Sports sedans are perhaps one of the best compromises in the history of the automobile. They're always a bit heavier, a bit slower, and a bit bigger than the fastest cars available on the market. Some companies have tried to find ways around that though. Take for example the Dodge Charger Hellcat. It's a monster motor shoehorned into the engine bay solely to make it the most powerful sedan in the world. Tesla goes another route, using its technology to push their vehicles to 60mph and beyond faster than most other cars ever made.
The birthplace of the original sports sedan is in Europe though and despite America's best efforts at dethroning them, they still make a few exceptional sports sedans themselves. Today we're going to look at 14 of them that are magnificent and one that's utterly horrid. The good one though, they make up some of the most important automotive steps in history. They make that compromise feel less and less like one. They achieve speeds and feats previously held out for only the fastest sports cars.
15 One That Sucks - VW Jetta TDI Cup
This pile of junk was released as a commemorative edition in honor of the Jetta TDI Cup that VW instituted so that they could say they'd won a race somewhere in the world. Of course, the street-legal version came with *checks notes* 140 horsepower. Something to keep in mind is that the actual racecar itself only built 170 horsepower. What a complete disappointment right? This is the bad side of compromise.
14 AMG GT63s
Perhaps one of the most brutal ICE cars on this list, the AMG GT63s is an ode to what big power can do when installed in a sexy dress. This thing can shuttle passengers up to 196 mph. That's ludicrous speed and capability.
13 Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Want to drive something that's been described as "too fast for the road"? That would be the Taycan Turbo S. This thing might not charge as quickly as a Tesla, and it might cost twice as much, but it's so blindly fast that many are wondering how much faster is needed. What's more impressive is that until the battery is totally depleted, it'll do it over and over and over again.
12 BMW M5
The M5 is a wonderful sports sedan. It's really one of the earliest cars to demonstrate that four doors didn't have to mean soulless and slow. Really you could pick out any generation. Even the E60, known for major issues with the rod bearings, is a treat to drive when it's been sorted out. Anything that came from BMW with an M5 badge on it will be a winner.
11 Audi RS7
In my humble opinion, the RS7 is perhaps the sexiest car on this list. The interior is so well-appointed and comfortable, the body is so sultry and sublime, and the power is otherworldly. Before the Taycan, this was the only way to hang out with a Tesla. They're that fast.
10 Alfa Romeo Giulia
The newest hot versions of the Giulia are going to sell like hot-cakes. Even before them though, these were outstanding sedans. They're so fast, they're so beautiful, and they're powered by a pseudo-Ferrari motor. With a bit of tuning, they get even more insane. They're so special.
9 Porsche Panamera
Porsche broke the mold when they released the Panamera. It's a weird-looking car certainly but it fits four full-sized adults and can easily run over 180mph. That's a rare combination. The handling is out of this world too so no matter which one you buy, it'll be a good driver.
8 Koenigsegg Gemera
Obviously the most exotic of the cars here, the Gemera only has two doors but they're huge so getting into the back is about as easy as it could be. In addition, it's about the most advanced car on this list, using a Freevalve 3-cylinder engine in unison with electrical motors to propel it.
7 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
The car that sparked off the horsepower wars, the E55 trumped everything out there when it came out and had 479 horsepower. This thing can be tuned to produce even more too. It looks good, it's subtle and the engine itself is very well known for reliability. That makes it a winner.
6 Jaguar XF-S
The XF-S is perhaps the biggest sleeper on this list. It doesn't look particularly powerful or fast and yet, it uses a supercharged V6 to rocket to 60mph in less than 5 seconds. If you've ever been inside one you'll know that it's about as nice a place to be as you can get so getting that much speed in addition to the luxury is a great combination.
5 Volvo S60 Polestar
Volvo knows how to make a quick car. They've been doing it since the 80s. The latest Polestar cars are using the most advanced tech ever. The S60 makes more than 400 horsepower and nearly 500 ft-lbs of torque thanks to an electrified powerplant that also features a turbocharger AND a supercharger!
4 BMW M6 Gran Coupe
The M6 Gran Coupe is a great looking answer to the Audi RS7. It's shorter and not as long so handling is improved and track capability is higher. It has the same wild twin-turbo V8 from the M5 too so if you like that and want a sleeker body, this is your best choice. It also lets you feed power to all four wheels or just the back.
3 Mercedes 500E
This 500E is well known for being built by Porsche. It set itself apart from every other four-door sedan made at the time by being lower, wider, and faster. It's such a stunning car that even today they go for more than $50,000 pretty easily. Certainly a capable and classic family hauler.
2 Aston Martin Rapide
The Rapide is perhaps one of the best used-car values on the market today. It's got a super strong and pretty reliable V10, it's got those legendary Aston proportions and feels like a million bucks inside. This is also the last sedan to use a naturally aspirated V10 so it's a bit of history.
1 BMW M3 (E90)
If nimble handling and naturally aspirated power are big factors for you then the E90 M3 is perhaps the best choice possible. It's very quick but it's also smaller than most the cars here and is totally track capable. It also looks outstanding.