10 Sleeper Cars That Will Wake You The Hell Up!

A sleeper, in automotive terms, is defined as a vehicle that does not look powerful, but beneath an unassuming exterior, it will be considered a performance car due to engine power. The origins of a sleeper production car have been traced back to the 1950s when Chrysler built a 300 horsepower production vehicle named the 300 Series. By the end of the 1950s, Chrysler powered these vehicles with an engine capable of producing 375 horsepower. This car was specifically marketed as a high-end luxury vehicle but had the power of a race car. Nowadays, engine transplants and the creation of an unassuming aesthetic on a vehicle (i.e. the removal of a “turbo” badge, or keeping stock wheels) has led to man-made sleepers. Check out the 10 best stock sleeper cars of all time!

Dodge Omni GLH

The Dodge Omni was first produced in 1977, but the GLH (Goes Like Hell!) model was released in 1984. This performance-focused hatch was a direct competitor against the VW GTI, which was considered the “king” of fast hatchbacks at the time. The Omni GLH houses a 2.2-litre turbocharged engine, known as the I4 and was capable of producing 175 horsepower. The horsepower of this vehicle may seem small when compared with others in this article, but keep in mind the Omni GLH only weighed 2,200 pounds. The Goes Like Hell could certainly do what the name implied, posting low 14 second quarter miles straight off the production line over 30 years ago! Many enthusiasts will argue this is one of the most enjoyable vehicles they have ever driven.

Mercury Marauder

Mercury Marauder had actually been used as a name for 2 other different, separate vehicles before this sleeper was produced with the name in 2003. Marketed as a full-size muscle sedan, the Mercury Marauder boasts a 4.6-litre V8 engine that gives the vehicle over 300 horsepower. Many will argue that this vehicle is not overly powerful and/or fast, partially due to its weight of 4,328 pounds, but the appearance of the Marauder gives it a definite sleeper status. A modified 430 horsepower Marauder managed to go from 0-60 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds, which proves that the engine within these vehicles is ripe for tuning and performance. These vehicles are somewhat rare, with only 11,000 being produced from 2003 to the end of 2004.

Ford Flex EcoBoost

This Ford wagon takes its style and lines from a Mini Estate, but its performance comes from an engine it shares with the high-performance Taurus SHO, which is actually another vehicle featured in this article. The engine within this family wagon is a turbocharged, 3.5 litre V6 that can go 0-60 miles per hour in just 5.8 seconds. The most impressive feature of this vehicle's power is the fact it can go from cruising at 30 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds. The engine has plenty of torque down-low, which contributes to the massive 4,500-pound towing capacity! These reasonably priced wagons will keep pace with many performance and sports cars and are easily tuned to produce even more power without losing its sleeper status.

Volkswagen Phaeton W12

This vehicle has been described as a Bentley in disguise as a Volkswagen and is also classified as a full-size luxury vehicle. The engine within this vehicle is a 6 liter W12 that produces 440 horsepower. This same engine, in fact, has had turbochargers added and is found within Bentley vehicles today. Only 2,253 were purchased in the United States and if you can stomach potentially large repair bills, then you can pick up the W12 model for $20,000 or less (if you are able to find one). If you ever wanted Bentley performance without the initial price-tag, then check out one of these sleek, luxury sleepers if you ever get the chance. Many have argued this is perhaps the best vehicle that Volkswagen has ever produced.

GMC Syclone

This vehicle looks like something a tradesperson would use as their daily driver, hauling tools and equipment around for work, but this vehicle is literally the fastest car GMC has ever produced! This pickup can go from 0-60 miles per hour in an astonishing 4.3 seconds, leaving many 'performance' cars in its dust. The amazing power comes from a 4.3 liter, turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 280 horsepower to the rear wheels. The weight distribution of this vehicle is one reason why it performs so well. Manufactured for only 1 year (1991), only 2,995 were ever produced and are extremely rare. This car stands alone as the world's fastest production truck as has been out for over 25 years!

Ford Taurus SHO

The Taurus is one of the few cars on this list that are not seen as rare, with many conventions and events taking place across North America for these vehicles. They also come with a variety of different engines that include a 3.0 liter V6, a 3.2 liter V6, a 3.4 liter V8, as well as the 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6. Varying engine sizes mean different amounts of power and the Taurus SHO's factory performance can range anywhere from 220 horsepower to a massive 365 horsepower. The first version of these vehicles was able to go from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.6 seconds and this was improved upon throughout production. This vehicle was manufactured from 1988 until 1999 and will always be considered a great sleeper due to its plain and modest aesthetic.

Buick Grand National

The 3.8-litre turbocharged V6 engine housed within this Buick started at 245 horsepower with initial models, but the final GNX model produced at least 300 horsepower. The vehicle's performance was actually under-measured and marketed by Buick and this was due to them not wanting the vehicle to overshadow other sports vehicles they were producing at the time. It took automotive magazines and vehicle reviewers no time at all the recognize the performance had been significantly underrepresented. This plain looking vehicle managed to go from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds in 1987, which was a feat not even Ferrari could claim for a production vehicle at this time. The Grand National GMX also had a very impressive quarter-mile time, clocking 14.4 seconds at 104 miles per hour. Only 547 Grand National GMX were ever built, making this one of the rarest sleepers of all time, in fact, one has even sold for a whopping $165,000 in 2015.

Volvo 240

Volvo has never really been classed as a high-performance vehicle manufacturer, so this entry may be a surprise for some. Produced from 1974 to 1993, the Volvo 240 is a rear wheel drive, turbocharged vehicle that can produce up to 350 horsepower if tuned correctly. This boring looking car is more likely to be seen in your grandmother's driveway than on a racetrack, but amazingly, the Volvo 240 won the British Touring Car Championship in 1985. British motor-sport competitor Marc 'Hux' Huxley used a station wagon version of the Volvo 240 to compete in the British Drift Championships during the 2010s and this vehicle is also well known for its reliability. This car was given high ratings for its safety features and performance when launched, and a marketing campaign in the 1980s even saw the 240 overtaking a BMW 3 Series in a commercial.

Audi RS2

Audi has quite a history with creating sleepers that look very similar to lower-performance vehicles from the same manufacturer and the RS2 is no different. The RS2 is a collaboration between Audi and Porsche and harnessed many good aspects from both manufacturers. Produced from 1994 until 1995, this vehicle was marketed as a limited edition, five-seater family station wagon with a highly tuned 2.2 liter turbocharged engine. This car is over 20 years of age, and it's 311 horsepower is still very impressive. This Audi can go from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds and boasts a maximum speed of over 160 miles per hour, which makes getting the kids to soccer practice a breeze. Audi only produced 2891 of these vehicles and even more rare are the 180 of these that are right-hand drive, which were produced for the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and South African markets.

Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG

Imagine a 6-seater minivan with a 500 horsepower V6 engine... Does it sound crazy and impractical to you? Well, that is exactly what Mercedes created with perhaps the ultimate sleeper. This insane vehicle was never actually marketed within the United States, it had to be custom ordered directly from Mercedes. Limited production of the R63 (only 1 year and estimates of under 1000 ever produced) has led this car to become a rare and sought after vehicle to this day. The engine actually came from another Mercedes vehicle: the CLK63 AMG, which is a high-performance sports car. At over 5,000 pounds, this beast can power its way up to a top speed of 155 miles per hour (electronically limited), as well as going from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds!