Dear Mr. Yap,
I always enjoy your articles, from the enthusiasts driving perspective. You make several good points in your article "Why you should drive your sports car in the Winter'. I always have driven a sports car, in the winter, in Sask and Alberta, but there are a few hazzards you didn't mention:
1. Low mechanical grip. Because the suspension is stiff, the tires actually do not stay pressed to the road as well as a softer sprung vehicle. The more bumps the worse it is. The colder the suspension, the worse it is. The lighter the car, the worse it is.
2. Low lbs/sq inch on the contact patch. The wider the sleigh, the fater it will slide. Same principal. Narrower tires will be more effective on snow and ice. Again, the wider the tire, the worse it will be. The lighter the car, the worse it will be.
3. Corrosion. You can wash your car, but it's hard to get all the knooks and crannies every time.
4. Ice dammage. Scrapping snot and ice can inadvertantly damage the trim around glass, and sand trapped in or under the ice can scratch the glass when scraping. Washing the car freezes the doors and gas filler shut, and can damage them when they are opened. I always carry a hair drier in the trunk, but sometimes, that is stuck too.
5. Sand blasting. If you follow someone closely at high speed, they throw up stuff laying on the road, and junk falls off their cars and hits yours. I have a clear bra on the hood, but debris not only damages the painted plastic bumbers, but eventually the windshield will get pitted.
My view is, after a few years, I need an excuse to upgrade anyway...