THE HISTORY OF 4WD FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
The latest EV hypercars use electric motors in each wheel for slingshot four-wheel-drive traction. But Ferdinand Porsche pioneered the technology more than a century ago. The Lohner-Porsche ‘Mixte’ (as seen above) was the world’s first petrol-electric hybrid, and the first car to use the Porsche name. Ferdinand himself took the wheel to achieve an Austrian speed record of 37mph in 1905 – true hypercar performance for its day.
Porsche’s next foray into four-wheel drive didn’t come until 1947. The company designed the Cisitalia Type 360 single-seater for the nascent Formula 1 world championship. It featured a
