Oldskier

Things are improving. Pirelli now make a "Scorpion Snow and Ice" tyre for the RX400 and 450H models and there's no need to go hunting for 17" wheels. The Pirelli's cost around 140 - you have to shop around. With these on you can forget about chains and wheel-arch clearances. If you need chains as well, then you might as well not bother as the roads will be all be blocked by less capable cars. 03 Jan 14 Basck from spending Christmas skiing in the Massisf des Bauges, where the driving condtions were highly demanding, with re-frozen thawed slush and ice under 4" of snow. The car (RX400H) was sensational on the Pirellis. We never looked like coming to a halt, or having trouble moving off on a hill when behind some less well equipped. I took advantage of an empty resort car park early one morning to hurl the Lexus around a bit and it behaved faultlessly. On the Pirellis it is unquestionably the best on-snow car I have ever driven. The electric drive is so gentle and the low speed torque so sensational, that it was far better than the Range Rover, and the Pirellis are very quiet, unlike Land- and Range- Rover knobblies. The Scorpions are not speed limited in any meaningful sense; at least I'm not willing to risk the sort of fine the Gendarmes will hit you with at anything over 100mph.