When most people picture a fast car, the image of a Ferrari or Lamborghini, or even a Camaro or Mustang will pop into their head. No doubt these cars boast head turning looks and performance. That's all well and good if you love drawing attention, but what if you want the ability to go fast without other people knowing it? That's where the sleeper car comes into play. This is a car that looks normal on the outside, but is still extremely fast. And these are the best five on the market this year.
Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon
The Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon is the definition of a sleeper car. In America, most people equate wagons to slow family cars from their youth. Hence why it is all the more surprising when they sit in their in their "fast" sports car, and get smoked off the line by a 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 wagon with 603 horsepower. The sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.4 seconds, so this wagon will worry people in supercars.
Volkswagen Golf R
Americans really hate buying wagons, but they also hate hatchbacks as well. For some reason or another, Americans typically prefer sedans to hatchbacks. Perhaps they think hatchbacks don't look as good? Who cares what they think, because some of the best sporty cars on the market are hot hatchbacks. Combining the fun of a sports car with practicality, recent models like the Ford Focus RS and Civic Type R are a bit showy. Contrary to the competition, the 292-hp Volkswagen Golf R actually looks more tame than its GTI sibling, making it an awesome sleeper.
Genesis G80
Even sedans, the popular choice among American buyers, are starting to lose ground to crossovers and SUVs. The option of a high performance sedan with a big V8 engine is dwindling, but luckily Genesis still sells one. We recently tested the G80 Sport, which is powered by a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. Although the Sport is the most aggressive looking model, it isn't the most powerful. The G80 is also available with a 420-hp 5.0-liter V8, without the aggressive look of the G80 Sport.
Ford Fusion Sport / Lincoln MKZ
Our next sleeper is actually a pair from Ford and Lincoln, the Fusion Sport and MKZ. Both of these cars are based on the same platform, and are available with huge amounts of power. The Fusion Sport is powered by a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 325 hp, while the MKZ bumps displacement up to 3.0-liters and power up to a whopping 400 hp. Either of these cars would shock most sports cars off the line.
Tesla Model X P100D
Finally, what could be a more astounding site than seeing a supercar get trounced by an SUV? That is why the ultimate sleeper car is the Tesla Model X P100D. Until you drive one, it is impossible to comprehend the acceleration of a Tesla. The Model S may be quicker, but the Model X is just more perplexing. In P100D trim, the Model X produces 603 hp and 713 lb-ft of torque, and can hit 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds.
