Best 4x4 cars 2026 – performance cars you can enjoy whatever the weather
All-wheel-drive isn’t just for off-roading – the best 4x4 performance cars deliver huge capability on road and track, too
We’ve come a long way in the 45 years since Audi changed the World Rally Championship with its all-wheel drive Quattro. The performance potential from driving all four wheels has been abundantly clear from the word go but such is progress, AWD performance cars have evolved in all sorts of ways and become capable of delivering first-tier driving thrills.
The role of all-wheel drive as a traction aid hasn’t changed in general. But as the methods of its manifestation have been refined, many of the cars in which it’s deployed have become more fun, as well as capable, as power and weight have increased.
We’ve become used to clever differentials and torque vectoring in AWD cars over the last couple of decades. Now though, these systems are more responsive and adaptable than ever thanks to computer controls, while some hybrids don’t even connect the petrol engine to the front wheels. Here follows a list of some of our favourite AWD performance cars, and a handful of used options for good measure.
Best new 4x4 cars
- Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale
- Audi RS5
- Toyota GR Corolla
- Defender Octa
- Toyota GR Yaris
- Bentley Continental GT Speed
- Mercedes-AMG GT 63
- Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Range Rover Sport SV
- Audi RS3
- Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS
- Aston Martin DBX S
- Lamborghini Revuelto
Audi RS5
Prices from £92,120
Pros – Better balance than ever
Cons – Doesn’t sound as good as the pipes promise
The odds appeared stacked against the new Audi RS5. Knowing it was set to be a plug-in hybrid and the weight implications therein, knowing what we think of the plug-in hybrid BMW M5, knowing how badly Audi can sometimes get it wrong. It wasn’t looking good.
Having driven it? The pessimism seems silly. We should have remembered what Audi Sport achieved with the RS6 GT, the new RS3 and old RS4 Competition. These are genuinely good driver’s cars in their classes. The new RS5 joins them, in spite of its hybridity, in spite of weighing upwards of 2300kg. It manages as much thanks to its well-engineered suspension (a five-link assembly works with two-valve adaptive dampers on each corner) and revolutionary new back axle.
Possible thanks to the 400-volt hybrid electrical architecture, the RS5 features an electromechanical torque-vectoring diff that has its own 10bhp 30lb ft electric motor. It means it can move power between the wheels more responsively and more forcefully, affording the RS5 agility and even a hooligan-esque side. The former is what it’s all about, though. This will hopefully be a fast Audi that really rewards and responds on a proper road – all initial signs are positive.
‘Some of the same sensations that were in the surprising RS6 GT are present in the RS5, particularly that connection to a back axle that feels alert and ready as soon as you turn into a corner, willing to be adjusted with more or less throttle as necessary. I wouldn’t say the big Audi feels delicately fleet of foot, but rather the B10 with its new tech doesn’t give you the sense that it’s carrying around 30 per cent more weight than the B9.’ – Henry Catchpole, evo contributing editor.
Alternatives: The BMW M3 Touring is the RS5’s most obvious competitor. The BMW is lighter and sharper to drive, with a more naturally rear-biased attitude and agile nose, though a back-to-back comparison is needed to know for sure. The BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E53 offer full-fat German hybrid power if that’s what you need.
Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale
Prices from £330k
Pros – An already capable machine made tighter, sharper and more playful
Cons – More expensive, too
Sacrilege or a stroke of genius? When the Purosangue launched, many couldn’t make up their minds about whether this was an authentic four-door, four seat sports car (as Ferrari wanted us to believe), or an awkward step into the world of SUVs. Once it’s been driven though it’s clear that this is a superb car with a glorious powertrain and impressive dynamic ability.
At its heart lies a 6.5-litre V12 that develops 715bhp and 528lb ft of torque. It revs to a heady 8250rpm and despite its two-ton plus weight it’ll hurtle from 0-62mph in 3.3sec. It sounds sensational too, subdued when on a fast cruise but inspirational when you fully open the V12’s taps. And that duality tends to sum up the Purosangue which can be the refined and supple long distance GT one minute and an agile and enthralling back-road blaster the next.
