10 Cars That Look Slow But Are Actually Performance Beasts

Have you ever heard of a sleeper car? Sleeper cars are those that look docile enough, have unassuming body work, but underneath have a fire-breathing powertrain. Most high performance vehicles have some tell tail signs that they are one.

Whether it is massive spoilers like on the Toyota Camry TRD, wider body kits or the like. Sleeper cars come in all shapes and sizes, whether they are an SUV, a four-door sedan, a compact SUV all the way up even to a full-size body-on-frame SUV.

There are a few exceptions to the rule. However, some were built with performance in mind, but might not emulate a performance car stature in the traditional sense of the word. In this article, we're going to highlight ten different vehicles that may look slow in their demeanor, but pack a serious punch when it comes to performance.

2015 Subaru Legacy 3.6R

0-60 MPH: 7.1 seconds

Subaru

The Subaru Legacy looks like your everyday A-typical four-door mid-size sedan that is great for getting you A to B. It's got nice enough styling and the upper trims come with some larger wheels. What you wouldn't know from looking at it, is that some come with a massive six-cylinder.

Performance Specifications

Unlike Subaru's dedicated performance-minded vehicles like the Impreza or the WRX, the Legacy comes with a naturally aspirated flat-6-cylinder that outputs 256 horsepower. That's not the most compared to some on this list, but it's understated styling and larger engine prove that this is a great sleeper entry.

2004 Volkswagen Passat W8

0-60 MPH: 6.5 seconds

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Although it's not on top of our list for performance, the Volkswagen Passat W8 might take the cake for the most "sleeper" of them all. This generation Volkswagen Passat had unremarkable styling from a dynamic standpoint. The only notable exterior feature are the larger wheels.

Performance Specifications

The W8 was made from 2001 to 2004 and came with a sizable 4.0-liter W-8 engine. W-8-style engines are also incredibly unconventional, as the majority of automakers use the "V" formation when engineering their eight-cylinder engines.

2020 Toyota Camry TRD

0-60 MPH: 5.7 seconds

Toyota

To the average onlooker, the previous generation Toyota Camry looks like...well, a Camry! It's incredibly fast while still holding its reasonable value coupled with its gas-saving nature. It can still achieve well over 30 MPG on the highway.

Performance Specifications

The Camry TRD does historically have more body work on it, like color-matched side skirts, larger "TRD" specific wheels, and a rear wing. However, again, the average onlooker might think that somebody took their standard Camry and turned it into a tuner.

Silver Chrysler 300C SRT-8-1

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2007 Volvo V70 R

0-60 MPH: 5.6 seconds

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Swedish-made cars were some of the first to really implement turbochargers in their powertrains. Volvo specifically also brought an incredible amount of safety to the market. They also make incredibly powerful powertrains.

Performance Specifications

Sure, there are the Avants and the M5 Tourings of the world, but what's great about the V70 is that it is quite possibly the most unassuming station wagon on the market. Ostensibly, this looks like an everyday station wagon too, just with some subtle badging, larger wheels, and Brembo brakes.

2020 Buick Regal GS

0-60 MPH: 5.4 seconds

GM

The name Buick and the word "performance" do not often intermingle. Historically, there's been the GSX from the 1960s and the Buick GNX from the late 1980s, but not many people know that the modern-day Regal comes in a high-performance GS version.

Performance Specifications

That's what's great about this sleeper too. It really is not the sedan you think could possibly beat you at a red light. While it does have a fastback styling and a more aggressive front fascia, you still probably wouldn't think a Buick could beat you. It has a sport-tuned suspension, adaptive dampers, sport seats, and Brembo brakes.

2013 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

0-60 MPH: 5.2 seconds

Lincoln

Luxury cars are, more often than not, more powerful than their standard counterparts. They also come with more variety in their powertrain offerings. The Lincoln MKS EcoBoost is a good example of this. While the base engine might not be the most powerful, the EcoBoost is.

Performance Specifications

These can also be considered sleeper cars because they already have ostentatious styling that proves they are of "higher quality" and are potentially faster than the rest. The EcoBoost, however, gets a zippy 5.2 seconds 0 to 60 miles per hour time.

Audi Q6 Sportback E-Tron Concept Front

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2010 Ford Taurus SHO

0-60 MPH: 5.2 seconds

IFCAR/Wikimedia Commons

We could say that every entry on this list is "the ultimate sleeper." They have unassuming styling or might not be known for any type of performance. The Ford Taurus Sho? Quite possibly the sleepiest sleeper on the list.

Performance Specifications

The Taurus SHO name badge is nothing new. Ask anybody, however, and they would probably not think twice when it comes to performance and Taurus. The SHO comes with 20-inch wheels and has some subtle styling upgrades, but for the most part? It looks like a generic Taurus.

2016 Chevrolet SS

0-60 MPH: 4.6 seconds

Chevrolet

Chevrolet is known to be the sportier out of all the brands that General Motors (currently) has. That doesn't mean that they always outperform everybody with their sedan offerings. One of the sportiest and most unassuming modern Chevrolet Sedans, however, has to be the SS.

Performance Specifications

This is powered by a naturally aspirated Corvette 6.2-liter V-8 that also shares a lot of its bodywork with the Holden Commodore. Even though it has some sporty styling and larger wheels, a regular everyday onlooker might look at this and not think twice about the fact that it's basically a Corvette with four doors.

2003 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

0-60 MPH: 4.5 seconds

Mercedes

Today, the latest version of the E-Class comes with several powertrain variants. The E-Class does as well, but the latter offering is a ferocious 5.5-liter V-8. What you may expect out of a Mercedes-Benz is a smooth/comfortable ride. What you might not expect is Porsche 911 0 to 60 times.

Performance Specifications

The only few subtle changes that are made between the E320 and E500 are larger wheels and an AMG badge here and there. This Mercedes-Benz also has an enormous amount of power for a mid-size luxury sedan, which is why it's able to achieve what it can.

Red 2022 Kia Stinger GT

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2015 Audi S8

0-60 MPH: 3.9 seconds

Audi

Due to its sheer size, the Audi S8 might be one of the most unassumingly fast vehicles on this list. Audi is known for performance, especially if it has a "Quattro" badge on the grille. The S8 is an executive flagship-sized vehicle that can rocket you to 60 miles per hour faster than some designated sports cars.

Performance Specifications

Understated is Audi's modus operandi, at least from a visual perspective. Sure, this does have some sportier features like a wide grille with a more linear front bumper, and quad exhaust. However, you would expect to be driven around in this not whipping into corners with it.