All-Wheel Drive = All Good
We’re truly in the thick of it now. Gone is the joyous holiday season, now replaced by overcast skies, bitter cold, and people who believe you can still drive ten miles per hour over the speed limit even when the street’s been converted into an ice hockey rink. It’s all rather dreary, is it not?
And this time of the year can be made even more dreadful if you’re the owner of a two-wheel drive car. The prospect of fruitlessly spinning the wheels in an attempt to free oneself from the icy grips of snow is a nightmarish thought. Alas, such nightmares often become reality for two-wheel drive cars in wintry conditions. The sound of rising revs and tires struggling for grip is a welcome noise to the ears on mornings after a snowfall.
Unless…
At least, that may be the case for those of us who prefer power going to two wheels and two wheels alone — the ‘way it was meant to be,’ some might say. You see, the winter months for those who own all-wheel drive cars may tell a different tale.
Rear-wheel drive car owners may gloat about that ‘completely purposefully executed’ powerslide on a challenging B-road on that one summer morning. While front-wheel drive owners may boast about hooning a tripod around country lanes on a joyous afternoon drive in July. However, it is the all-wheel drive, er, driver that is the one quietly sipping his tea with a facial expression bursting with smugness when it gets cold.
But before bitterness clouds any rational thinking, take a brief moment to ponder what it may be that makes an all-wheel drive performance car in the snow so appealing. Before doing so, however, keep in mind that we’re not talking about mum or dad’s seemingly indestructible Toyota Land Cruiser; we’re talking about sporting all-wheel drive performance in troublesome weather. If you need some help brainstorming, here’s some food for thought.
Now that you’ve done that (hopefully having reluctantly conceded to the benefits of all-wheel drive with an unconvincing ‘I guess’), we’re quite keen to see what all-wheel drive car you would choose, if ever presented the option, to barricade yourself inside of for warmth for a weekend.
The choice is yours
With much thanks due to the success of cars such as the Audi Sport Quattro, there is a wealth of high-performance all-wheel drivers that spring to mind. One might choose a Ferrari FF or an Audi R8 to comfortably withstand the snow-coated roads faced on the annual ski trip. Or if £227,107 for the former is actually a considerable amount of money to you, then you may be inclined to choose Subaru’s WRX STI or its long-time rival Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution.
Keeping it Japanese, perhaps a Nissan GT-R would suit your desires?
Since this is all merely hypothetical, don’t feel that venturing out to that which is not street legal is forbidden territory. If an Rs200, 205 GTi T16, or a Sport Quattro is what you dream of hooning about with in a winter wonderland is, then so be it.
Be sure to comment below which four-wheel drive car you would choose to drive for the weekend and join the discussion!
Many would probably agree that when it’s cold enough to see one’s breath being carried into the atmosphere, then it’s time to retreat back to the warmth of their homes, crack open a good book or flick on the telly and consume hot chocolate. However, with the right car for the conditions and a safe place to exercise the car’s abilities, there’s no warmer feeling than enjoying the thrill of the drive.
Drive safely.