It's a hugely complex machine – its Multimatic dampers are so fancy that they require their own cooling system – but it feels a very natural car to drive quickly. Even more so in its latest Handling Speciale guise, which keeps the same powertrain but uses revised tuning for the dampers, reducing body movements by 10 per cent. The dual-clutch gearbox has new software for faster shifts, while the sound of the V12 is more present in the cockpit at high revs. It all makes for an engaging, exciting car that goes some way to defying typical SUV stereotypes.
‘The way it controls its mass, deploys its performance and dissects a challenging road is genuinely befuddling, thanks to pin-sharp steering and dazzling rate of turn paired with next-level pliancy. Topped with a towering V12 powertrain from the gods, it could only be a Ferrari, yet it feels like no other Ferrari I have ever driven.’ – Richard Meaden, evo co-founder and editor-at-large
Alternatives: Like-for-like rivals to the Ferrari Purosangue number zero, on account of it being a V12-engined SUV. But Aston Martin’s DBX S and Lamborghini’s Urus SE offer badges of comparable stature, with a performance/practicality pairing to match.
Toyota GR Corolla
Pros – Just as capable as the GR Yaris
Cons – You can’t buy one in the UK (yet)
The GR Corolla is forbidden hot hatch fruit in the UK. Despite the four-wheel drive, 300bhp Volkswagen Golf R rival being produced in Derbyshire, Toyota says there are currently no plans to sell it on our shores. It’s fair to assume, however, that doing so isn’t completely out of the question – not least because as the GR Yaris proved, there’s plenty of demand for a rally-bred hot hatch here.
The hot Corolla borrows much of its hardware from the GR Yaris, including a more powerful version of its 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, and the choice of either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. There’s also permanent four-wheel drive with a Torsen limited-slip differential at each axle.
It’s a chunk heavier than the Yaris at 1495kg, but as we found out from sampling the Corolla at Brands Hatch, it’s equally rewarding and hugely effective. Not as pointy as the smaller car perhaps, but more neutral and stable through corners, with excellent punch delivered by the turbo engine. If and when it arrives in UK showrooms, it’ll give the Golf R and Audi RS3 a real headache.
‘Maybe it feels a bit underwhelming to learn that the GR Corolla is so very close to the GR Yaris in character, but just remember that the Yaris remains one of our favourite hot hatches, so that’s certainly no bad thing.’ – Anthony Ingram, evo contributor
Alternatives: A GR Yaris is the obvious choice if you can’t wait for Toyota to pull the trigger and sell the GR Corolla on our shores. For something else with five doors and four-wheel drive, there’s the Audi RS3 to consider, as well as the Volkswagen Golf R.
Land Rover Defender Octa
Prices from £150,824
Pros – Dynamic qualities to rival a sports car
Cons – Where can you explore them fully?
Land Rover has always been synonymous with the mud-plugging end of the all-wheel drive market and while its current product portfolio has moved upmarket in recent years they’re still hugely capable when it comes to the rough stuff. And that applies doubly to the Defender Octa, a Land Rover turned up to 11, both on- and off-road.
Under its bonnet is a BMW M-sourced 626bhp V8 that’s good for a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec when in launch mode. It’s wider to accommodate longer wishbones and it’s taller too for even better ground clearance off-road. Perhaps its most fascinating tech though is its 6D suspension that includes hydraulically linked continuously variable semi-active dampers and while it’s not exactly the most communicative set up in the sense of a traditional sports car the Octa feels tighter, more responsive and keen to engage on-road than all but the very best performance SUVs.
Perhaps what’s even more impressive is that this new-found on-road ability applies when you turn off the blacktop, too. No matter the surface the Octa tackles everything in its path as if it were on a Dakar special stage but all the while its occupants are treated to a level of ride-quality and composure that just wouldn’t be possible in a standard Defender. The perfect go anywhere car?
