This could be the key to getting the traction I need in the winter here in the mountains and meeting the California requirement under "Chain Control". Our size doesn't show on their web-site so I have a call into the company and they'll get back to me--I'll post more info when I hear from them.

http://www.autosock.us/

 

Now don't get too much traction and ruin all the fun

 

^^^I must admit that this was my first thought as well. A dream of mine is to do a frozen lake track day, but preferably with a cheaper RWD car.

 

snow is one thing.........salt is criminal to these cars

 

IbisRider--Yes that was a Great, Fun Scene in the movie for sure. Maybe the brand new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 will get us around with enough traction on flat land. When CA puts on their "Chain Control" going over Donner Pass, then 2WD vehicles must use something extra--Chains, Cables, AutoSock, whatever. As to Salt, CA specifically does not use salt, it's mostly sand. Here in NV they use a mixture of Sand and a Calcium based product instead of a Sodium based product--so we don't see "Mid-west Rust" on our cars. For anyone interested in trying the AutoSock, here's the info I got back from the distributor:
Concerning the size of AutoSock for your tire size 275/35/19 your part # is AS695 which are priced at 99 per pair.
I am currently out of stock but expecting a shipment to me later this week.
Thank you,
Chad Hillier
McGee Company
1140 s Jason St
Denver Co. 80223
303-777-2615
303-777-7140 fax
1-800-525-8888

 

After a little more research I decided the "AutoSock" solution is not a good one for me.
(1) They appear not to be approved in CA, (2) They wear-out fast on dry pavement--and CA has you put on chains a few miles before you hit snow, and take them off a few miles after the snow has been cleared. So I opted to buy a set of "S-chains", for tight fitment.
Peerless 0155005 Auto-Trac Tire Chain

 

Not sure if they're still out there, but I had thin cables for my BMW many years ago. Gave me the grip of chains without all the bulk.

 

We used to sell Autosocks here. They were no joke for getting you out of a bind. They offered very good emergency snow grip.

 

I'm bumping this thread back up because I was one of the countless people stranded last night due to snow/ice. Although its too late to help now, I'm going to be prepared next time. So if chains are fine in GA, does anyone have an opinion on chains vs. autosock for the V8V? Thx, JR

 

I'm in Atlanta too. I had my wife's SUV and could drive around just fine but all the roads were blocked by stuck/abandoned vehicles. Because of this, I had to sleep in my car last night.

Next time I'll prepare by avoiding the roads. Doesn't matter how much traction you have if there is a pile up of other cars blocking passage. I'm back at my office now looking at 285 now. It's still a parking lot because of some stuck semis. Not sure if I'll be able to go home tonight either.

 

I run chains on my commercial trucks, but would never put them on the Aston, the chance of tearing something up is too great and if you've never installed them before, well - its a lotta fun and you're going to be hating life laying on the ground in the snow and ice trying to latch them, the tight wheel wells of an Aston will give you a fit.

Buy a set of takeoff OEM wheels and mount up a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks and you will be the Snow King up to the limits of ground clearance. That's a far better way that chains.

But the really smart guy gets an old 4 x 4 for $ 2,500 off Craigslist for the snow and leaves the Aston parked!

 

The only issue is this kind of thing happens so rarely in Atlanta, that I'm not sure it makes sense to put on snow tires. As Racer X will likely agree with, most of the reports that morning were that it would only be a dusting -- the amount of snow we got was a surprise. If you think chains are a mistake, then I think I might get a set of auto socks to keep in the car just in case.

 

I think chains probably are overkill, especially here in the south. The socks may be a good idea though if they can be easily mounted from the side of the road without a jack or special tools. I had an old 528 BMW that we took skiing one time. When things started getting slippery in the mountains I put on the cable wheel nets I had stowed in the trunk and they worked amazingly well.

 

When was the last time it snowed like that in Atlanta? February of 2010, right? I was driving through ATL from Augusta, on my way to the north GA mountains. It started snowing before I hit Conyers and was in full force by the time we got to ATL. I was in my STi at the time, so I had a blast. But most drivers were a mess! Anyway, if anything, get the autosocks to keep in your trunk. Much better than overkill planning for a once-every-4-years event.

 

It snows every few years here and causes big problems for several reasons. Because of the warmer climate, the snow typically melts during the day and then freezes in the late afternoon/evening, coating all the roads in ice. Because it snows so infrequently, the city does not maintain enough equipment to properly prepare. This year, things were made even worse because the storm shifted and hit us when we expected it to pass south of the city, and we didn't figure out we were going to get hit till midday, after everyone was already at work, school, etc. Really was a "perfect storm" of circumstances this time around.