There is much to be said about owning a powerful and subtle car. It allows you to go about your business without drawing much attention. You also get the satisfaction of having huge dollops of horsepower resting beneath your right foot.
While some cars like the BMW M5 Competition revel in their ability to shout about their performance potential, some enthusiasts prefer a more sedate approach while blending in with the crowd. These European sleeper cars are content with the lack of any need to show off.
10 Volkswagen Golf R
Golf R is one of the best hot hatches since it offers many intelligent features and sufficient power. Currently in its eighth generation, Volkswagen’s Golf R is the perfect sleeper hot hatch. It isn’t as aggressive as the GTI, but it still gives enthusiasts enough performance to have fun.
The current generation Golf R is available with a 315 hp engine and a manual gearbox as standard. Besides its potent engine, the Golf R has an all-wheel-drive configuration. The R variant is a more refined Golf that has achieved sleeper status.
9 BMW M240i
The M240i is one of those cars that effortlessly punches above its weight. It features a modern and luxurious cabin similar to the 3 and 4 series BMWs. This sporty BMW coupe features the lovely B58 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six under the hood.
It helps deliver 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The B58 is one of the best six-cylinder engines because it's silky smooth and sounds great, especially the US version. It's less powerful than the M2 but offers decent performance, making it a joy to use under any circumstance.
8 Mercedes-Benz CLS
The CLS features a series of executive Mercedes cars produced since 2004. It offers a sensual and clear design, allowing enthusiasts to have an enjoyable, sporty four-door sports coupe. The CLS is a subtle car with a progressive design that helps make it a great sleeper.
It's available with multiple engine options, but the CLS 450 is the best candidate. It features a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine producing 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. This helps it speed up from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, quick enough for most people.
7 Audi S4
When launched, the S4 was a practical, utilitarian all-wheel drive vehicle wrapped in a handsome, understated package. Since its introduction to the market in 1991, the S4 remains an excellent performance-oriented compact executive sedan.
The B5 was one of the most loved iterations of the S4, with its twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine rated to produce 261 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Currently, the S4 maintains the V6 powerplant but with a larger displacement of 3.0 liters. This helps it produce 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.
6 E28 BMW M5
When launched back in the mid-80s, the E28 M5 was a truly unique car. Currently, the E28 M5 makes one of the best sleeper cars from BMW. Unlike the current generation M5 that’s easily identifiable and screams performance, the E28 M5 was a true wolf in sheep’s clothing.
BMW managed to stuff the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-6 engine from the M1, making the M5 a great sports sedan. It also got better brakes and beefed-up suspension. Over the years, the E28 M5 has become one of the most important cars and a great sleeper that most enthusiasts would love to own.
5 Mercedes-Benz CL600
The CL600 remains one of the best sleeper coupes from Mercedes. It featured a naturally aspirated 5.8-liter V12 producing 362 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. The coupe had all the best technology that still works perfectly to date.
Some of this included the cylinder deactivation system that made the V12 consume less fuel than its predecessor. The CL also received Active Body Control suspension, which helped keep it flat in normal maneuvers. This helped offer a comfortable ride in a car that could warp to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds.
4 Volvo 850R
Volvo hasn’t exactly been a performance brand; that’s until Polestar began spicing things up. We love the brand for making durable and sensible vehicles like the 240. However, even when offering reliable cars, the Swedish brand had a subdued, speedy side.
Volvo introduced the 850R in 1996, and with it came a 2.3-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine churning out 243 hp. This was a handsome wagon that helped prove what Volvo could offer. On the street, the 850R had superb handling thanks to the stiff suspension, sharp steering, and high-performance tires.
3 Mercedes-Benz 500E
Mercedes built the 500E in collaboration with Porsche, intending to make it a worthy competitor to the BMW M5. Porsche’s role was to help Mercedes redesign a W124 chassis that could fit a thumping V8 engine producing 326 hp.
Like most cars in its era, the 500E didn’t have any aggressive looks. This helped make it the ideal sleeper for most people. Nowadays, the 500E can be found for as cheap as $10,000, making it the perfect sleeper for most enthusiasts.
2 BMW M550i xDrive
The M550i might not be a fully-fledged M car, but it aims to offer most of the M5 experience at a lower price. Like the M5, the M550i features the same twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque.
Sometimes, it might be better than the M5 because of its tech and creature comforts. However, it lacks the track attack ferocity of the M5 but makes up for it with excellent ride quality and greater overall balance. This helps make the M550i a better daily driver and a unique BMW sleeper car.
1 Audi S8
The Audi S8 is the perfect luxury sleeper sedan for those who find the A8 too sedate. This luxury sedan would easily pass for another boring car like the Camry. However, it packs a punch with its V8 powerplant, allowing it to move like a bullet.
Even with all its power, the S8 offers private jet-like comfort with some creature comforts like the Comfort+ mode that uses Audi’s predictive active suspension. The S8 uses Audi’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, producing 563 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. This helps the S8 offer a gutsy acceleration of 3.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.