The best sports car season of the year – For real!

The tires have been changed - and it makes all the difference

I just put winter tires on my Porsche 996 — my beloved Californication Porsche, modified for track days but used for everything in everyday life. And this year I went full Fast & Furious on the winter wheels: white rims, painted just the right amount of wear, as if the car is extra cranky as a budget drifter in the evenings. There will also possibly be a light bar on the hood for those really late winter nights.

For everyday use I drive friction tires, and then a separate set of wheels with ice studs is waiting for the sea ice. And every time I switch to friction tires, I am reminded of the same thing: narrower tires on a well-balanced car = pure driving pleasure. It almost feels like you have gained a hundred extra horsepower when the grip level drops. Suddenly you can control the car with the gas in the first three gears, and where in the summer it is glued to the asphalt, it now gets to live, move and dance. All at legal, modest speeds. It's like the car comes to life in a new way.

Misunderstood on the internet

Funny anecdote was that I shared this insight in a Facebook group and advised to “put on narrower tires for a hundred extra horsepower”. Half of the group completely misunderstood it and thought I really meant that the effect increased. You never cease to be amazed at how easily people misunderstand text on the internet. But it gave me a good laugh anyway.

So now I’m driving around in the autumn fog with my black 996, white rims from a half-baked spray can and a big smile on my face. Winter is coming and with rear-wheel drive, engine behind the rear axle and diff — well, you know the recipe. There will be many fun trips. No one is happier than me!

By the pen and the mallet.

Jacob Odqvist, CEO Bidders Highway