10 AMAZING SLEEPER CARS YOU CAN BUY RIGHT NOW

Not every car enthusiast loves the flashy colors, big wheels, and exaggerated aero of modern-day sports cars. Sometimes, you want something more subtle, something that isn't going to turn heads when you drive down the street but will gap lesser vehicles when you peel out of a stoplight. What you want is a sleeper, a model that will blend in with most other cars on the road, but under its skin, it packs some firepower.

We've picked 10 of the very best sleeper models on sale today that we feel embody the spirit of a sleeper car. All of these vehicles share bodies with less powerful models, but none of them have been done up in an over-the-top way like, say, the Civic Type R. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for a sleeper car, but in the car world, it's usually a good rule of thumb not to judge a book by its cover.

Mazda 3 Sedan 2.5 Turbo

• Starting price for 2024: $31,750 for the 2.5 Carbon Turbo Trim
• Power: 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: Approximately 5.6 seconds

Having been on sale in the US for the past six years, one would think the Mazda 3 would start to show its age, but other than having some smaller and more rudimentary screens compared to its competitors, it's aged like fine wine. The Mazda 3 Sedan 2.5 Turbo combines a sleek, unassuming design with a powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged engine producing up to 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque (on premium fuel) sent through an AWD system.

Audi S6

• Starting price for 2024: $75,500
• Power: 444 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.4 seconds

Audi has never cared to give its performance models flashy exteriors despite their models offering potent performance. The modern S6 offers a subdued, executive exterior that hides a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine producing 444 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. Its sophisticated design and advanced technology make it look like a typical luxury sedan, perfect for those not trying to attract too much attention driving to and from work.

Volkswagen Golf R

• Starting price for 2024: $45,665
• Power: 315 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.5 seconds

Okay, the Golf R may not be the stealthiest vehicle when bathed in Lapiz Blue Metallic, but if you forgo the bright blue paint and optional wheels, you're left with a Golf model that really just looks like every other Golf model. The only people who are going to be able to tell that this vehicle is packing a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 315 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque are enthusiasts, and all you really need to do to fool them too is take off the badging. Not to mention, if you wait for the 2025 model to arrive, you'll be working with even more power.

Genesis G70 3.3T

• Starting price for 2024: $49,950
• Power: 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.5 seconds

The G70 has the dual threat of not only sharing sporty looks across the entire range, but also being a vehicle people aren't used to seeing because buyers still can't get past the badge. Their loss is your gain, because you can grab a G70 with the potent 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine and RWD, giving you a true driver's car that will embarrass models $10,000 more expensive in a race. We recommend going for a dark color to get the full effect, although we couldn't blame you for picking Tasman Blue or Cavendish Red.

Rivian R1T Quad-Motor

• Starting Price for 2024: approximately $85,000
• Power: 835 hp and 908 lb-ft of torque (with more to come)
• 0-60 mph: approximately 3.0 seconds

With electric cars becoming more and more affordable, it's easier than ever to get into something that shouldn't be fast but is. The R1T is a bit quirky looking, but overall it looks like a pretty average truck. It doesn't have the massive hood scoops and tires of something over the top from Ford or Ram, but what it does have is your choice of two to four electric motors, with the cheapest model sporting 533 hp and the upcoming Quad Max creating an astonishing 1,025 hp. That model will supposedly hit 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and you can still throw some mulch in the bed, so we pray for anyone foolish enough to challenge it to a race.

2024 Cadillac CT5-V

• Starting price for 2024: approximately $52,890
• Power: 360 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.8 seconds

The Cadillac CT5 is one of the best luxury sedans on the market, and if you can afford it, the CT5-V Blackwing is one of the best sports sedans on the market, but if you want something hotter without dropping $80,000, the CT5-V is the model to get. It's extremely subtle, almost too subtle for our tastes, but it packs a healthy 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 360 hp under the hood, adaptive dampers, and an electronic limited-slip differential. It's got moves that will surprise you. Just don't expect it to stand out in the parking lot.

Volvo S60 Recharge

• Starting price for 2024: $53,145
• Power: 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.3 seconds

Volvo has been rolling out some of the cleanest and most attractive designs of the past decade but has never quite received the recognition we believe it deserves. This may be due to the restraint shown in their designs, even the most powerful Recharge models, but this is what makes the models such incredible sleepers. You take the badging off of these PHEV muscle cars, and we think it could even fly under the radar of many enthusiasts. While it may not be as agile as some of its European counterparts, you slam on the gas, and you'll very quickly cruise to victory.

Toyota RAV4 Prime

• Starting Price for 2024: $43,690
• Power: 302 hp and 288 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 5.7 seconds

The Rav4 Prime deserves a place on this list merely because no one is ever expecting to get beat by a Rav4. We're talking about one of the most ubiquitous family haulers of all time, meaning it almost blends into the background just thinking about it. Fortunately, because Toyota decided to shove in a PHEV powertrain that produces 302 hp, you now have a vehicle that can pull away from lesser models while still having space for the whole family. No one will see it coming, trust us.

Tesla Model S Plaid

• Starting Price for 2024: $87,990
• Power: 1,020 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 1.99 seconds

Does a Tesla deserve to be on this list? We say so merely because you never know what to expect from one. We're all expecting them to be fast, but when you come across a true Plaid model it's almost otherworldly. The fact that something that weighs so much can move this fast is astounding, and most people won't bat an eye at it because it's "just another Tesla." It's a marvel of modern-day engineering, perhaps only surpassed by the value accessible in the new Model 3 Performance.

Land Rover Defender V8

• Starting Price for 2024:$109,800
• Power: 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph: approximately 4.4 seconds

The Defender 90 V8 offers a unique opportunity in the world of sleeper cars. While the Defender is shaped like a brick, it's more known as Land Rover's rugged, off-road model than anything else, meaning they'll never expect it to be packing something like the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood. These models come with a darkened appearance by default, which should really work to your advantage, and for added stealth, you can go for the 110 or 130 models to make the performance even less believable.

2024-07-01T05:29:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd