2010 Volkswagen Golf R

Designed for tight and narrow city streets, the Golf R is just as happy on fast sweeping mountain switchbacks or curvy canyon roads. Its secret? An all-wheel drive and a uniquely boosted engine. The Golf R’s 2.0-liter inline-4 Twin-Charge [sic] engine combines a supercharger with a turbocharger to produce 267 horsepower and 258 foot pounds of torque – extremely high for a vehicle of this class. Power is sent to a 6-speed DSG, or Direct Shift Gearbox, that can shift seamlessly between gears thanks to its F1-inspired dual-clutch setup. While the all-wheel drive system is heavily front-biased, its hydraulically actuated center differential can send nearly 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels when needed.