your car away from them). Shame on you for being so self interested.

I don't know how many times I almost lost control of a vehicle while driving during winter conditions (snow, ice, black ice etc.). I'm sure, on a few occasions if I had summer tires on I would not be here today.

 

That reminds me of what a Porsche championship race series winner said to a group of us at Mosport..."There's only two kinds of race drivers...those who have hit the wall, and those who will".

I think that might apply to winter driving on summer tires as well!

Bruce

 

i live in detroit, mi and it was 19 degrees yesterday.. but no snow on the ground. i got my jag wash and parked it at my business... when i closed for the day i came out and tried to open the car door. it was frooze. finally i got it open... with a little forceful pulling.. got in it and shut the door... and it didnt close... the lock is frozen.... go figure...so i had to drive home with the door open... pulling it with my right hand the to keep it from flying open on the freeway. the gear selector warning on the display... with the ding ding ding ding ding sound ringing constantly ... had i known this was going to happen i would have never pulled her out the garage ...these cars are very sensitive...guess i'll take her back to the jag dealership to get the lock fixed.

 

Three suggestions - from past experience - before taking your cat to the dealer. 1. Park it inside a heated garage for several hours. 2. take a portable hairdryer on high to any locks or flaps (fuel tank filler) that might be frozen. That will defrost and get rid of the ice. And 3, don't get your car washed and then expose it to 19f degree temperature before it has a chance to thoroughly dry out.

 

Same thing happen to me, I sprayed the locks and eventually she got use to cold weather and has not happened since. Never happpened on VDP

 

Now we're talking snow tires. Look like Michelin X-Ice with studs. Put them on the XKR, turn off DSC and start digging two flat trenches.

 

hello,

Thank you for all the post to resolve my issue with the frozen door.

so i finally had time to day after work to try to do the hair dryer and oil the door lock...before i take it to the dealership to get sandbagged and bent over ... i parked the car in my garage a couple days ago when she started acting up.... the garage is not heated but the temp in Detroit today got to 48 degrees. i left the key fab in the house intentionally so the door would stay locked. i walked out to my jag like it was going down.. i armed myself with the 3 in-one-oil in one hand and a hair dryer in the other ... i pulled on the drivers side door... and it stayed locked and wouldn't open... so i went got the key fab and opened the door... to my surprise ...the car fixed itself.. talk about relieved... i could see the bill at jaguar of Novi.. $1600 for new door lock assembly... lol... i did squirt some 3-in-one on the lock mechanism... so this doesn't happen again..

lesson learn... don't get ur jag xk washed on a below 20 degree day and think somethings not gonna freeze..

attached is a photo i took on one of the days i got her washed and drove it in the snow to my biz... the picture is not the day she got cold feet and froze up on me.lol..there was no snow on the ground that day

 

This is my second Chicago winter for my 2007 XK. It came with blizzaks when I bought it so I figured I would try it out in the snow. I've had no problems so far. You have to be gentle with the throttle when taking turns or your traction control will be kicking in constantly. I put the traction control in the snow mode ( push button once) so traction control doesn't kick in on every little slip. With summer tires, I think you're asking for either an accident or getting stuck but with winter tires, no problem.

 

I heard a saying from a rally driver "Sometimes driving slow is faster". This is true in cold weather, remember the tires and grip at all time.