‘The Defender Octa is a remarkable achievement. It is so much more than the G63 from the Black Country ‘Defender SVR’ we all had in our mind’s eye, back when Land Rover’s reborn icon broke cover in 2019.’ – Ethan Jupp, evo web editor
Alternatives: The super SUV set is expansive but none face the Defender Octa head-on, as an honest to goodness trophy truck for the road. Want similar off-road capability? Only a Ford Ranger (or F150) Raptor comes close, albeit without the Defender’s remarkable on-road chops. As an imposing super truck for the road, the Mercedes-AMG G63 is an obvious target for it.
Toyota GR Yaris
Prices from £48,995
Pros – Huge cross-country pace, sense of purpose, gutsy engine
Cons – Expensive, difficult to get hold of
There was a time when homologation specials were all the rage but sadly those days are few and far between now, which is what made the debut of the Toyota GR Yaris quite such an enticing prospect. Yes, here is a car whose very existence was the result of a desire to go racing. And it shows, in both Gen 1 and 2 forms, as it’s an absolute blast to drive. Now the Aero Performance edition is here, the Gen 2 is sharper than ever, with a trick close-to-hand handbrake, revised aerodynamics (obviously) and a stiffer structure.
A three-cylinder 1.6-litre might not sound like the most exciting of engines but with 276bhp and 265lb ft of torque there’s more than enough shove to get the GR’s 1280kg moving and it’ll knock off the 0-62mph increment in 5.2sec. The GR Yaris Aero Performance is the kind of hot hatch where you’ll struggle not to drive flat out everywhere, usually with a massive grin on your face. It’s also effortless everyday transport, and deeply cool if you know what you’re looking at. Even more so with the more aggressive bodywork of the Aero.
'The older car feels a little more numb, a little lazier changing direction; the Aero feels more eager, more precise, and more consistent in its responses. It’s a car you quickly feel at ease with. The difference isn’t night-and-day compared with the regular car but the Aero Performance is definitely more nimble and enjoyable, and has a more polished ride quality too.' – James Taylor, evo deputy editor.
Alternatives: By its very nature as a rally stage refugee, the GR Yaris Aero Performance is without a direct rival. Its arrival never manifested a ‘Fiesta RS’-shaped response from Ford. All-wheel-drive super hatches come from Germany these days, in the form of the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 S, but they’re of course a chunk more expensive.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
Price – From £236,600
Pros – New hybrid powertrain suits the GT’s character nicely...
Cons – … but makes an already heavy car heavier still
Available as either coupe or drop top GTC the Bentley Continental GT Speed is something of an exercise in defying physics. Bentleys have never been known for their featherweight nature and thanks to their hybrid powertrains the GT Speed models weigh in at a hefty 2459kg as a coupe and 2636kg in GTC form. They’re both utterly beguiling though.
The most powerful Bentley ever made the GT Speed develops 771bhp thanks to its turbocharged V8 and 140kW electric motor and a not insignificant 738lb ft of torque. Despite the weight it feels quick whenever you give it full throttle, and the transfer between gliding along on battery power to waking the V8 is smooth and subtle. It features Bentley Dynamic Ride with 48V active anti-roll bars and the software for the active all-wheel drive and rear e-diff has been recalibrated for this latest Continental.
It'll waft along on e-power in virtual silence but add the V8 and it’ll do a pretty fair impression of a sports car, even on the twisty bits. The steering is quite light but very direct and while it’s not the most feelsome of set ups you do still know what the front tyres are doing with grip and feedback from the chassis keeping you in touch with its limits. As the consummate GT with sporting credentials it has few, if any, peers.
