Well, the RX-8 has proven itself to be absolutely and completely useless in ice and snow. I've been stuck properly three times, needing digging out and pushing - once at the end of my own road. Had to push it into a parking space and 'abandon' it on Saturday. I couldn't even reverse it 10 feet along the most gentle of inclines yesterday to park it on my drive, having to resort to driving half way around the estate and take a run up. Seriously, the incline wouldn't trouble a one-lunged asthmatic pensioner. A football would struggle to roll down it.

I tried every which way to keep the Barch in the garage away from the cold and the salt. The way my drive is, two cars wide with the garage door in the middle, I can't put it away on a night without taking one off the drive. RX-8 short journey flooding and traction issues rule that out, sadly. So once the Barch is out, it's out.

Reluctantly I pumped the tyres up, checked the oil and took it off trickle charge. Started first time, no hesitation. Had to beef up the washer bottle fluid to stop it freezing and get the matchsticks out for night-time parking, but that's about it.

In the snow, the Barchetta is really impressive. Grips where others can't, it just goes, stops and goes around corners! Took my dear 'ole Mum to the shops today as Dad's Mazda 6 won't grip either!

It's just the thought of the effect of the salt on the roads that's a worry

my B lives 24/7 on the drive and takes it in her stride, been out all week in so ice and snow and no slipping so we chuffed.
they are great cars, i am glad my son didnt by a rx-8 last year then as we have a hill to get up every day.

well done for lrtting the B play in the snow they love it

I also use my B as a daily driver and yesterday morning driving to my workplace in Livingston 15 mls from my House . The B drove suberbly in very thick snow and same again this morning when it was -11.:slayer:

yikes cold i hope you kept the roof up

B is fine in snow..not so hot on sheet ice which is what we've got here now. No real issues though..apart from road slush. Poor old thing is a manky blue / tan colour from the crap thrown up by the local 4*4's hooning around...

Met a big land cruiser on the wrong side of the dual carriageway last night. Driver tight as fiddlers etc and waved happily as he weaved past...the two cops in the car on his tail didn't wave.

Why are cops so miserable?:devil:

Cops aren't miserable. They just don't want people to think they are enjoying themselves or or

Bloke in the garage was explaining why so many modern cars are useless on snow & ice. Apparently most have some form of electric monitored diff which is linked to the ECU. As soon as the system detects wheel slip it cuts the ignition as a 'safety measure' so as soon as the car starts to slide you lose power as well as traction. Seems that the car makers reckon that drivers are too dense to be able to drive on slippery roads so the car is designed to stop them before they damage themselves. Sounds like the insurance companies got their oar in this one...

The RX-8 allows you a bit of slip before it reduces the throttle and allows you quite a decent yaw angle before it starts trying to save your bacon with the DSC.

Thankfully it can all be switched off

Had to dig a foot of snow out around the Barchetta today. The few ruts that had been made up the hill out of the gf's estate were so deep, the B was dragging its belly along, but it made it out :slayer:

Ok, I know it's been done a thousand times before, but:

After 2 weeks of ice and snow and constant sub zero tempertures , My car was snow and ice free yesterday, Woke up this morning and 3" of snow was on it again with more forecast for tues .This has got to be the snowiest winter in Edinburgh for years .

great photo guys, B looks good in any weather, shame i was in scotland a month ago and hardly seen any snow

Morning all. Buon Anno. Just back from skiing in Aosta. I thought it was cold there until we got back to Glasgow at 7pm last night and had to brave the M8 and A720 and A1. Golf recorded -9.5 on the dash thermometer and most of the journey was either hard packed ice or black ice. In this case, it wasnt a problem to get going (as many of the numpties travelling at 80mph proved) it was more a concern about being able to stop. Anyway, its -7 here this morning with 150mm of snow on the track, and, as 'er indoors' needs to Golf for work and my son has his Focus, the Barchetta is currently ticking over in the garage as I'm about to attempt the journey to school. Have a good day, drive safely.



Steve

-7 same here at the other end of the world, but my B was not having it the morning seemed the cold was to much for the battery, so had to drive the hearse. never mind she will soon be happy when the charger has done its job.

but the school run is more fun in the B

Well, that rather depends on whether you're dropping them off or, there to entertain them. As for me, I'm looking forward to seeing my kids tomorrow as today has been a boring training day. I have to admit, I was surprised that the Barchetta fired up so readily as, although it's been under cover, it has stlll been 'well below' freezing temperature here. Incidentally, although I don;t disagree with the comments concerning traction control, I have to say that my Audi A6 Allroad was totally useless in the snow with the ESP turned off. Having said that, I sold the car to avoid the Band G tax rate and, in view of the current weather, wish I still had it. c'est la vie!

in 19.12.2009 we decided to go by foot to pub, during day was OK it was not cold, so why not. but when sun fall down, it was freezing like hell... hour and half we were walking on -22°c

hope you had loads of brandy inside to keep you warm, glad you didnt take the B

Another happy B driver in this weather. Plenty of snow packed uncleared roads earlier this week which B handled with aplomb. Usual problems with frozen handbrake (cured by leaving in gear), stuck handles (cured with an old library card) and now frozen shut doors (cured with a bit of effort!) easily worked around, and on the road she has been predictable and reliable.

Am constantly amazed at the lack of patience some people have though. I don't care if they feel "safe" at the speed they're driving at, nothing they can do will make me go any faster than I feel safe at.

Did park the B 1.5miles from home on Tuesday night when the hill near us had turned to ice. Other drivers were "going for it", and whilst I had no doubts that B would make it up, I wasn't so sure that a nutter wouldn't come the other way and slam into me. For a pleasant 1.5 mile walk in the snow I wasn't going to risk someone else bumping into me!

Matt

Anybody got a source of replacement handbrake cables that don't freeze? I had a pair on the coupe and they worked fine.

-8 here last night and no problem with LBB, she just goes and goes and the heater is the best one I've ever had in any car...

wish mine was orange said:

hope you had loads of brandy inside to keep you warm, glad you didnt take the B

Click to expand...

barch is in garage over winter...
not brandy, it was rum (a pirate in soul, arrrrrr) + coca cola.

Rustbucket said:

Anybody got a source of replacement handbrake cables that don't freeze? I had a pair on the coupe and they worked fine.

-8 here last night and no problem with LBB, she just goes and goes and the heater is the best one I've ever had in any car...

Click to expand...

My handbrake is now frozen in the off position. Car started immediately and I let her run for ten minutes. I agree with your comment about the heater and I also like the simplicity of the vents which makes them easy to direct onto the side windows. I'm impressed you're using LBB. I'm desperately regretting selling my A6 Allroad after four years of ownership and barely a heavy frost.

Steve