We’re well into spring now, but out of convenience, are you still driving around on your “winter” tires? There are numerous reasons why this is more dangerous than you might think, and why you should immediately have them swapped for your non-winter tires.

Open Road Auto Group put together an informative article on this subject. A few key notes:

#1 Winter tires have been specifically engineered to have much softer tread compound than all-season (think 3-season, not true all/4-season) or summer tires do. The softer compound is definitely what you want in cold winter temps in order to grip the elements (snow and ice) and road surface. However, once ambient temperatures warm up above the mid 40 degrees F or so, your winter tires are no longer superior in gripping [warmer] asphalt.

#2 A softer compound is well, softer, resulting in quicker wear/degradation than an all-season tire. This reduces the value of your second tire investment as your winter tires simply won’t last as long the more you drive on them in non-winter conditions.

#3 A softer compound results in longer braking distances in warmer weather. Your softer compound is more pliable and flexible, and while you’d at first think that a softer (i.e. grippier) tire would grip the non-winter pavement better than not, the issue revolves around too much heat buildup in non-winter conditions. This increase in friction/heat buildup causes the tire tread to become too greasy/slippery, and thus not as effective at slowing your vehicle down in non-winter conditions.

Consumer Reports ran a study in 2012 and found that a winter-rated tire in spring/summer conditions needed 1.5 to 2 more car lengths to stop! Continental’s summer testing showed that in braking distance tests from 60 mph, a summer tire-equipped vehicle stopped in about 118 feet, while a winter tire-equipped vehicle stopped in about 138 feet. The hotter the ambient temps, the longer the stopping distances will be with winter tires.

#4 A softer compound results in less precise handling in warmer weather, since the tire can roll on itself more than a stiffer tire can. Refer back to the greasiness in #3, and this provides less confidence-inspiring whether you’re on a curvy road or rolling down the freeway and suddenly need to avoid debris in your lane! Continental Tires found in their testing that a winter rated tire in spring or summer conditions resulted in about 15% less steering precision.

#5 A softer compound will create more resistance with the ground/pavement/asphalt/tarmac, thus resulting in reduced fuel mileage (MPG’s). One source states that winter tires have about 15% more rolling resistance than summer tires. Depending on the amount of miles you drive, this could add up to significant dollars and cents.

What does all of this information equate to? Quite simply, it’s highly recommended to use your winter rated tires for their intended purpose; WINTER!

Please feel welcome to post here with any questions.

Jeremy Williams is the Oregon PCA Technical Editor. He co-owns Matrix Integrated Inc. (Matrix Integrated Inc.) with his brother Justin. Jeremy can be reached at [email protected]

ORPCA Member Login

ORPCA Member Logout

LOGIN HELP

  • For your first login, you need to set your password
  • Click the “LOGIN” button
  • A window opens asking for your username and password. Don’t enter anything, but click “Lost your password?” (the blue text below the Login button)
  • A window will open asking you for your email address to receive a link for setting a new password. Please use the same email you used for your PCA registration.
  • After clicking Submit, check your emails for a Password Reset email from ORPCA.
  • Open the email and follow the link. Another window opens asking you for a new password. After entering your new password  click Submit.
  • Go back to the Join Us! page (Home Page > ORPCA > Join Us!)
  • Click the LOGIN button. The login window will appear. Please enter your email (the same you used for the PCA registration) and your password, then click Submit.
  • After a few seconds you will be logged in. On the top right of the screen you will see a Welcome message with your First Name and “(PCA Member)”
  • The Join Us! site will now show a welcome message and options to join PCA, read about the ORPCA membership benefits and a button for contacting  our Membership Chair if you encountered any issues or need help.

Join the Club! Join the Fun!

Thank you for your interest in joining Porsche Club of America!

To join PCA, please visit https://www.pca.org/join-porsche-club-america or give PCA a call at 410-381-0911, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm ET.

Please make sure to have the VIN # of your Porsche handy when you are ready to join.

We look forward to seeing you at a PCA event soon!

Own a Porsche? Join the club. Over 150,000 of your fellow Porsche owners already have.

For over 65 years, the Porsche Club of America has been dedicated to enhancing the Porsche ownership experience. No matter what your interest – social, technical, or competitive – PCA has something to offer every Porsche owner.

