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The 4WD system is ultimately believed to be the best system for every situation. However, it does not display satisfactory cornering performance when the vehicle is being accelerated. Recognising this fact, we analyzed the influence of the 4WD fore/aft torque split ratio on cornering performance and found that an optimum torque split ratio exists but varies according to the friction coefficient of the road surface and the vehicle driving force. Based on this analysis, we developed a new transfer system for 4WD vehicles, which is able to adjust the fore/aft torque split ratio by means of an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch. Applying this new transfer system to a test vehicle, it was found to be effective in obtaining desired cornering performance. In this paper, we mainly present information derived from the analysis and concerning the electronically controlled torque split system.