10 Best AWD Sports Cars

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS AWD ・ Photo by Porsche

Most sports cars are rear-wheel drive, but there are people out there who want their car to be able to drive in all seasons, every day of the year. For them, all-wheel drive sports cars are the answer.

These cars have varying prices and performance levels, but they all make do with sending power to all four wheels. We’ll start with some of the least-expensive person options that are available to anyone, and then move up to some of the most elite cars on the planet. Here are the 10 best all-wheel drive sports cars you can purchase today.

2018 Subaru WRX STI

Subaru is one of the leaders in the all-wheel drive sports car segment, and the 2018 WRX STI is one of the best it’s built. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine makes a healthy 305 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission only. A trick center differential and the all-wheel drive system delivers the power right where you need it, when you need it. Also, if you want to fly under the radar, you can get yours without the big wing spoiler.

Photo by Subaru

2018 Ford Focus RS

The Focus RS is a lot like the STI, but with more power and an even more advanced all-wheel drive system. Pricing goes over $40,000 with options, but the segment-leading 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque make it a rocket ship.

It’s the last year for the current Focus RS, with no word yet on if there will be another one. If you want one of the best cars Ford has ever made, you should get one while you can.

Photo by Ford

2018 Volkswagen Golf R

Keeping with a hot hatch theme, the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R is the German brand’s premier performance offering. Updated for 2018, nearly all the features you want are standard.

Unlike the Focus RS and WRX STI, you can get the Golf R with an automatic transmission. Standard safety features like adaptive cruise control are also nice on a car you live with every day. Volkswagen’s gorgeous digital cockpit instrument cluster is also best-in-class. Plus, the Golf R looks understated and more grown-up than the competition, and rides better, too.

Photo by Volkswagen

2018 Audi TT RS

Audi’s little brother to the R8 supercar, the TT RS is a performance dynamo. The TT RS is unlike any other TT, with a bespoke five-cylinder turbocharged engine that sounds like it was ripped straight from a rally car.

Speaking of rally cars, Audi succeeded in rallying with their Quattro all-wheel drive system. It’s present on the TT RS, along with 400 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Starting at $64,900, it’s one of the few ways to get supercar performance at a sports car price. Plus, with adaptive suspension and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit in-cabin technology, it’s livable every day of the year in all weather conditions.

Photo by Audi

2018 Jaguar F-Type SVR

Available in both coupe and convertible styles, the 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR is a proper two-seater with 575 horsepower and all-wheel drive. It’s also drop-dead gorgeous.

Combined with great dynamics and an exhaust that sounds like no other car on sale, the F-Type is what you drive to be noticed. Updates for 2018 include LED headlights and a better infotainment system. It starts at $121,900 – but to this author, it’s worth every penny.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS

The Porsche 911, for many, is the quintessential sports car. If you want the sportiest experience while maintaining all-wheel drive, the Carrera 4 GTS is the car for you. Porsche purists may balk at the all-wheel drive version of the 911, because to them it’s not as sharp, but the 911 all-wheel drive is darn good. Plus the GTS gets a 450-horsepower engine and either a manual transmission or Porsche’s fantastic PDK automatic.

It’s easy to add pricey options to the car, but a few tasteful extras shouldn’t take you too much over the $127,600 starting price. There are less-expensive 911s, but the GTS is the sweet spot for performance and everyday livability.

Photo by Porsche

2018 Audi R8

The 2018 Audi R8 is an everyday supercar that delivers on performance and experience. A naturally aspirated V10 engine, borrowed from Lamborghini, sits behind the driver and sings an incredible song when you mash the go pedal. Audi-level refinement and creature comforts make it great for date night, not only for track night.

A mere $164,900 gets you into the “base” coupe, but Audi also offers a convertible model – which it calls Spyder – and there are Plus versions with even more power.

Photo by Audi

2018 Acura NSX

At $156,000, the 2018 Acura NSX is more expensive than its 1990s predecessor, but the new car is packed with supercar technology and the latest in battery-electric performance. Unlike most sports cars or supercars, the NSX uses electric motors to power the front wheels.

This performance hybrid can send delicious electric torque to whatever wheel needs it, which allows for insane cornering performance. It can also run entirely on electricity around town, which saves you at the pumps. Not that you care the most about fuel costs when you buy a supercar, but this one lives with its feet firmly planted in the future.

2018 Lamborghini Huracán Performante

It might share its basic engine and some chassis components with the R8, but the Lamborghini Huracán Performante is a totally different bull. Available in coupe and convertible variants, this raging bull can get to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds and lap some of the world’s best racetracks, including the Nürburgring, faster than any other sports car.

It’s not subtle, with an active aero wing out the back, Italian flag stripes painted down the side, and a coat of bright Lamborghini paint. If you want people to notice you while you go insanely fast, the $274,390 Huracán Performante is for you.

Photo by Lamborghini

2018 Bugatti Chiron

Any discussion of all-wheel drive performance cars wouldn’t be complete without talking about the fastest and most expensive car in the world: the Bugatti Chiron. Its all-wheel drive system is powered by an 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine that makes 1500 horsepower. That’s not a typo. It’ll hit a max speed of 261 mph. For reference, a super jumbo Airbus A380 needs less than 200 mph to take off.

It’s a monster in a straight line, but Bugatti has gone to great lengths to make it a better handler when the roads get twisty. It might not be lightweight and agile like the Lamborghini Huracán, but it’s lighter than ever and makes up for any deficiencies with brute power. It’s also luxurious inside, with only the highest-quality materials. But it better be, because the starting price for this beast is just $2,000 less than $3 million!

Photo by Matt Carpenter