We know the unbridled joy that owning a Porsche can provide, and we’ve built a community around that very feeling. The Porsche Club of America offers driving experience, technical assistance, member benefits, and camaraderie second to none. Over the years, our club has grown to 147 Regions across North America. We guarantee there is a PCA Region near you filled with friendly Porsche fanatics.

At PCA, we believe all Porsches are equal. So, whether you are passionate about your 356, 911, 912, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, Macan, Cayenne, Cayman, Boxster, Taycan, Panamera or any of the other amazing Porsche models, you are always welcome at our events and gatherings.

From over 3,500 local and national events including driving activities, social gatherings, autocross, track days, high performance driver education, club racing, tech sessions, car shows, insider exclusives and premieres: there’s something for everyone at PCA. 

Membership is open to all Porsche owners, co-owners, or lessees who are 18 years of age or older. At the time of joining, the member of record is permitted to name either a relative or other interested person to become an affiliate member, at no additional cost. The family or affiliate member also must be 18 years of age or older.

If you don’t yet own a Porsche but want to join PCA, consider entering our PCA Test Drive program.

PCA membership is available in three payment options: 

  • 1 year…..  $56
  • 2 years…  $110
  • 3 years…  $162

Membership dues are payable in U.S. funds by check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. The fee includes a subscription to Porsche Panorama, PCA’s award-winning monthly magazine and the world’s premier publication dedicated to Porsches.

Ready to join?

Click here for more information about payment options, or if you want to pay online and have your credit card and Porsche’s VIN handy, head straight over to the Membership Application Form.

PCA Membership Fee is $56 / 1 year, $110 / 2 years, $162 / 3 years

Benefits of ORPCA Membership

  • Join any of our 70 plus Driving Events, 15 plus Social Events, 10 plus Garage Events
  • Online access to the two most recent, award winning monthly Anzeiger magazines with articles about club events and drives, calendar of upcoming events, classifieds 
  • Receive our weekly Member email with information about upcoming events and information about registration dates and times. This enable you to register to our events early as many fill up quickly.
  • Free access to our Digital Navigation Account with RidewithGPS. All our drives and tours are in the tour library.
  • Receive a yearly ORPCA Member Directory
  • Receive an annual Calendar with select pictures from our events
  • Receive an ORPCA Name Badge
  • Receive anniversary pins for the name badge every 5 years

The yearly membership fee is $35

President's Message

Carol Hedstrom

Maintaining Momentum

Summer may not officially be here, but it sure feels like it! The sun has been shining several days in row, shiny cars are everywhere, Cabrios and Targas are running top down, and the ORPCA calendar is bursting at the seams with drives and summer driving adventures. As we approach the second half of the year, it is hard to believe how many events we have planned and executed so far, but the upcoming summer and fall promise even more. Our premiere events of Northwest Passage and Scenic Oregon are up soon and no doubt they will bring spectacular driving. The Pride Drive is new on our calendar but already is receiving enthusiasm. The annual summer picnic this year will highlight our 65th Anniversary celebrations. Tickets for that event will go on sale sometime in June with the event set for Sunday, August 17th. Watch your weekly email for updates. It feels early to be thinking about fall and winter, but there may be some surprise events. I won’t dangle too much, but new venues and adventures are in the works. Our ongoing events continue to fill up and that makes me both happy and anxious. Like other long-time members, I remember the days of simply showing up for a drive without checking the website two months in advance for opening dates and registration times. Life in general has changed and keeping an eye on our social feeds and personal interest groups is very electronic and woven into our daily on-line existence. The Club’s web and social media team are critical to the running of this organization. Our website, Instagram feed, and weekly emails are vital communication tools for the club. I am thankful every day for the people behind the scenes that bring our drives, dinners, tours, and logistics to life in the virtual world. We’re only halfway through the year, but those people working in the web, social media, internet, and email realm have already crafted much of the behind-the-scenes material for the remainder of the year and the events still in planning. Thank you, Jeannine, Heinz, Julie, David, Carlos, and all members who tag us, post about us, and share pictures and stories online. Thank you all for keeping this party rolling!

Let’s Drive!

You can reach me at [email protected]