‘You can’t help but shake your head in admiration at the nimbleness Bentley’s engineers have somehow bestowed upon it. It’s a perfect example of how variable-torque-split all-wheel drive can work in harmony with the other chassis and powertrain tools at the engineers’ disposal to make even a 2.4-ton luxury cruiser more deceptively agile than ever.’ – James Taylor, evo’s deputy editor
Alternatives: The Bentley Continental GT Speed blends unparalleled opulence with blistering performance. Its closest rivals are the Aston Martin DB12 S and Maserati GranTurismo, which are more sporting in feel and brief, but the Bentley is the more accomplished mile-muncher.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63
Prices from £165,000
Pros – Sharp to drive, a more useable and engaging GT
Cons – V8 has been silenced, rear-wheel steer and eLSD need couples counselling
It’s fair to say that Mercedes-AMG hasn’t been on top form with a couple of its recent models but it’s had a real return to its best with the latest GT 63. Now featuring a pair of +2 rear seats and a larger boot it’s more practical as well as being more potent and entertaining. It might have a GT moniker but AMG reckons it’s more of a sports car.
It certainly has the necessary firepower with a revised version of the M177 V8 developing 577bhp and 590lb ft of torque which endows the GT 63 with a 3.2sec 0-62mph time and a top speed of 196mph. But it’s the GT’s chassis that carries the surprises and delight. Built on an all-new aluminium space frame with steel, magnesium and composites included within its construction it is significantly stiffer torsionally, transversely and longitudinally.
Forged aluminium multi-link front and rear suspension includes active dampers that are hydraulically linked across the chassis, an active anti-roll-bar system, rear-wheel steering, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential and 4Matic+ four-wheel drive with up to 50 per cent of the torque capable of being sent to the front axle. In Comfort and Sport modes it is more of a GT, but ramp it up to Sport+ or Race and a very different character emerges – an engaging, characterful and precise sports car.
‘It just grips and goes. Play a little with your corner-entry style – a lift as you turn in, or perhaps some carefully applied trail-braking – and the tail just seems to float into a measured slide, which can be held and extended with a confident application of throttle. Think somewhere between a classier and less quirky R35 GT-R and a ballsier 911 Turbo. It’s a helluva thing. And mostly thanks to the effects of 4Matic+.’ – Richard Meaden, evo co-founder and editor-at-large
Alternatives: The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 is a jack of many trades. It can play sports car almost to the standard of a Porsche 911 GTS or Aston Martin Vantage S but with added grand touring credentials.
Porsche 911 Turbo S
Priced from £199,500
Pros – Blistering performance and response
Cons – Sense of mass at speed, not the most tactile 911
The 911 Turbo has followed a familiar formula for years, but the introduction of the latest 992.2 version marked the biggest shift in philosophy since it went four-wheel drive with the 993. The new Turbo S has added hybrid power to its arsenal of tech, resulting in even more astonishing capability, and more rounded dynamics than ever.
The engine is a 3.6-litre unit borrowed from the 911 GTS, but with two electrically-assisted eTurbos to boost power further, plus an electric motor integrated into the PDK gearbox. The result is 701bhp and 560lb ft of torque, giving a hypercar rivalling 0-62mph time of 2.5secs.
More important than the numbers is that the Turbo S has crisper response than ever, with almost zero lag from pedal input to forward thrust thanks to the hybrid system. Supporting this is more sophisticated suspension than lesser 911s with ehPDCC anti-roll bars, which run off the car’s 400V electrical system. They give the car a more pliant ride and excellent control, making it as rounded as a Turbo should be – if not as engaging as our favourite 911s, including the GTS you’ll find elsewhere on this list.
‘On a light load the flat-six retains that slightly hollow, jangly tone and, left to its own devices, the PDK gearbox will shuffle up into the long-striding eighth gear and settle there. Give the accelerator a decent squeeze and once the ’box has found the right gear the power is delivered as a strong, smooth, consistent shove, as you’d expect given that the torque curve is like Table Mountain, peaking early and staying there, all 590lb ft of it, all the way from 2300 to 6000rpm.’ – John Barker, evo Editor-at-Large
Alternatives: The Mercedes-AMG GT63 is the closest rival to the 911 Turbo S, in terms of its layout – now being a 2+2 coupe – and performance. It’s more clinical than the Porsche but superbly capable, and much more rounded than the previous GT. From within Porsche’s own stable, there’s also the 911 GTS to consider – more raw and a little less comfortable than the Turbo, but more exciting and over £50k cheaper.
