07/09/2026
Who is the true AWD King?
ATTESA E-TS
S-AWC
Symmetrical AWD
The R32 spends most of its life as a rear wheel drive car, and that's the whole trick. ATTESA E-TS reads wheel speed and g-load, then shoves up to half the torque forward the instant the rears start giving up. Drive it easy and it feels almost lazy. Drive it hard and you get why Group A rulebooks kept getting rewritten around it.
Waiting for slip was never Mitsubishi's plan. The IX ran the ancestor of S-AWC, ACD plus Super AYC, and instead of only shuffling power front to rear, AYC works across the rear axle, overdriving the outside wheel to help rotate the car into the corner. That's why an Evo turns in like it's personally offended. Locked center diff, rear axle doing some of the steering, and a car that rewards being driven angry.
Nothing about Symmetrical AWD sounds impressive on paper, and that's exactly why it aged the best. Longitudinal engine, driveline running straight down the center, near equal shaft lengths on both sides. No trickery, just balance you can feel the second the surface gets loose. Then the Hawkeye hands you DCCD and lets you set the center diff yourself, which is a small but incredibly satisfying addition for those who want more control.
So then, which manufacturer did it the best? 🏎️
