Re: Requiem for a quattro

[Phil and Judy Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 23:53:04 +0000
>From: "Martin Pajak" <quattro@rogerswave.ca>
>Subject: Re: Requiem for a quattro (long)
>
>> i have a hard time convincing new Q owners that they really need snow
>> tires for their cars.  but those who have taken the plunge have never
>> come back to tell me that they've wasted their money.
>>
>> lots of people spend lots of money on good summer tires, it's a wonder why
>> they insist on getting by with minimally adequate or even unsuitable tires
>> in the winter.  the stakes are so much higher it really looks like false
>> economy.
>
>I couldn't agree with you more on this one.  In some countries it is
>a law to have proper winter tires during winter storms.
>All it takes is for them to save you once and they already paid for
>themselves.
>
>Later.

Just a word or two to clarify a possible misreading of my situation: the
mishap in my quattro ocurred on a clear day and on a clear but wet, sanded
road. There was--in only a few isolated patches--a thin dusting of snow
(from previous days) blown across the road by wind gusts. Around here
that's just mild, Spring-like conditions. However I'm _not_ trying to imply
that I wasn't driving too fast for the conditions I encountered on that
windswept, godforsaken hilltop.

Anyway, would snow tires have made a difference? I don't know. Studded
tires sure might have helped, especially if ice was involved (but I _think_
it was only sand). Ironically, I _was_ lined up to have a set of studded
Hakka 1 tires  installed--probably the next day. I had been trying to
decide on what/where to buy for several weeks, and the shop had just taken
my order about 10 minutes before the accident.

BTW, although I'm a "new" quattro owner, the 200q was my fifth 4wd vehicle
(since 1984) and is the second one with full-time all wheel drive. So, why
a problem in the 200q? Well, here's my simplistic take: compared to my
"other" 4wd vehicles, the 200q has a unique combination of power,
smoothness and quietness which seemed to induce (seduce?) me during those
initial weeks to drive closer to the "limit" than intended or sensible.
Ever experience that "My God! Am I really going 80 mph?", when you
_thought_ 60? In (dry) summertime, the worst consequence usually is a
speeding ticket. In winter, the consequences are very likely to be more,
uh, dramatic. The obvious lesson is to not confuse the good handling and
traction through deep slippery stuff with any sort of immunity from the
laws of Physics. Of course I knew that. But I know it a lot better now.

Phil


         **********************************************
         *  Phil & Judy Rose     E-mail:              *
         *                       pjrose@servtech.com  *
         **********************************************