A fast car can offer a lot of fun behind the wheel but a powerful powertrain with four-wheel drive can prove even more compelling. The best fast cars with four-wheel drive not only provide extra traction on the road, they can really enhance the drive regardless of weather conditions, giving drivers a huge amount of confidence when tackling corners.
In this guide we pick out five of the best fast four-wheel drive cars available in today’s new car market.
BMW 4 Series xDrive
The BMW 4 Series, available in coupe, convertible and five-door Gran Coupe guises, is a stylish car with a lavish interior and a fun drive. There’s also a remarkable breadth of choice with the 4 Series. In all body styles it’s possible to swap the standard rear-wheel drive with an xDrive four-wheel drive powertrain.
The four-wheel system isn’t that evident on an average journey, but when you really need that extra grip, particularly on a winter’s day, it’s a very welcome comfort.
BMW’s xDrive is available for 420i and 420d models in the 4 Series coupe range, the 435d for the convertible and for all these models plus the 430d when going for the 4 Series Gran Coupe.
Find prices for the BMW 4 Series coupe
Volkswagen Golf R
The Volkswagen Golf R is one of the hottest of all the current hot hatches in the new car market, boasting a tremendously powerful engine and a super-sharp drive.
Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, similar to the unit found in the latest Golf GTI. In the R however, this unit produces 296bhp. This gives the Golf R a mighty impressive zero to 62mph sprint time of just 4.9 seconds when using the six-speed DSG automatic gearbox or 5.1 seconds with the six-speed manual ‘box.
Another key difference between the GTI and the R is that the latter uses four-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive. The Golf GTI is already a very good handling car, but the Golf R’s handling should appeal even more towards driving enthusiasts.
It’s incredibly agile and precise on the road and, should the front tyres ever slip, power can be sent to the rear wheels almost instantly.
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Audi TTS
Available in coupe and convertible forms, the Audi TTS that uses Quattro four-wheel drive exclusively along with a feisty 306bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine. The architecture and powertrain used for the TTS share a lot in common with the VW Golf R.
The TTS can go from a standstill to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds (in coupe form) and torque can be redirected to the front or rear axle depending on if there’s a loss of grip. It also records a respectable 40.9mpg on the official combined fuel cycle.
With the aid of the four-wheel drive and the light steering, the TTS feels comfortable for both town driving and carving through sweeping country roads.
Find prices for the Audi TT coupe
Porsche 911 Carrera 4
If you’ve got the budget for a powerful, luxurious sports car then a Porsche 911 with four-wheel drive is well worth a close look.
Most models in the current 911 range utilise rear-wheel drive but from just over £80,000 you can get a four-wheel drive version of the iconic German performance car.
The Carrera 4 is fast and spectacular to drive, delivering a huge amount of grip and a 0-62mph sprint time of just under five seconds. If you’ve got an extra ten grand or more though, then it’s worth stepping up to the Carrera 4S which offers an extra 50bhp from the engine.
Find prices for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 coupe
Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R is so fast and such a technical marvel, it’s remarkable that it starts well below £100,000.
Priced from about £78,000, the GT-R has a four-wheel drive powertrain as standard plus a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol unit. Current GT-R models produce 542bhp as standard along with a whopping 652Nm of torque.
While the 0-62mph sprint time of just 2.7 seconds and top speed of 196mph are both showstoppers, the impressive handling shouldn’t be overlooked either. Nissan has done a fantastic job getting a car with this much power and torque to offer so much traction.
While it’s best suited to the flat surfaces of race tracks, particularly if you go for the Track Edition model, the GT-R is still plucky enough on public roads and the four-wheel drive set-up syncs up well with the addictive pace.