Range Rover Sport SV
Priced from £177,000
Pros – Dynamic quality has sports car level of detail
Cons – Expensive, the answer to a question no one really asked
The previous generation of RRS was a little too brash for some tastes so this latest incarnation is a welcome change, wrapped in a far more subtle set of clothes that hide a no less potent powertrain. With a 626bhp BMW M sourced twin-turbocharged V8 it’s capable of a 3.8sec 0-62mph time and it will shave another 0.2sec from that time if you opt for the carbon package with carbon wheels and stickier rubber.
It's quick then, but will this 2.5-ton SUV on stilts be able to entertain when some corners are thrown into the equation? In short, yes, yes it can. It has the chassis to back up the firepower with clever 6D cross-linked hydraulic suspension – similar to what you'll find on a McLaren 750S – to deliver a blend of comfort and control that's up there with the very best SUVs on the market.
Although there’s still a degree of roll that allows you to lean against, the 6D system prevents the excessive lurching such cars struggle to control under hard cornering and braking. Thanks to the addition of rear-wheel steering the SV feels totally within itself on track. Flowing from turn-in to apex to corner exit with such confidence, you almost feel guilty for being so impressed by the capability of a car you’d expect to see parked in the paddock and not clipping an apex. No doubt not many owners will venture on track, but it’s good to know that the SV is still capable when so far out of its comfort zone.
‘Barrel into a corner and the Sport SV feels entirely unflustered, changing direction with a crispness that’s wholly unexpected in such a leviathan. Whatever your view of SUVs, the Rangie Sport SV is an extraordinary machine.’ – Richard Meaden, evo co-founder and editor-at-large
Alternatives: The Range Rover Sport SV is a direct riposte to Porsche’s long-standing sports car on stilts, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which is now exclusively available in e-Hybrid form. That bizarrely means the ICE-only Range Rover is lighter than the Cayenne, while continuing to leverage that uniquely ‘Range Rover’ feeling of opulence over it. And it does so over the BMW X5M and Audi RSQ8, too, if not the more expensive Aston Martin DBX707 and Lamborghini Urus SE that you could also have instead.
Audi RS3
Priced from £63,655
Pros – Fabulous engine, exciting playful chassis
Cons – Lacks the feedback and precision of the very best
Prior to the arrival of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S the RS3 was briefly the most powerful hatch on the planet and despite being pipped at the post by its Stuttgart rival the RS3 is still a hugely entertaining hyperhatch that’s also a great allrounder. It’s a slightly more subtle proposition than its bigger RS siblings and when specced with the right options it’s almost possible for it to pass under the radar.
With 394bhp on tap it’s also indecently rapid, recording a sub 4sec 0-62mph time and thanks to its quattro all-wheel drive it is happy to make progress no matter the conditions. Key to the dynamic leap taken by this generation of RS3 is Audi’s ‘torque splitter’ rear diff, which can apportion torque across the rear axle depending on which wheel requires it and can handle it. Up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque can go to the back, but all of that can then be sent to a single rear wheel – the outer one to reduce understeer (or make the car slide), or the inner to improve stability when required.
At the RS3’s heart is the superb five-cylinder turbocharged engine which is hugely impressive and characterful with the five-cylinder warble doing a passable impression of an R8 V8 in the right circumstances. It might not quite have the level of involvement you get with a GR Yaris or the Civic Type R, but it comes mighty close and when you’re not clipping apices and just want to cruise it’s comfortable and refined.
