Sleeper cars are the hidden gems of the automobile world; even though they look slow, they pack speeds that will surprise you. In order to be classified as a ‘sleeper’, it must have a high-performance engine and a completely unassuming exterior. The first sleeper car, the one that started it all, was the 1955 Chrysler C-300. With a 300-horsepower engine, it was the most powerful US car of the time. Many were taken by surprise as this wasn’t showcased as the performance car it truly was, thus, it was forever to be known as a sleeper. It’s a pretty rare and vintage car these days, so you won’t find the term thrown at it still, but enthusiasts remember.
Updated January 2022: If you're looking for a sleeper car that's capable of keeping up with way more expensive sporty-looking machines, you'll be happy to know that we've updated this article with even more affordable supercar-slayers.
In honor of the C-300 that changed it all, we have put together a list of the absolute best 20 sleeper cars that money can buy these days. (As well as five that look high-performing and seriously speedy, but are actually disappointingly slow.) Some cars on this list are true sleeper classics from the 80s and 90s, still beloved by today’s enthusiast, while others are newer models.
25 Toyota Chaser
Today, everyone involved with JDM scene knows the Toyota Chaser is an awesome drift car. However, back in 1996, this car was capable of taking most sports car owners by surprise. Underneath the hood of this ordinary-looking family sedan lies the heart of a lion. That's right, it's powered by a Toyota 1JZ-GTE engine — a smaller but just as potent unit as the legendary 2JZ-GTE engine found in the Supra. It may not look like it, but looks can be deceiving. Some people would even go as far as calling the Toyota Chaser a four-door Supra.
24 Cadillac CTS-V
Cadillac introduced the CTS in the early 2000s. This four-door sedan was meant to compete against the top European compact luxury sedans, such as the BMW 3 and 4-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi's A4. The CTS certainly looked the part, but it lacked the power to compete, so Cadillac went back to the drawing board and returned with the CTS-V.
The CTS-V looked like the base-model CTS, but under the hood, it had a Corvette-sourced V8 that produced a lot more power. The latest CTS-V comes with a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 engine that produces a whopping 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful sedans of all time.
23 2019 Ford Taurus SHO
Looking like an ordinary family sedan, but we can assure you it’s not. SHO stands for Super High Output, and that perfectly describes this beast. What you may or may not know is that this car forms the base model for most of the police cruisers found around the United States.
With many people thinking you’re an undercover police cruiser, you’ll have that left lane all to yourself. The reason it’s a sleeper is thanks to its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged, EcoBoost V6 engine that produces 365-horsepower and 350lbs-ft of torque. It goes 0 to 60 in just over 5 seconds.
22 1992-1993 GMC Typhoon
The Typhoon basically started as an SUV, but the engineers had other plans and managed to stuff in a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 engine. The GMC Typhoon was the fastest-accelerating SUV of its time. The V6 produces 280-horsepower, and if its quarter-mile times are any indication, this 4x4 could blow away just about anything on the street in the '90s (save the odd Ferrari F40 or ZR-1 Corvette).
21 2019 Ford Fusion Sport
Powered by a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 325-horsepower, the Ford Fusion Sport is capable of throwing you 0 to 60mph in 5.3 seconds. It might just be one of the sleepiest sleepers on this list. With 380 lb-ft of torque, drivers will love the brisk acceleration and dynamic performance of the Fusion, as it’s enough to outpace most other cars in the segment. They’ll especially love the steering wheel paddles to help you manage its six-speed transmission. The Ford Fusion Sport is a dull sedan, with an engine that will astound you.
20 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder
It looks like something your grandmother might drive, but the Mercury Marauder is the ultimate sleeper. With 302-horsepower in a 4.6-liter DOHC V-8 engine – an engine also used in the 2003-04 Mustang Mach 1 – providing enough power to propel the Marauder from 0 to 60mph in 7.5 seconds.
With only about 11,000 ever sold, it’s a rare find. Though it is not the fastest sleeper on our list, it still hits speeds that will surprise you. Quite simply, the rarity of seeing this car on the streets is what makes it such a great sleeper.
