Whether you love them or hate them, you have to admit that sleeper car acceleration gets a reaction.
We’ve gathered a few of our favourites to show off in this article along with their biggest advantages.
If you are not familiar with the term ‘sleeper car’, let us enlighten you. It refers to a car that looks normal but is actually high performance and is also know as a Q-car in Britain.
You get the exciting driving experience without the showy exterior that would usually go hand in hand with a powerful car. By driving an understated sleeper, you can enjoy the shocked looks of those around you when you out-pace everyone as the lights turn green.
Whilst some people prefer their car to look as fast as possible, that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Sleeper car owners would rather sneak under the radar in an unassuming estate or SUV then blow the socks off onlookers with an unexpected turn of speed.
Examples of sleepers can include restored classics that look plain but have a quick engine and cars that appear ‘factory’ but are actually crazy fast.
Sometimes owners can go as far as giving their car a beaten up look to further disguise its hidden potential.
Think of sleeper drivers as the opposite of ricers who make every effort to modify their car’s styling, but have no interest in improving performance.
Ask anyone who has a sleeper car and they’ll tell you just how fun it is to confuse and entertain people with their surprising high performance ‘plain Jane’. They have universal appeal and at their heart they represent a raw love of cars, without any flashy pretense.
New cars rarely fall into the sleeper category but some of the latest cars on the market could be considered sleepers as they bear a remarkable resemblance to specifications in the same range that lack power.
A few more great sleeper cars that didn’t quite make it into our gallery but are well worth a mention:
Audi S3 – much more power than the ‘regular’ A3’.
2008 Saab 9-7x Aero SUV – limited production with a 0-60 of under 6 seconds.
1991/1992 Dodge Spirit R/T – turbocharged, unique and in its day was the fastest American four door sedan.
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