‘The RS3 is hugely exciting – it doesn’t have the poise and feedback of a Civic Type R, but its brutality and layers of adjustability give it a wholly different appeal. Switch everything off and the torque splitter starts giving you more options, and the ability to hold long, controlled slides in the Torque Rear mode. It’s a more expressive and exploitable car than many would expect.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer
Anternatives: The Audi RS3’s main rival in terms of price, performance and positioning has always been the Mercedes-AMG A45 S, but that’s now off-sale. Look a bit further down the pecking order that it tops and you could have a Volkswagen Golf R for less. Want more interactivity and involvement, minus the security and capability of all-wheel drive? The Honda Civic Type R is without peer.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS
Priced from £145,900
Pros – The most complete 992 Carrera
Cons – Hybrid tech means no manual gearbox option
The latest Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS is, on the one hand, an incredibly new concept for Porsche, as its first (even slightly) hybridised 911. On the other hand, it’s the latest in a long lineage of all-wheel-drive models that began with the first Carrera 4s of the 964-generation 911 in the 1980s. Porsche was a pioneer of all-wheel-drive sports cars, so it should come as no surprise that the latest is a phenomenal device that builds on years of experience and iteration.
The latest GTS of course has the new 3.6-litre engine, with small electric motors between the engine and gearbox and in the new single turbocharger. The result is that it can deliver its quite voluminous output figures – 534bhp and 450lb-ft – to the tyres with near-synaptic responses to your commands.
Call upon it for the first time and you get the impression the motor is at once a light, small-capacity, naturally-aspirated mill and a big-chested, multi-cylinder slugger. It’s so versatile. The amount of punch and how eagerly it arrives means all-wheel drive has never been more relevant in a Carrera, giving valuable traction when adhesion is at a premium but still maintaining the 911’s rear-driven character. Shades of GT3 and 911 Turbo coalesce in the Carrera 4 GTS T-Hybrid, to brilliant effect.
‘While 911s have always had buckets of traction, owing to their famously rearward weight distribution, the C4 has a few more buckets still. It’s an addictive sensation to feel the tail squat out of slow- and medium-speed corners while the front axle simultaneously gains a handhold and the GTS slingshots its way down the track, electrified turbo already on-boost.’ – James Taylor, evo deputy editor
Alternatives: None can match the diversity of the 911 range. As such, very few direct rivals exist to meet the capabilities of the Carrera 4 GTS, save perhaps for the Mercedes-AMG GT63, which also pairs four driven wheels with a potent turbocharged punch and an extra 50bhp. The GT55 is a closer match for the 911 on price, though, even if it’s 60bhp down. AWD not necessary? Try a standard Carrera GTS… or an Aston Martin Vantage.
Aston Martin DBX S
Priced from £210,000
Pros – Properly performant with a dynamic accompaniment to match
Cons – Touchscreen still needs some fine-tuning
Devising a bespoke aluminium platform rather than buying a donor skeleton off Mercedes was a good way to get the cynics questioning the authenticity of Aston Martin’s first SUV doubting themselves. Or it should have been. Get them behind the wheel of the latest DBX S and we’d wager all but the most stubborn traditionalists would be fully sold.
Here is a high-riding family truck with the silhouette, panelwork and plushness inside (if not the fussy detailing) you’d expect of an Aston Martin, plus the refinement, performance and dynamics to boot. Now with its updated interior, it’s also better-quality and more intuitive too.
The AMG-derived 4-litre V8 has Aston-specified turbochargers for a sturdy 717bhp and 664lb-ft punch to get that 2.2-ton mass up the road, while the latest Bilstein DTX dampers keep it surefooted in the corners. The steering, damping and limited-slip diff are all Lotus-like in their linearity which bestows the DBX S with an unlikely trustworthiness for such a massive machine.
You place it on the road and explore the upper reaches of its dynamic palette with confidence that builds quickly and naturally behind the wheel. Then, when it’s time to calm down, it’s a real smoothie. The DBX S is authentic in feel, unlike so many rivals that feel like load-luggers with ill-integrated, awkwardly transposed performance hardware. Because it is bespoke and they are not.