19 1991 GMC Syclone
Featuring a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 engine that boasted an easy 300-horsepower. The 1991 Syclone also integrated a 4WD system that power distributed 65% to the rear and 35% to the front.
Accelerating from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds, this vehicle had enough under its hood to take on a lot of supercars of its era. It’s the type of car with the power to outpace most others before even hitting the speed limit. If you didn’t know, you’d have no idea that this GMC was one formidable machine.
18 2007 Volvo V70 R
In 2003, the V70 R was born and it was named the most ‘refined breed’ of their R class models. Their 2007 model boasts 300-horsepower, an engine Volvo feels so confident in that they publicly proclaimed their R’s a suitable competition to BMW’s M3. That’s some ego!
The V70 R is powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder transverse-mounted engine, which in less technical terms means it offers all the mid-range overtaking power you could ever need (which, naturally, is exactly why you want it). In this unsuspecting sweetheart, you’ll go from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, a feat made possible by its combination of Haldex all-wheel drive, a DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) and Volvo’s all-new semi-active suspension. We think their claims of being competition for the M3 are a little far-fetched, but who cares. This beauty is at least cheaper and the M3 won’t surprise nearly as many people as this unsuspecting family car.
17 1980s Buick Grand National GNX
Buyers don’t generally come to Buick expecting performance, which is why its cars make such excellent sleepers. The most popular – and the one fans continue to brag about even today – is the Grand National. Launched in 1983 to commemorate its success in NASCAR, the Grand National morphed its way into a true sports sedan.
Boasting a turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 with 200-horsepower engine. It might not sound like much, but for the era, this was one car you gave respect to on the road. In a quarter-mile race, the original Grand National could beat a Chevrolet Camaro and keep up with a Corvette. Each year the power went up, from 200-hp to 235-hp, then 245-hp and finally 276-hp in 1987 for its Limited-edition GNX.
16 2019 Buick Regal GS
Unless you are over 80-years old, you are probably wondering what we’re doing mentioning a modern Buick. But trust us, this is one car for the books. The Regal GS comes equipped with a naturally aspirated V6 engine that produces 310-horsepower and 280lbs-ft of torque.
Along with GM’s 9-speed automatic transmission that was co-developed with Ford, add that to the engine specs and you’ll be able to run 0 to 60 in the high 5 or low 6 seconds. The absence of a manual transmission is probably the one thing that might put off many buyers, but you can’t argue this is one fast, yet totally undescriptive looking vehicle.
15 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Since its 2018 model, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is one of the fastest SUV models around. How fast is it? Well, its 2018 model went 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds. This is because it produces 707-horsepower from its 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat Hemi V8 engine. The sound of this thing rolling up next to you on the street is a bit of a giveaway, but even if you hear it, you still wouldn’t expect it to have quite as much power and speed as this thing boasts. Especially as this monster of a car weighs over 5,000lbs. This thing puts up a good fight against even a Lamborghini Urus. Sure, this is one of the most expensive Jeep rides ever, but it is also one of the most powerful and quickest SUV-type vehicles on the planet.
14 2004 Chrysler 300
Although this full-sized sedan is considered a ‘luxury’ vehicle, it definitely does not reveal its speed. For the first generation 300s, there were a lot of different engine options available, such as a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, 6.1-liter HEMI V8, and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6.
Most notably, the Chrysler SRT-8 300 model came equipped with a 6.1-liter HEMI engine that produced 425-horsepower at 6,200 RPM and 420 lbs-ft torque at 4,800rpm. It also could do 0 to 60mph in 4.9 seconds. Obviously, the second-generation Chrysler 300’s only up their engine game year after year, but it was the inconspicuous first-generation builds that truly make this luxury sedan a sleeper.
13 1990s Audi RS2 Avant
Not a fast-looking car by any means, but combine that with what’s under its hood and its true all-wheel-drive system, and you’ve got yourself a classic sleeper. Its turbocharged, 2.2-liter engine is good for 315-horsepower. It can do 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 163mph.
