When you think about it, supercars really have it all: its striking, dramatic design comes first, followed by mindbending performance and often astronomical price tags. While they do look, sound, and perform like a dream, supercars often remain unattainable to an average enthusiast. On the other hand, there are machines that hide a considerable amount of power under its ordinary, sometimes completely boring looks. These cars are blisteringly fast, but also practical and considerably cheaper than an average supercar. Here’s our list of 15 normal looking automobiles that can offer you a lot of low key speed that can embarrass many unsuspecting supercar owners.
MG Maestro Turbo
We’ll start this list with an entry straight from the history books, of a car so little and so boring, yet so powerful that it could beat a Ferrari! MG Maestro Turbo was an obscure limited-run version of the Austin Maestro powered by a carburated turbocharged 2.0l engine producing 150 bhp. The numbers seem quite unimpressive by today’s standards, but this nimble car had a 0-60 sprint in 6.7s, with the maximum speed of 132MPH. At the time, it was enough to beat many GT cars of the era in a 0-60 sprint. Often forgotten, these little gems were the ultimate proof that speed can come in very compact packages.
Volkswagen Passat W8
As another blast from the past, the Volkswagen Passat W8 was the company’s ultimate sleeper car. In the body of a common B5.5 sedan, this Passat had a 4.0 W8 engine producing 271BHP with 370Nm of torque, and was capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 MPH in 6.8 seconds. The car was manufactured from 2001 to 2003, and is regarded as one of Volkswagen’s best modern classics.
Buick Regal GS
A compact sedan from GM’s kitchen is essentially a badge-engineered Opel Insignia, but in GS trim, this compact sedan has a lot to offer. Its turbocharged 2.0l inline four engine produces solid 259 horses, which is enough to move the Regal GS from 0 to 60 in 6.2s. Even though there are quicker, faster and more powerful cars on this list, the biggest strength of the Regal GS is in its surprise factor, so it’s guaranteed to embarrass some supercar owners.
Toyota Camry V6
The second slowest modern sprinter on the list is also the best surprise supercar beater, as Camry easily tops many lists of the most boring cars ever produced. The 3.5l V6 version of the XV50 generation has 268 horses with 336Nm of torque, and it’s enough for a 6.1s 0-60 sprint.
Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI
More diesel power comes in form of the Touareg V8 TDI, a normal looking SUV that is now in its second generation. The 4.2l turbocharged diesel V8 engine has 340 horsepower and whooping 800Nm of torque, propelling the Touareg from 0 to 60 in just 5.8 seconds. Honestly, this powerful SUV is one of the most boring looking cars in its class, which makes it an ideal sleeper.
BMW X5 xDrive50i
BMW’s luxurious sporty SUV packs some serious power in its 4.4l V8 version with N63B44 twin-turbo V8 producing 450 horsepower. The potent powerplant makes the X5 one of the fastest SUV cars around, and xDrive50i can go from 0 to 60 in cool 5 seconds, with the top speed electronically limited to 250km/h.
Ford Taurus SHO
The fourth generation Taurus SHO was Ford’s performance sedan built from 2010 to 2017. It had a 3.5l twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 producing 365 horsepower with 475Nm of torque. Unlike most regular Tauri, SHO had all-whee drive, and it could sprint from a standstill to 60 MPH in 5.1 seconds. This performance sedan slightly differed from the ordinary Taurus, which made it greatly underappreciated when it was new, but now plays an important part in its sleeper appeal.
KIA Stinger GT
An upcoming performance offering from the South Korean manufacturer packs a 365 horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.3l V6 engine under the hood of their new sedan which is set to battle against the German competition. KIA’s fastest car to this day can do 0-60MPH in 4.9 seconds, a very impressive number, especially for a manufacturer that recently added high performance cars to its palette of economy transportation
Infiniti Q50 Hybrid AWD
Infiniti’s quickest mid-size sedan packs the most power in its hybrid version. The 3.5l V6 has 306 horsepower with 350Nm of torque, while the addition of an electric engine that rounds up the power to 356 horses and 546Nm of torque. The considerable amount of power provides this Q50 with a 0-60 sprint of 4.9 seconds in RWD and 5.2 seconds in AWD version.
Lexus GS-F
The most powerful sedan Lexus has ever produces goes by the name of GS-F, and although it has striking last-gen Lexus design, it doesn’t look that much different compared to the regular GS. Its V8 has 467 horses, and it is quite quick, as its 0-60 sprint takes just 4.5 seconds. In the right shade of black or grey, the GS-F is a perfect low key sprinter that can smoke off many loud showoff supercars.
Chevrolet SS
By all means the ultimate Chevrolet sedan, SS comes equipped with a well-proven concept of American V8 power. Its 6.2l LS3 powerplant produces 415 horses, with an impressive 0-60 sprint in just 4.3 seconds. One of its key features that appealed to the enthusiasts was the choice of manual transmission, but sadly, Chevrolet SS didn’t work well on the actual market, and will be discounted by late 2017, which will grant an instant classic status.
Mercedes-Benz E43 AMG
While E63 is Mercedes-Benz AMG’s ultimate power sedan, 2017 brings the toned down version that goes by the name of E43. It offers twin-turbocharged V6 power without a recognizable wide bodykit, making it a perfect unsuspecting performer. The E43 is powered by a 3.0L V6 that packs 396 horsepower, and a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, in a car that looks just like your average E-Class, safe for four exhaust tips.
BMW M550i xDrive
While we wait for the newest generation of M5 to arrive, BMW’s M division has a car to keep us properly warmed up. It’s the M550i xDrive, an AWD V8 power sedan that hides its formidable power under pretty unsuspecting looks. The car is powered by N63B44 turbocharged 4.4l V8 engine which produces 455 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque. The 0-60 sprint takes 4 seconds flat, and it keeps us wondering what will the M5 have to offer.
Tesla P85D
Tesla P85D’s performance prowess has been thoroughly documented in recent years as this electric family sedan managed to beat legions of conventional performance cars and supercars in drag races. In so called ‘Insane mode’ this groundbreaking, yet ordinary looking family sedan sprints from 0 to 60 in 3.4s thanks to 931Nm of torque, numbers usually reserved for the most extreme supercars.
Audi S8 Plus
It’s no secret that Audi’s ultimate luxury sedan is a fast car, but the S8 Plus version of the A8 flagship has even more to offer. Powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine, it has 605 horsepower, and paired up with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, this land barge can move as fast as a thoroughbred supercar. The 0-60 sprint takes just 3.3s, which is by all means proper supercar territory.