The cold season is now upon us, and per tradition, the frosty weather arrives with plenty of opportunities to go dashing through the snow. But as you might imagine, one-horse open sleighs don’t quite meet our standards around here at TopSpeed. Rather, we prefer many horses… in fact, ditch the sleigh altogether. Give us big rubber tracks instead, something to churn the powder and propel us through the frostbitten woods in a flurry of internal-combustion glory. We want snowmobiles, but not just any snowmobiles – we want cars equipped to be tackle the worst of the white stuff that Mother Nature has to throw at us. These are our picks for the Top 5 Cars-Turned-Snowmobiles.

Each of the following machines is based on a production vehicle, but was specially modified for snow duty using upgraded suspension components, new running gear, and whatever else was needed to make the most of a frozen playground. So grab a thermos filled with piping-hot caffeine, crank up the defroster, and read on.

Continue reading for TopSpeed’s Top 5 Cars-Turned-Snowmobiles.

TopSpeed’s Top 5 Cars-Turned-Snowmobiles

Autobahn Tuning Smarttrax

The first entry on our list comes our friendly northern neighbors in Ottawa, folks who are certainly no strangers to snowy conditions. Earlier this year, Todd Anderson, owner and operator at Autobahn Tuning, decided to turn a diesel-powered Smart Car into a full-fledged powder mobile, adding a set of beefy tracks to the rear-mounted engine for the go. Anderson then enlisted the help of mechanical engineer Lucas Wilson, who designed custom skis for the front to help steer the thing. Smart? We think it’s brilliant.

Source: Autobahn Tuning, Inc.

Ken Block’s Subaru WRX Trax STI

Between its AWD grip and turbocharged power, the Subaru WRX has always been a fantastic choice for conquering icy conditions, but leave it to professional hoon Ken Block to take things to the next level. Debuting at SEMA in 2009, the WRX Trax STI features a lightened and stiffened rally-ready chassis, and comes stuffed with a five-speed dog box transmission, carbon fiber body components, Group N dampers, and 400 turbocharged horses. But the big-ticket items are the Mattracks 105M1-A1 traction-makers mounted in the corners.

Read the full review here.

Nissan’s Winter Warriors Concepts

Back in February, Nissan got in on the action with three one-off, tread-equipped concepts, putting them on display at the Chicago Auto Show. Based on the automaker’s Pathfinder, Murano, and Rogue crossover models, the Winter Warriors come wrapped in red and are simply begging for a challenge. Complementing the new capability is a slew of factory accessories, including roof rail crossbars, cargo area protectors, and all-season floor mats. There’s even an extendable 9x9-foot hatch tent to guarantee you get first tracks in the morning

Read the full review here.

Ford F-150 Raptortrax

Unsurprisingly, there’s a second creation from the Hoon Master General on this list, and this one’s even more outrageous than the last. Sporting 650 horsepower thanks to its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine, plus a serious suspension upgrade and four ginormous Mattracks, this Blue Oval looks like it’s ready to crawl up even the most treacherous of snow-capped peaks. And that’s good, because it was designed specifically for seeking out backcountry shredding, even coming equipped with snowboard racks, a place to store drinks, and an exterior-mounted stereo to provide the soundtrack.

Read the full review here.

Lamborghini Huracan Snowmobile Concept By Rain Prisk Designs

While just a concept, this is one idea we would very much like to see turned into reality. Providing the inspiration is Rain Prisk Designs, which shopped in four big tracks onto Lambo’s ever-popular AWD supercar. Providing the motivation is a mid-/rear-mounted 5.2-liter V-10, which pumps out over 600 horsepower through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Sounds like a challenge to the Raptortrax, to me…

Source: Rain Prisk Designs