It was co-developed by Porsche, so you’ll find 993 generation Porsche 911 parts sprinkled all throughout the Avant. Its turn signals, fog lights, wheels, and side-mirrors are all transferred over directly from the 911. It is one of the most tasteful sleepers of the 90s, and a highly coveted car today.
12 2017 Tesla Model X P100D
What could be more astounding that watching a supercar get overpowered by an SUV! It is impossible to comprehend the acceleration of a Tesla until you actually get behind the wheel of one. Although the Model S may be quicker, the Model X is the car to beat.
Producing 603-horsepower and 713lb-ft of torque, the Model X can go 0 to 60mph in 2.9 seconds. We guarantee you weren’t expecting numbers like that from an SUV. Which is why it’s such a good sleeper. Your road companions will never see you coming.
11 2006 Mazdaspeed 6
We guarantee you didn’t suspect that this family sedan had a unique 2.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Combine this with its six-speed manual transmission and high-tech Active Torque-Split All-Wheel Drive system, and you’ve got yourself one high-performing sleeper.
Producing 274-horsepower at 5,500rpm and 280lbs-ft of torque at just 3,000rpm, the Mazdaspeed 6 has amazing in-gear acceleration. No automatic is available for this model, because its engineers felt that to have a fully involved driving experience, a proper sports sedan should be equipped only with a manual transmission.
10 2015 Nissan Juke-R 2.0
The Juke-R is beautifully fast, super rare and pretty damned inconspicuous to say the least, given that it can do 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds. It is small and light, which means it is probably a pretty great track car. That’s not to say that it is not one strange looking vehicle, but that’s what makes it such a great sleeper.
The Juke-R 2.0 comes equipped with the same engine used in the GT-R; yes that Nissan GT-R supercar. In order to deal with all of that power, it has been given a stiffer suspension, fender flares, and 20-inch rims. It is a pretty rare car to get your hands on, but it is absolutely a sleeper worth collecting.
9 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T
The reason the 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T made this list of sleepers is thanks to its 252-horsepower and 273lbs-ft of torque turbocharged engine connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission. When you find yourself easily overtaking similarly sized sedans, this Accord 2.0T is going to put a smile on your face. It is not the prettiest of cars, but we can’t argue Honda has made a sincere effort towards comfort and performance in their latest model.
8 2019 Volkswagen Golf R
If we told you this little Golf could outpace many generation old muscle cars (even older Porsches), we bet you wouldn’t believe us. But, that’s exactly what this Volkswagen is capable of. With its 300-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI AWD engine, this little sleeper goes from 0 to 60mph in less than 5 seconds!
With adjustable dampers and numerous driving assistance systems, its cornering abilities, as well as straight line acceleration, is sure to impress. It certainly doesn’t shout speed when you see this Volkswagen, but that’s exactly what you’ll get.
7 2017 Chevrolet SS
Despite looking like an average rental car, the 2017 Chevrolet SS is a rebadged Holden VF Commodore. Made in Australia, it was bred to race in the nation’s most popular motorsport, V8 Supercars. The VF Commodore took home the championship in every race it entered.
Although the race car doesn’t have much in common with its production brethren, the Chevrolet SS does come stocked with some pretty spectacular suspension called Magnetic Ride Control, which offers a huge range between comfort and sport. A perfect feature to help work its 6.2-liter Corvette engine through its 6-speed gearbox.
6 1990 Vauxhall Lotus Carlton
The Lotus car made its debut appearance in the early 90s. Many wanted this car banned, claiming it was an outrageous invitation for speed. Lucky for us, this absurdly satisfying 377-horsepower sedan was kept on the market for all to enjoy.
With 419 lb-ft of torque, the Carlton tops out at 180mph and does 0 to 100 mph in 11 seconds. That’s faster than the Ferrari Testarossa. And, it manages 30-70mph faster than a Lamborghini Countach. The Lotus Carlton was the fastest production sedan of its time. With such a misrepresented exterior, this is one of the best sleepers of the era, and still today a tough one to beat.