Nissan ATTESA-ETS Pro

Seen on: Nissan GT-R

How it works: Winning the longest acronym award for this roundup is the Nissan GT-R's Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain with Electronic Torque Split (ATTESA-ETS Pro). Versions of this system have been in use since 1989 on various generations of the Skyline GT-R, but the most recent iteration of the Nissan GT-R is dramatically different from any of its predecessors.

Power flows out of the engine, down longitudinal driveshaft to the transmission located on the rear axle. Here the ATTESA-ETS decides on the power split and can send as much as 50 percent of available torque (or as little as 2 percent) back to the front axle via a second driveshaft. At both ends of the vehicle, torque is also split laterally between the left and right wheels by a differential: an open differential on the front axle and a computer controlled limited-slip differential at the rear that's integrated into the body of the transmission for maximum responsiveness.

Essentially, the GT-R is a RWD car that can become AWD when needed. It also carries the distinction of being the only rear transaxled AWD car in production today.