Pipes:
I live in Winnipeg and I didn't see you! All kidding aside though, I have the Continentals and they are pretty good on ice considering our X-fires are front end heavy. Add a few inches of snow and they are not great. I originally thought winter driving was out of the question but have since found I can. Some days better than others. The original Z rated tires on my Lexus were awfull in the snow but the all seasons made a great difference so I can only imagine the difference between the two on the X-fire.
PS: In the road tests on the Mich. tires they complained about them being too sticky for the power available and they would bog. The Cont. will break free at about 3,000 to 3,500 rpm so they may be a good choice anyway for 1/4 mile times?