ANybody with Winter experience in Italy Germany - Winter tyres must i fit them?

[Novemberwhisky]

Planning on taking the GTS ST with 21” spider rims to the Dolomites in Jan. Just realised that cars must be fitted with winter tyres ie its the LAW. So I hadn’t really considered this when booking the ski holiday.

questions -

apart from the safety aspect, do the Italian/German polizei pay much attention to the tyres fitted? Am i likely to get the car impounded - I could get some chains in case the weather turns inclement but in 10 years of skiing up there I’ve rarely seen any snow/ice on the roads, quick clearance, climate change and all that.


what spec tyres are specified by the authorities? I read on another thread that Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 on 21” are available and might do the job. Whilst perhaps not as good as proper winter tyres on 19 or 20” would they cover the legal side of things.

I really dont want the expense and hassle of new rims.plus the Taycan will look rubbish on 19’ rims. I will likely only ever use the tyres for one trip and maybe a future annual jaunt to the Alps.

thoughts and advice please.

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[Poshfpg]

You can definitely take the risk but if you are stopped or if you have an accident I don't think your insurance will cover you as your car was not legal. If it is a serious crash you could be criminally liable. I have a set of Winters but accept they are expensive.

Why not buy a set of Winter tyres and get them swapped onto the rims for November - March? For the sake of €1,200-1,400 it will give you a lot of peace of mind over 4-5 years of use. The swapping itself shouldn't be more than €60-100 each time.

 

[Novemberwhisky]

Yep thanks Posh. wise words. From searching the forum it seems the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 would fit the 21” spiders. Anybody have experience?

my knowledge of tyre/wheel sizes etc is limited so any suggestions of another suitable tyre that would fit the OEM rims and pass the beady eye of the law?

cheers

 

[McgR]

Why are you worried about the German police when traveling from Spain to the Dolomites ? It’s the Carabeniere that you will encounter. Like mentioned above when in an accident you can be in fault.

Some thing else to think about : you legally also need to have chains in Austria, don’t know about Italy. Porsche chains are only for 19 and 20 inch.

I have dedicated 20 inch winter wheels and rims. Run them from end November until April in Belgium. Three ski trips this year.

Something to think about: when you don’t need your car in the resort: flying to Milan and taking a taxi to the resort may be cheaper and faster than buying winter tires and chains. I presume temperatures in your regions are not often below 7 degrees?

Have a nice trip !

 

[Novemberwhisky]

Valid point but i’ll be driving UK to Italy, involves a stint in Germany. I think flights and rental/taxi vs tyres will be pretty cost neutral but logistically difficult. This trip is UK - Val Gardena - Spain.

do the Austrian rules specify chain or can they be Autosocks?

 

[McgR]

Valid point but i’ll be driving UK to Italy, involves a stint in Germany. I think flights and rental/taxi vs tyres will be pretty cost neutral but logistically difficult. This trip is UK - Val Gardena - Spain.

do the Austrian rules specify chain or can they be Autosocks?

 

[McgR]

Valid point but i’ll be driving UK to Italy, involves a stint in Germany. I think flights and rental/taxi vs tyres will be pretty cost neutral but logistically difficult. This trip is UK - Val Gardena - Spain.

do the Austrian rules specify chain or can they be Autosocks?

Valid point but i’ll be driving UK to Italy, involves a stint in Germany. I think flights and rental/taxi vs tyres will be pretty cost neutral but logistically difficult. This trip is UK - Val Gardena - Spain.

do the Austrian rules specify chain or can they be Autosocks?

If you live in the UK I would go for winter tires from November to April. You won’t use your summer tires during that time.

For Austria: you are probably just crossing the country on the highway on the Brenner guess you won’t really need chains.

actually I have always carried them and never used them for more than 10 years. I have never been controlled either.

 

[Poshfpg]

Yep thanks Posh. wise words. From searching the forum it seems the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 would fit the 21” spiders. Anybody have experience?

my knowledge of tyre/wheel sizes etc is limited so any suggestions of another suitable tyre that would fit the OEM rims and pass the beady eye of the law?

cheers

Just go to any tyre site, put in your reg or your car and then it will give you tyre size options, tick the 21s and Winters and see what it offers. NF0 will be the Porsche Approved ones.

Also if buying off a Euro site like Pneus Online, which I find the best value for Winters, get them sent to Spain not the UK as due to the joy that is Brexit a process that used to take 24 hours is now 2-3 weeks of customs clearance and a massive charge, like 25% of what you paid.

 

[Novemberwhisky]

Thanks for your advice chaps.

 

[Novemberwhisky]

thanks for the pdf and Autosock info

 

[Novemberwhisky]

Ive opened a bunch of tabs on the forum regarding winter tyres which i need to read through but if i could ask another question - is the lack of NF0 designation a deal breaker? I’m guessing Porsche warranty issues or other?

Cheers

 

[PorscheCH]

I have a place in Dolomites and go there often from CH, winter and summer, crossing a few mountain passes. I have separate rims: 21 summer and 20 winter because when i bought the first taycan (2021) it was impossible to find 21 winters due to the pandemic craziness.

TLDR : don’t go without winter tyres to val Gardena

In Italy winter tyres are not mandatory as long as you have snow chains onboard. That said it s pretty crazy to drive around Dolomites (or any similar mountain area) without winter tyres as you cannot predict the weather and it can get quite rough and dangerous. besides, summer tyres perform poorly in cold weather and might even crack at low temps. lastly, good luck putting on snowchains on fat 21”.

As others told you, you could be stopped for a check by Carabinieri (this is the right spelling), polizia stradale or polizia urbana, but that’s not very probable. Rather, in case of an accident the insurance company might only cover the damages partially or not at all, depending on the situation.

ps. It s tough to find winters for the 21, let alone NF0

 

[CT23]

The snow chain obligation in Austria only applies to trucks with a maximum permissible total weight of over 3.5 t and buses.

There is also no general obligation to fit winter tires during the winter months. However, motorists must have winter tires or snow chains fitted in the event of actual wintry road conditions, i.e. slush, snow-covered or icy roads.

Winter driving conditions on roads can arise quite quickly. I would highly recommend winter tires. Snow chains are not necessary unless you want to drive mountain passes on secondary roads.

 

[Poshfpg]

Ive opened a bunch of tabs on the forum regarding winter tyres which i need to read through but if i could ask another question - is the lack of NF0 designation a deal breaker? I’m guessing Porsche warranty issues or other?

Cheers

It's not and it doesn't impact insurance or warranty but they should work best with the car and that's a good reason to buy them. That said if there is a massive difference in price but they're still a well known brand I wouldn't worry too much but check reviews first.

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