For the longest time, gearheads who wanted a car they could drive in all conditions had to settle for pickup trucks, SUVs, or one of the few sedans with an all-wheel-drive system. Sports cars were not an option for such gearheads, as they typically had a rear-wheel-drive configuration. However, that changed in the '60s when little-known British automaker Jensen introduced the FF - the first AWD sports car.
Since then, other manufacturers have realized how good AWD sports cars can be. Besides allowing people to drive in all conditions, AWD sports cars are much quicker off the line and also better at cornering. Over the years, manufacturers have built many amazing AWD sports cars. Let's explore ten of the best.
10 Porsche 959
As other manufacturers struggled to produce powerful cars without going against emission restrictions in the '80s, Porsche had already discovered the secret - turbochargers. After trying out turbocharging in several models, Porsche finally built the car that showed turbocharging was the future - the 959.
Introduced in 1986, the 959 was powered by a 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six producing 444 ponies and 369 lb-ft of torque. With a top speed of 197 mph, making it one of the fastest '80s sports cars.
9 Bugatti Chiron
If there's one thing you can always expect from Bugatti, it's ultra-fast supercars. After the hugely successful Veyron, Bugatti built yet another beast to replace it - the Chiron. Just like its predecessor, the Chiron is highly popular, insanely priced, and guaranteed to offer the fastest, most exclusive ride.
Powering the Chiron is a monstrous 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine producing 1,180 hp, enough to propel the 4,400-pound monstrosity to world-record-breaking speeds.
8 Acura NSX
The iconic first-generation NSX shook up the automotive world when it debuted in the '90s. Most gearheads believed that Honda wouldn't be able to build a worthy successor, but they were wrong.
While the new NSX didn't receive as much hype as the original, it's just as revolutionary as it has one of the most advanced AWD systems. Its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 powers the rear wheels, while two electric motors power the front wheels.
7 Ferrari SF90 Stradale
The SF90 Stradale is only a couple of years old, but it's already regarded as one of the most important Ferraris in history. The SF90 is the first-ever plug-in hybrid from the Maranello-based automaker, showing that future Ferrari's could also be electrified.
The SF90 is also the most powerful street-legal Ferrari ever - it comes with a twin-turbo V8 assisted by three electric motors, resulting in a total output of 986 hp. With a 0-60 of just 2.5 seconds, the SF90 is also the quickest Ferrari ever.
6 Nissan GT-R Nismo
Nissan's tuning division Nismo has built many incredible road cars over the years. The GTR Nismo is arguably the best. There's a lot to love about the GTR Nismo, starting with its aggressive styling, fantastic driving feel, and 'cheap' price compared to other supercars.
The GTR Nismo is powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 pumping out 591 horses and 481 lb-ft of torque, making it insanely quick. After its introduction, the GTR Nismo made history by becoming the fastest production car around the Nürburgring.
5 Audi R8
When Audi invented its genius Quattro AWD system, its primary goal was to dominate Group B rallying. Decades later, the system was used in arguably the greatest Audi ever - the R8.
The R8 has been a massive success for Audi since its introduction in the 2000s. Everyone loves its unique design, advanced technology, and the fact that it's cheaper than most European sports cars.
4 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37
Over the last decade, almost every top sports car manufacturer has built a hybrid supercar. Not wanting to be left out of the action, Lamborghini went to work and came up with its first-ever hybrid - the Sian FKP 37.
The Sian is based on the Aventador SVJ and uses its 6.5-liter V12. However, unlike the Aventador SVJ, the Sian has an electric motor to provide an extra boost. A combined output of 819 hp makes the Sian the most powerful Lamborghini ever.
3 Porsche 918 Spyder
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2013 was a great year for the auto industry, as it saw the introduction of the famous 'Holy Trinity' of hybrid supercars. This trinity includes the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari, and Porsche 918 Spyder.
The 918 Spyder is arguably the best to drive of the three cars. That's because it's the only one equipped with an all-wheel-drive system to handle the massive amount of power it has - 894 hp coming from a 4.6-liter V8 and two electric motors.
2 Jaguar F-Type SVR
The F-Type was developed as a spiritual successor to the legendary E-Type. While the F-Type will never match the E-Type's beauty, it absolutely destroys it in performance, particularly in SVR guise.
The F-Type SVR comes with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine blurting out 575 hp, allowing it to attain a top speed of 200 mph. It also has other cool features like a reconfigured aerodynamic body, adaptive suspension, limited-slip differential, and a lightweight titanium exhaust system.
1 Porsche 911 Turbo
When Porsche fitted a turbocharger to the 911 for the first time in the late '70s, things didn't go well. The car was almost impossible to control for most gearheads, which is why it was nicknamed 'widow maker.' Thankfully, Porsche discovered the secret to improving the 911 Turbo's handling - AWD.
The first time Porsche equipped the 911 Turbo with an AWD system was in 1995, and since then, it's considered to be one of the best-handling sports cars even when the driver pushes its limits.