'Sleepers'

[Dieselman]

Older Citroen are my favourite sleepers. My old XM 24v, Xantia V6's or Activa, even older CX Prestige turbos.

I keep thinking of an XM-24 valve. I'll probably get a proper drive of one on Sunday and that will be it. Hmmm...

The CX turbos are standard 180 Bhp, but 250 is an easy figure.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Volkswagen passat R36 estate is a bit of a modern sleeper. 300bhp and take the badges off, it looks like a passat tdi. Even the Skoda Superb 3.6?

Older Citroen are my favourite sleepers. My old XM 24v, Xantia V6's or Activa, even older CX Prestige turbos.

Oooh, that reminds me, an 'obvious' sleeper would be the Passat W8 4 motion.

 

[wemorgan]

Are there any new cars today that can be called sleepers? (sorry, I've not read all the previous pages, but most cars mentioned seem to be +10 years old)

 

[Dieselman]

Are there any new cars today that can be called sleepers? (sorry, I've not read all the previous pages, but most cars mentioned seem to be +10 years old)

I think that's difficult because performance as moved on somewhat and also higher performance cars tend to shout it rather loudly, now.

 

[tali]

The DOHC VTEC VTi I had that caught loads of people out and a 8000 rpm redline

Trouble is the 130 bhp CRX gave most of the VTECs performance aswell

Carina GTi. 167BHP

Primera eGt

Both fine handling powerful cars that looked like grandad's retirement wheels. Thats a sleeper to me.

Carina is 173bhp, early cars were 150 bhp - and yet the extra 23bhp made little difference.In fact earlier shape Carina II Executive with 126bhp gives GTI a tough time
Pretty sure a Primera will easily outhandle a Carina

I still remember the day I bought it, 10 minutes away from the seller, I pulled up next to a cossie at the lights, he knew what it was, I knew what his was, and on green we blasted off, I bounced straight off the rev limiter and he took off, left me looking like a right plum, 5 minutes after that I went for fuel, took me 10 minutes to figure out how to get the key out of the ignition...

But that thing really does corner like its on rails, and 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. I spent a year in Italy with it, booting it around the mountains, it was truly epic, mine came over from Japan with a quick shift gearbox too, great fun!

Yes, 220bhp, and 4wd, the same engine as in the 200sx. Funnily enough they were never that respected in the wrc world, since the intercooler is on top of the engine, they nicknamed it an interheater!

227bhp - really don't think it is a sleeper though with big rear spoiler and huge bonnet scoop Its less powerful brother the Sunny GTI (below)is only 143bhp and yet .... 0-60 in 6.8

 

[John Jones Jr]

Pretty sure a Primera will easily outhandle a Carina II

All Primera's out handled all Carina's & Avensis's. Great chassis & steering on Primera's. But I got to say that the most reliable car I ever came across was the Carina II.

 

[John Jones Jr]

This...

Yes that, or a W124 500E/E500 or even a 300SEL 6.3. But I think W124 pips for me as the all time sleeper, de-badged of course.

 

[marty359]

Maestro or Montego turbo.

 

[BenzedUP]

CooperS JCW, 240BHP and sitting on Coilovers, will outhandle most cars on the road.

 

[wemorgan]

nice car...........but, not a sleeper in my eyes (bonnet scoop, side skirt, big alloys, red calipers)

 

[marty359]

CooperS JCW, 240BHP and sitting on Coilovers, will outhandle most cars on the road.

True, the wife you to have a standard Cooper D as a company car and you really could throw it about and it felt so solid. Proper little go cart

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

Parked today and walked past and Audi S5 4 door model. Looked like a 2.0Tdi except for the badges on the side V8T.

Now that must be quick?

Didn't seem to have the typical wide arches I thought the 'S' model has or the silver mirrors?

 

[tali]

Hello

Parked today and walked past and Audi S5 4 door model. Looked like a 2.0Tdi except for the badges on the side V8T.

Now that must be quick?

Didn't seem to have the typical wide arches I thought the 'S' model has or the silver mirrors?

Only RS have silver mirrors and wide body
V8 only in coupe , what you saw was V6T as badge

Maestro or Montego turbo.

Maestro -NO, Montego - Yes - although there are much better fitting sleepers in Rover range

 

[A210AMG]

^ Thanks that's makes sense must be pretty quick? looked std and basic...

 

[Dieselman]

nice car...........but, not a sleeper in my eyes (bonnet scoop, side skirt, big alloys, red calipers)

Some of these kiddies, don't understand the term "sleeper".

By the "being fast" definition, I reckon an old Vauxhall Victor would be the ultimate sleeper.

 

[Scott_F]

Maestro -NO, Montego - Yes - although there are much better fitting sleepers in Rover range

Maestro - Yes.

Its sub-7 seconds 0-60 time was blisteringly quick for the 1980's even if it was linked to horrendous torque steer.

 

[horgantrevor]

In my head a sleeper is

Say a c43 w202 which looks in every way a c180
W202 ., and if you had classic badges on it even better

 

[A210AMG]

vw bora VR6?

looks pretty boring yet 2.8 V6?

 

[BTB 500]

I guess my VW Sharan V6 4Motion was a bit of a sleeper. Pretty quick for an anonymous MPV.

 

[A210AMG]

This is pretty cool, worth watching...

1400bhp...

A true sleeper car ? 1,400 horsepower, but you?d never guess | Top Down Auto Blog | an SFGate.com blog