‘A four per cent quicker steering ratio takes a few corners to tune into, but then you find a front end that hunts grip and provides a precision few, if any in the sector can match. With a four-wheel drive system that’s rear-wheel drive until it thinks you need a helping hand with the torque, the S remains a fluid, linear machine that’s unexpectedly capable and engaging even on roads that look tight for its upsized footprint. It makes an M5 Touring feel one-dimensional.’ – Stuart Gallagher, evo Editor-in-chief
Alternatives: True alternatives to the Aston Martin DBX S are few, in spite of how massive the Super SUV market is. Only the Ferrari Purosangue, the only other of this breed to be a truly bespoke product, has the same sense of completeness and control. Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo e-Hybrid puts in a fine shift too, especially with the added focus of the GT package.
Lamborghini Revuelto
Priced from £454,830
Pros – finally a V12 Lambo that drives as incredibly as it looks
Cons – Expensive
One of the most sophisticated all-wheel-drive cars on the market today is unique in combining electric power to the front wheels and internal combustion power to the rear wheels, the two only connected by the incredibly clever electronic brain they’re wired into. That car just so happens to be the latest in Lamborghini’s lineage of dirty great V12-engined flagships, that dates back to the Miura. The Lamborghini Revuelto then, bucks tradition in being quite so technologically advanced and as we’ve regaled, quite deftly executed, by comparison to its slightly blunt-edged ancestors.
Almost as important as how it drives is how it looks, which is outrageous, yet that eye-widening design doesn’t oversell the performance figures and driving experience. With 1001bhp, courtesy of a 6.5-litre V12 good for 9500rpm and three electric motors, it’ll hit 62mph in 2.5sec on the way to a 217mph top speed.
Yet in spite of its 1772kg (dry) weight, it’s balletically dynamic, its electrical and mechanical systems perfectly synchronised, its rear-steering adding agility, its in-axle torque vectoring well-calibrated and its driver interfaces deftly judged. This is a car with more power and road presence than a Bugatti Veyron, that dances like an original Audi R8.
‘All-wheel drive built around hybrid tech has transformed Lamborghini’s flagship, the Aventador’s unwieldy and intimidating traits exchanged for unprecedented agility and exploitability. Combined with explosive performance and a soundtrack to match, it’s hard not to proclaim the Revuelto as the ultimate modern supercar.’ – Richard Meaden, evo editor-at-large
Alternatives: The Lamborghini Revuelto tops the sub-hypercar tree, though the new Aston Martin Valhalla is vying for its spot. For raw supercar and definitely speed, a McLaren 750S is a good option, albeit minus the thrill of a V12.
Best used 4x4 cars
Ferrari GT4 Lusso – From £120k
Ferrari’s sports cars have an amazingly supple ride for a while thanks to the ‘Bumpy Road’ mode button. As you’d expect from a Ferrari GT, there’s a big V12 up front – to be precise, a 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V12 with a rev limit of 8250rpm, developing 680bhp and 514lb ft of torque.
But in addition to a bigger boot, the GTC4 Lusso also offered all-wheel drive, some power being sent to the front wheels via a separate two-speed transmission. This was introduced on its predecessor the FF of course but refined for the Lusso, with the addition of rear steering adding welcome agility too. The result? A V12 Ferrari for all seasons uncompromised by its four driven wheels, or unlike its predecessor, a raised ride height… It’s also well over half the price on the used market.
Audi RS6 GT – from £160k
Let’s not beat around the bush; the Audi RS6 Performance is a really good car, but the RS6 GT was an astonishing one. It’s a last hurrah for the iconic petrol-powered RS6 and while its powertrain might be the same twin-turbocharged V8 unit as used in the lesser Performance, its 621bhp and 627lb ft are more than enough to give it nigh-on supercar levels of speed. It’ll hit 62mph in 3.3sec, 124mph in 10.4 and go on to a top speed of 190mph.
