9 Cars You’d Never Expect To See In The Snow

Virtually every year I’ve attended the SnoDrift rally in Northern Michigan, I’ve seen cars being driven through slushy, snowy roads that I never would’ve expected. Mind you, I’m not talking about the rally cars in the competition, but rather the rides driven to and from the stages by fans. For me, it’s become as much a part of the fun as the actual racing.

I also can’t help but feel a special connection to those who forego the elements to enjoy their car no matter what. No offense to those who insist on never driving in the rain, or whip out some fancy car duster to glide over the paint every time they park. As far as I’m concerned, cars were meant to be appreciated and driven, and sometimes you find a whole new level of appreciation when the car is caked full of snow.

Considering I’m writing this from the USA, some of these rides are even rare to see in the summer so winter time appearances are even more surprising. Here are a few of the standouts I’ve seen in the snow over the last decade or so.

1. Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

All-wheel drive and snow go together light like pizza and beer, but 3000GT VR4s are fairly rare in the States. As such, these cars now have something of a collector status and can fetch quite a bit of coin. Judging by the snow tyres and slush caked underneath, I’m willing to bet the driver doesn’t care one bit about value. Well done!

2. Audi A5 convertible / BMW 650i convertible / Bentley Continental GTC

To be fair, these cars were actually at the SnoDrift rally as part of a photo shoot for Automobile magazine back in 2012. Still, they were shod with snow tyres and they were spotted at various spectator stages during the event. I hope the heated seats were working.

3. Nissan 240SX convertible

While not extremely rare on American streets, 240SX convertibles certainly aren’t exactly common. And I’ve never seen one shod with snow tyres, though I suspect it would be properly fun in such conditions. Judging by the amount of snow on the back of the car, I’m guessing the driver knows precisely how much fun it is.

4. Porsche 911

Surprisingly enough, I’ve seen a fair amount of all-wheel drive 911s in the snow at SnoDrift. This one gets the nod because it’s a classic 911, meaning it’s the only rear-wheel drive 911 I’ve ever seen tackling the snow with my own eyes. Technically it was a vendor car, but it was still traveling around the stages like a boss.

5. Bizarro Kit Car

I would be thrilled if any of you CTzens could identify this particular machine, because it’s been a mystery to me since I saw it rolling through the SnoDrift service area back in 2009. It sounded mean, and if the gullwing doors weren’t enough, it appeared to be rolling on summertime race rubber. Presumably the passenger seat was reserved for the driver’s humongous balls.

6. Mazda RX-7

These days, first-generation RX-7s are seldom seen in the States outside of track events or car shows. So when I spied this fender-flared, snow tyre-equipped Mazda at this year’s SnoDrift I had to chase it down for a photo. Is it weird that I like the off-road look on this car?

7. BMW E28 5-Series

As with the Porsche, spotting newer Bimmers in the snow - particularly all-wheel drive models - isn’t a big deal around SnoDrift. Stumbling upon this old E28 parked near a stage was a treat, however, because they were never that popular in America. Finding one tacking winter’s worst remains one of my better SnoDrift spectator memories.

8. Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible

Okay I’m cheating a bit on this since it was my car that I took to the 2012 rally. Equipped with Nokian Hakkapeliittas and a couple hundred pounds in the trunk, this car was epic fun and surprisingly capable. There have been a few Mustang competition cars over the years, but I’ve yet to see another snowbound spectator Mustang in my 14 years of SnoDrift attendance.

9. Nissan Skyline GT-R R32

Of all the finds in my years of winter travel - be it for SnoDrift or anything else - this R32 Skyline easily takes the top prize as the coolest car ever in the snow. That’s doubly so since I caught this gem at SnoDrift in January 2013, one year before they were finally legal for importing to the United States. This one made the trip from Canada, and it received nearly as much attention in town as the rally cars. Now that they’re legal in America, how long before we see a bona-fide R32 rally car?