I don't even go 80 on dry pavement unless the speed limit is 75...
You make it snow covered, chances are... on the highway I'll be going between 50-65 depending on the conditions.
The Audi goes through anything when it has snow tires on... but you still need to be aware that stopping distance will still be greatly increased. Gotta plan your stops further in advance for safety.
That said, the rear sports differential adds to winter driving fun... love going into a turn with a little extra gas, getting the rear end swinging like a rwd car, then just a tap on the gas (the rear differential will send up to 80% of the rear power to the outside wheel in a turn) and the slide immediately stops and the car is going arrow straight in the new direction!
White knuckle driving is done off the most pleasurable driving experience you can have! The adrenaline, the focus... the accomplishment... awesome!
I remember back in 2011, when I still had my old Hyundai Tiburon, we had a nasty blizzard here in the twin cities...17 inches of snow. Yet my brother had a get together planned, and I was still determined to go. My Mom decided she didn't want to drive in that weather, but since i was going, she asked me to swing by her place to pick her up as well.
I live about 30 miles or so from her, she lives like 15-20 miles from my brother's place. Typically a 35-40 minute drive to her place... on the way there it was about an hour. It was still early, roads were already starting to get bad, but not downright terrible. My low riding front wheel drive car didn't have much issue.
The drive back was a completely different animal! The snow had become so heavy and winds so high, the state had to give up plowing, as there was no possible way to keep up. Only 1 other time in my life do I remember the state saying drive at your own risk, we're not plowing yet... and that was in 1991 when we had that 27 inch Halloween blizzard.
I was driving on a 4 lane divided highway, where the inside lane had had no traffic, no plowing, and unabated drifting... the snow was consistently above the roof of my car in that lane. The outside lane, only drivable because people had to drive somewhere, so it never had the chance to build a drift over it... was complete snowpack. Speed limit is 60 on this highway, but I couldn't get over 30 with confident enough traction not to bury my low fwd car just inches to either side. Had I slid even a little, I was going to be stuck for a very long time. It ended up taking me 2 hours of white knuckle driving to get home.
Hell, I wouldn't have made it into my own garage once there had they not been actively trying to keep up with the plowing in the neighborhood. Thank goodness I have a homeowner's association. I flagged down the plow driver, asked him to clear my driveway, he said no problem, a minute later was in the garage.
Had seen countless cars/ SUVs stuck everywhere, but here I was in my low riding fwd car with wider sport all season tires white knuckling it successfully without an issue. Driving all the way across town and back.
It would still be white knuckle intensity today in the Audi if it happened, but might only take an hour and a half to get home instead of a full 2 hours...
