Let’s face it; driving in the wintertime in Canada is not something many of us look forward to. Sudden snow and ice storms often leave roads impassable for Canadians driving without proper winter tires installed.

Canadian winters sometimes get so brutal that performance vehicle owners will often park their beloved rides all winter long and drive more winter-ready vehicles, leaving the excitement in storage for half the year.

We’ve got great news for you. Several tire manufacturers offer performance winter tires that can handle snow and ice while delivering superior grip and top-level performance in the cold Canadian winter. These tires transform your performance vehicle into a four-season car — no garaging necessary.

To help you figure out which of these tires are best for you and your beloved performance car, we’ve outlined the four best performance winter tires below. Keep reading to learn more.

The 4 Best Performance Winter Tires

Many owners opt to shelve their performance vehicles in the wintertime, but some want to enjoy their rides year-round. For those drivers, the following four tires are great options.

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 RFT

The Blizzak LM-60 RFT, Bridgestone's performance winter run-flat tire, melds winter driving traction on dry, wet, and snow-covered roads with high-speed durability thanks to its high-silica rubber compound. It also allows you to travel up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 mph after complete air pressure loss thanks to its advanced run-flat technology.

The high-silica tread compound replaces the traditional Multicell tread on most Blizzak winter tires because the latter cannot support run-flat operation. This performance winter tire features a directional tread design with independent tread blocks that feature 3D zigzag sipes for water dispersion to enhance grip. This combination provides superior hydroplaning resistance and improved driving and braking force on snow-covered roads.

The Blizzak LM-60 RFT boasts Bridgestone's UNI-T Technology. This features twin steel belts and spirally wound nylon for optimal high-speed durability and a high-quality ride. The internal structure features Bridgestone Side Support Run-Flat technology reinforced sidewalls to support the vehicle after complete air pressure loss.

Blizzak LM-60 RFT winter and snow tires meet industry severe-snow-service requirements and feature the accompanying three-peak mountain snowflake symbol.

While these are some of the best performance winter tires on the market, there’s one downside. Bridgestone developed them exclusively for performance cars and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), including the Mini Cooper, Mazda MX-5, Lexus IS coupe and convertible, BMW X5, and BMW X6. So, if you don’t own one of these vehicles, you may not find a tire size that fits your vehicle.

2. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D

Dunlop designed the SP Winter Sport 4D studless performance winter tires for high-performance sports cars, coupes, and sedans with factory-equipped low-profile tires on large-diameter wheels. These tires excel in cold winter weather conditions and deliver superior traction on wet, slushy, and deep-snow-covered roads. However, they also deliver the goods on dry roads in sub-freezing temperatures — something traditional summer tires struggle with.

The Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D uses a motorsport-derived silica-plus tread compound for excellent grip in dry, snowy, and wet conditions. These performance winter tires feature a directional tread pattern with long V-shaped grooves to prevent hydroplaning and maintain grip on wet and slush-covered roads. The tire’s exclusive 4D Sipe System combines Dunlops’s 3D sipe technology with transverse sipes to create independent micro-blocks, enhancing footprint pressure distribution for superior snow traction and cornering grip in all winter conditions.

The SP Winter Sport 4D’s structure boasts twin steel belts with Dunlop's jointless band, optimizing the contact patch shape and minimizing high-speed deformation.

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D are some of the best winter tires for performance cars, meet industry severe-snow-service requirements, and feature the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol.

3. Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4

Michelin is one of the premier tire manufacturers, so it’s no surprise it made our list of our best snow tires with its Pilot Alpin PA4 performance winter tire. This tire meets enthusiasts’ needs when encountering snow-covered roads in their ultra-high-performance passenger cars. Beyond being great snow tires, the Pilot Alpin PA4 uses eco-focused manufacturing methods and has low rolling resistance for maximum fuel efficiency.

Pilot Alpin PA4 has a full-silica-based, sunflower oil-enriched Helio Compound+ tread compound, which helps it retain flexibility in low temperatures to deliver better traction in freezing temperatures. The Alpin PA4 features an asymmetric tread design with a heavily grooved tread pattern, Michelin's Stabiligrip 3D sipe technology, and wrap-around shoulder designs with biting edges for improved acceleration, braking, and handling on snowy, slushy, and icy surfaces.

The internal structure features twin steel belts with Michelin's FAZ technology reinforcement. This positions spirally wound polyester cords under the for a stable feel, confident handling, high-speed capability, and superior ride comfort in cold, snowy, and icy conditions.

The Pilot Alpin PA4 snow tires feature the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, indicating they meet the industry's severe-snow-service requirements.

4. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

The third-generation Sottozero snow and ice tires, the Winter Sottozero 3, has a name that is Italian for “below zero.” With three generations of research and developments under its belt, it’s no wonder it’s one of Canada's best performance winter tires.

Pirelli developed the Winter Sottozero 3 for premium, high-performance vehicles that may endure tough winter road conditions, including icy roads, deep snow, packed snow, and slush so owners can enjoy the driving excitement 365 days a year.

The Winter Sottozero 3 provides traction and handling in cool, cold, dry, wet, and wintry conditions. On top of being an excellent snow tire, the Sottozero 3 is a seasonal tire so it’s suitable for dry-condition handling in cold weather.

Perilli developed this wintertime high-performance tire using an innovative compound with special polymers to improve the rubber compound’s mechanical, thermal, and dynamic properties. The Winter Sottozero 3 features a directional tread pattern with a large contact patch of arrow-shaped centre blocks and more rounded shoulders that efficiently disperse water and slush. These tires also feature high-density 3D sipe technology, improving braking performance and snow-to-snow traction.

The internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced by spirally wrapped polyamide for enhanced thermal stability and reduced sensitivity to temperature changes.

Like the other tires on our best performance winter tires list, the Winter Sottozero 3 snow tires meet severe-snow-service requirements and feature the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol.

Get a High-Quality Winter Performance Car at Clutch

With a firm understanding of the best performance winter tires, you can secure a top-notch performance vehicle you can enjoy year-round. Clutch, Canada’s premier online used car retailer, can help you find your dream car. We have a wide range of performance vehicles in stock and ready for purchase entirely online — no need to set foot in a dealership.

Does buying a used car online make you a little nervous? You can put your mind at ease knowing that every Clutch vehicle passes a rigorous 210-point inspection and reconditioning process before we put it up for sale. Plus, every Clutch car comes with our extensive 90-Day Protection Plan for additional peace of mind.

Best of all, each and every one of our cars comes with a 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee, which means that if you don’t love your used performance vehicle from Clutch during this period, you can exchange it for a new one or return it for a no-questions-asked refund.

Check out our inventory of quality used cars today and choose a performance model suitable for you. You can even set up financing and get your trade-in vehicle appraised entirely online. It doesn’t get any easier than that!