Torsen + snow

[Neil Swanson <75377.3445@compuserve.com>]

I tried that,

One of my first ever posts to this list was my week long experience with a
'96 S6 with the Z rated perf tires in snow.

Horrible. You could go straight but you couldn't turn or stop worth a damn.
   You want to feel all the contortions the poor thing goes through trying
to find grip then try that combo.  Very unpredictable.  Front, then back. 
The grip moved all over and then overpowered the wrong slipping end anyway.

But the wrong tires were the biggest problem.

Speaking of grip and who has it..........


The Apple Hill Rally was a blast, a blast of cold air.  25F and windy we
got to watch the most bizzare group of cars or maybe I should make that
drivers.   Dan S. and I got to watch this guy who must HATE his A4.  

Every single run he made he beached the car big time.  Took a truck and a
tow rope (Bob Wientraubs' Range Rover) to get him out.  He was leaving
parts of his car in the snow with every run.  Every run he slammed it into
the snow.  Nuts!

He was a comedy act!  We'd all moan when he came to the starting line
'cause we knew we'd have to dig him out. And we did.  

On one run, not his last either, he knew he would miss one corner for sure.
 The berm on the outside edge of the turn was low.  'Cause he had knocked
it down on his previous run.  So here he comes, way too hot and just says
f^&(* it and goes right over the berm.  Puff!  Snow flies and he comes
barreling down a hill off the berm.  Snow covered rocks made some nice
little jumps for him to go over and then off of.  The final one was about a
2 foot drop.  BOOM!

He lands.  Turns left and continues on!  He completed the run.  I think? 
He got stuck so many times I can't remember if he finished that run clean
or not.  No body yelled "off course" either.

High lights?   Alot of Q's.  Some listers. Me, Dan Simones, Jim ?with a
black urq, Chewy.  

Some fast runs by a black Subaru RS 2.5, one of the WRX wanna bes.  Good
driver.  He was 3rd overall at Mt Wash this year in a RHD BMW touring car
from New Zealand.

A very fast Mitsu AWD.  But that guy beached it twice too.  He blew tires
off rims twice!  But he was a good driver and that thing looked as if it
got up on top of the snow and just scooted.  He could have been FTD.

OK back to Audi content.  That wacko in the Pearl A4 in need of trim pieces
was on the Dunlop 16" all season perf tires that come standard on 2.8s. 
Torsen and EDL that car would be up on the snow with some tires on the
ground, some not.  Some tires spinning, some not as he tried to get off.  I
have no idea if he ever locked the rear diff.  Or does the newest EDL even
off that as the S6 did?  At one point in his adventures on the berm I swear
I saw one tire spinning trying to get him off.  Just one.  It was a rear
tire.

So how slick was it?   Well if Perf Car did a test at this track on this
day they'd have something different to write about.  Or not.

Every, and I mean EVERY 2wd car got stuck just moving from place to place
before the starting line.  FWD or RWD it would take a push so they could go
2 feet forward in line.

The AWD cars just moved to start. 

 All the cars FWD, RWD and AWD went off the course and into the snow banks.
This includes the three Pro Rall Audi Q's there.   Very slick.  Too slick
to walk even.  Snow over ice.  Ice over grass. Deep deep ruts.  Off camber
downhill on ice with ruts.   Get the idea?

Fastest car of the day?  Remember the little Opel hatch back that the US
rebadged as the Pontiac Lemans?  OK stop laughing.  FTD.  All stock, stock
wheels with Hakka 10s.  FWD.  FTD.  I know the guy that owns it and it was
driven to the top time by Andy Smith.  Andy doesn't own it but Bruce lets
him drive it.

Who'd a thunk

Neil