The 2000s were peak sports sedan. The '90s was the era that really kicked it off, with rally reps such as the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru Impreza WRX bringing all-wheel-drive turbo goodness to the party, while cars like the bonkers Lotus Carlton showed what a four-door could do in high-speed Autobahn form.By the turn of the millennium, ridiculously quick sedans were everywhere, offering near supercar pace but with enough room for the whole family and (if you opted for a wagon version) the Labrador too. Fast-forward another 20 years, and one underrated sedan changed the game again when it came to practicality, speed and affordability, offering supercar acceleration of a couple of decades before — it's just a shame that few people talk about it. The Super Sedans Of The 2000s and 2010s Set The Bar For Four-Door Performance Via: Audi While the tuner car scene had gone into bling overdrive, the opposite was happening with sedans in the 2000s. This was the era of the shockingly fast four-door car which had all the visual presence of a taxi cab. This was a time when BMW was fitting the E60 M5 with a Formula 1-inspired V10 S85 engine, good for more than 500 horsepower.Not to be outdone, Audi launched the C6 RS6, basically an A6 fitted with a twin-turbocharged V10 that was a cousin of the unit found in a Lamborghini Gallardo. This two-ton sales rep mobile could hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, meaning that the kids could have an extra bowl of cornflakes and still get to school on time. For reference, that's exactly the same acceleration as you would get from a 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena fitted with a 395-horsepower V8. How This Mind-Blowing Performance Trickled Down To Real World Cars Via: Bring a Trailer Ferrari needed to up its game quickly, because this performance madness was trickling down to lesser cars, and quickly. By the time the FK8 Honda Civic Type R was launched in 2017, this hot hatch had a 2.0-liter turbocharged K20C1 engine with 306 horsepower, bringing a sprint to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds to the table. The fifth-generation (A90) Toyota GR Supra arrived in 2019 with a sprint to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and zero to 100 mph in only 9.5 seconds — that was similar to the Corvette of the day. Even the humble Mazda Miata — a car that is never just about straightline speed — reaches 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds these days. The Hyundai Elantra N Offers Old School Super Sedan Speed For Hatchback Money Hyundai Hyundai Elantra N Specs Source: Hyundai/ Independent testsEnter the Hyundai Elantra N, a slightly forgotten Korean sedan that blows everything out of the water when it comes to speed, practicality and affordability. Consider this: the Hyundai Elantra N has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (276 hp and 289 lb-ft) and will accelerate to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, which is just 0.2 seconds off the twin-turbo V10 Audi RS6.While the Elantra N doesn't quite have the grunt of the 10-cylinder Audi over a quarter mile, its 13.4-second time is pretty impressive, matching something like a Dodge Magnum SRT8 (13.5 seconds) which has a whacking great 6.1-liter Hemi V8 under the hood. Eagle-eyed readers will also have noticed that the Elantra N is also just a shade slower to 60 mph than the Ferrari 360 of a couple of decades back — not bad for a budget sedan. Which brings us to the price. The Elantra N cost around $30,000 when it launched in 2021. For reference, that Audi had a price tag of $158,614, which was pretty much the same as that Ferrari ($153,500). If this is the democratization of horsepower, then we are all in. The Elantra N Is Packed Full Of Tech Hyundai That supercar matching speed comes from a fairly modest powerplant in the Hyundai. The N sedan is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo GDi unit, mated with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual (for our younger readers, this is a gearbox you have to shift yourself). Handling is kept in check thanks to an N Corner Carving Differential (e-LSD, electronic Limited Slip Differential), plus the N gets Variable Exhaust Valve System and Launch Control as standard.For DCT models, N Grin Shift (NGS), N Power Shift (NPS) and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) are provided as standard too. No, Grin Shift is not a typo, in Hyundai N land it's a real thing. The large red button on the wheel is for adjusting the automatic rev-matching feature on manual versions or, on automatic cars, unleashing the N Grin Shift overboost feature, which gives drivers 10 additional horsepower (total: 286 hp) in 20-second bursts. This is the kind of silliness we love. Speed Isn't Everything With The Elantra N HyundaiThis is a car that is insanely quick but easy to live with and bags of fun. Reviewers have praised the car for balancing a hint of wild rowdiness with a livable nature. You can tell that the engineers have not only taken the job of setting up the car seriously, but they were also allowed to have some fun. Even the engine's augmentation through the stereo speakers can be adjusted through an equalizer function.Factor in the $35,000 price tag in 2026, peace of mind (an extensive New Vehicle Warranty, industry-leading Powertrain Warranty, 24-hour Roadside Assistance and more) and a JD Power rating of 78/100, just behind the Toyota Prius as number 7 in the Compact Car category, and you have a performance vehicle without any of the pain and worry of fast cars of the past. The Elantra N Is Seriously Underrated Hyundai Ask anyone what their favorite fast small sedan or hatchback is, and you are likely to be greeted with the usual suspects. The Golf GTI, the Honda Civic Type-R, the Subaru WRX, are all models that are steeped in history and are ingrained into the minds of enthusiasts. Hyundai's N brand has only been around since 2015, so perhaps it doesn't carry the same weight as a VW GTI for the man or woman on the street, but it should. The Golf GTI will hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds with a dual-clutch automatic. Likewise, the Subaru WRX costs $33,690, and hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds (CVT), 5.6 seconds (manual).The Honda Civic Type R will hit 60 mph in a similar 4.9 seconds to the Elantra, but it costs significantly more at $48,090. Then there is the recently announced TCR version of the Elantra N which promises to give its competition even more sleepless nights. This is the GT3-style version of the sedan, with adjustable rear big wing and upgraded brakes, and various other performance parts, and promises to be just $3500 more than the standard car. You Can Get An Elantra N Even Cheaper Hyundai Having been around now for five years, there are cheaper used Elantra Ns now on the market. Year-old Elantra Ns tend to dip under $30,000, with one 2023 car we saw with 56,000 miles being offered for just $22,877. Hyundai's resale value is best described as middle of the road, says CarEdge.com, which means that it is 'not the worst, but nothing to write home about either'. This can be good news for anyone in the know about how good the N models are, with nearly new bargains in store. At $40,291 (Classic.com), a 2010 Audi RS6 will still cost more than the Elantra N new with the TCR kit — something to bear in mind when shopping for your next performance family car.Sources: Classic.com