I find the comments downplaying the importance of AWD for winter driving interesting. Where I live (Rochester, New York, USA-hundreds of miles/kilometers away from New York City, on Lake Ontario-which stays unfrozen almost every winter) we get over 100 inches/250 centimeters of snow in an average winter, and I live on a hilltop with a driveway that angles 45 degrees midway up and is at an incline of nearly 30%, even FWD with snow tires isn't sufficient for traction. I have been driving AWD since it became widely available on cars. My latest winter car is an Audi S4 (sport version of A4 with 4.3L V8) which I tuned up aftermarket, it's a Quattro and handles great and climbs the driveway. My summer car has been a BMW M-Roadster, the Z3 (1999) with the 3.2L 6 M-engine. I can't wait to replace that with the 997 which I could use in winter with the AWD. I would be hesitant to drive the RWD in winter based on the above experience with non-AWD cars, but is the 911 being also a rear-engine car better handling as RWD or is it more related to the traction control electronics or both? If the AWD from the turbo were to help me for winter, then I might buy 2 997's (? a 997 GT2 for the summer if they make it ). Any comments re. steep alpine climbs with RWD 997's?