A coilover suspension setup replaced the standard adaptive air suspension while an updated centre diff with a GT-specific tune joined the rear Audi Sport diff. Power could be divided 40:60 front to rear, and if slip was detected then up to 70 per cent could be sent to the front axle, or 85 per cent to the rear. The standard RS6 isn’t a blunt tool but the GT ups the ante with more rotational energy and greater throttle adjustability, and the whole package can be placed with greater precision and accuracy. The only catch? They’re still over £160k, so get into an RS6 Performance if that’s a bit too much…
BMW M5 CS – from £130k
The BMW M5 CS came totally out of the blue, turning the F90 BMW M5 Competition from ballistically capable to addictively interactive. Put only a few yards under the wheels of the M5 CS and the transformation is evident. From the responsive, perfectly weighted, communicative steering, to the black magic damping that perfectly blends comfort and response, to the anger of the previously dull 4.4-litre V8. It’s a work of wonder.
And contrary to what many might assume, BMW M xDrive only adds to the experience, preserving the kind of agility and throttle adjustability you’d expect of a BMW but adding in an otherworldly sense of slingshot traction. To say it’s like BMW M’s impression of a Nissan GT-R would do it a disservice and that’s in no way besmirching the good name of Japan’s only eCoty winner. The M5 CS is BMW M uncorked and almost without flaw. Perhaps that’s why they’re still trading in the region of £140k…
Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7) – from £10k
What came before and indeed what followed the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf R, only served to illustrate its brilliance. The Golf is no stranger to four driven wheels but only in the Mk7 Golf R did it first start to make sense for those who enjoy driving.
Not because it’s the most visceral, granular experience behind the wheel but because unlike its predecessors, it’s not front-heavy, and its nose doesn’t surrender under minimal duress. It’s refined, capable and certainly not a drift machine, but it’s also balanced, satisfying, collaborative. It feels like a really well-resolved hot hatch. More to the point of a hot Golf, it’s also relatively subtle in its muscularity, with a premium rather than puffed-up look. There’s a classlessness to it up there with the Mk5 Golf GTI. It’s also now probably about as cheap as it gets when it comes to good AWD cars, being available from between £8000 and £10000.
Ford Focus RS MK3 – from £20k
Never our favourite as an overall driver’s car, the Mk3 Ford Focus RS. It’s just a bit too rough and ready in terms of its ride, without delivering the rewarding sensations the best hot hatches ought to. The 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine, while effective with its 347bhp and 359lb ft, is far from musical or genuinely charismatic.
But there’s no denying it’s an impressive piece of equipment, where its four-wheel-drive system is concerned. The rear wheels aren’t apportioned their power with gears, rather clutch packs that can allow as much as 70 per cent of the axle’s power to reach the prevailing outside rear wheel. The rear axle is also oversped compared to the front by about two per cent, giving the Focus an agile, tail happy feeling. The result? In all conditions but especially when things get Baltic, a rally car for the road. Unlike past RSs, it’s not silly money either, with decent cars available from around £20k.
Audi R8 V10 Plus – From £50k
The first-generation Audi R8 V10 Plus really ought to be in the running for the best AWD car of the last 20 years, so well is it resolved. The beauty of the system was evident in the original R8 V8, but in facelifted V10 Plus form, the R8 got the power and a responsive dual-clutch gearbox to send it via, to really work it.
It’s not intense like a Ferrari 458 or razor sharp like Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS but as an exercise in delectable balance and throttle conductibility, the original V10 Plus is a star turn. A lot of its addictive fun-loving personality was missing in the Mk2 R8 that replaced it. Astonishingly, these are now out there for £50k – less than what you’d pay for a pre-registered Porsche Cayman.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 4x4 car is a car that sends power to all four wheels. Some casually use the term 4x4 to refer to sports utility vehicles (SUVs), given most of them have all-wheel drive.
