This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we'll receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This support helps us maintain and grow our site. Thank you for your support!

Sleeper cars are some of the most underrated vehicles in the world and they are a cool car to consider if you are looking for something new.

If you want a vehicle that moves quickly but doesn’t attract the attention of a sports car, then you should consider the Chevrolet SS Supercharged Sedan, Buick Regal GS, or Mercury Marauder as one of our three highest-rated sleeper cars ever. These top sleeper cars have impressive top speeds.

For those drivers with no experience with sleeper cars, it is important to understand what they are and how they drive on the road. These vehicles can hit some insane top speeds with excellent acceleration and 0 to 60 capabilities. In this guide, you will learn more about fast sleeper cars and what the best ones are.

Testing a variety of sleeper cars requires a team of experts who understand what features you need to look for in these vehicles. We have compiled all of the information you need in this guide to help you find the best fast sleeper cars that suit you best.

Table of Contents

8 Best Fast Sleeper Cars

The best sleepers are the ones that are low-cost, lightweight, and versatile. They are easy to drive and they give you speed and acceleration that you would never expect by the looks of them.

There are many factors that determine the best fast sleeper cars. We consider the top speed they can reach, how quickly they can go 0-60, and the overall exterior finish. Ultimately, a sleeper car is graded based on the perception you would have after looking at it.

For example, there are some older sleeper cars that you would never expect to have the capabilities to reach top speeds over 130 MPH. This makes a vehicle a sleeper car because it has an uninspiring exterior finish but it provides high-level performance.

1. Chevrolet SS Supercharged Sedan

The Chevrolet SS Supercharged Sedan is one of the best fast sleeper cars and goes 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. This vehicle is an amazing example of modern-day automotive engineering compiled into a family-friendly sedan.

The design includes a six-speed manual or automatic transmission that can be chosen by the driver based on preference. Both options pack plenty of power and precision for you to reach desired top speeds too.

If you are unimpressed by the 6.2-liter LS3 engine with 415 horsepower, we recommend upgrading to the supercharged option to improve your 0 to 60 speeds to a shockingly quick 3.7 seconds.

This sedan gives you comfort without compromising on speed or style, making it an ideal choice for families or those looking to find fast sleeper cars. It is an extremely versatile vehicle that suits many drivers.

This Chevy Supercharged sedan offers a lot of luxury and power, especially for an affordable price. This car has great performance capabilities and great looks, so it is one of the best cars for people who are looking to buy a fast sleeper car.

2. Buick Regal GS

The Buick Regal GS has the power to go with its looks, thanks to a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. It also has a sports exhaust system and a six-speed automatic transmission that makes for easy driving.

This is one of the best fast sleeper cars offered to buyers by Buick. It has 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds and has a positive fuel efficiency rating while boasting 240 horsepower which is among the highest-rated for this class.

The Buick Regal GS is one of the most sought-after sleeper cars out there, but it still manages to keep its old-school design with modern features that make it the perfect balance between new and old.

This vehicle has a unique design, with a nice interior and powerful engine. It can be a great choice for someone looking for an affordable luxury vehicle.

Some of the most popular sleeper models run between 2012-2017 and they all include a six-speed transmission and all-wheel drive capabilities. It also includes an impressive top speed of 162 MPH.

3. Mercury Marauder

The Mercury Marauder is one of the faster cars on the market. It has a max speed of 140 mph and a 4.6-liter V8 engine that can get the car up to the top speed in just 7.5 seconds to compete with plenty of other vehicles.

You can take advantage of the 302 horsepower on this vehicle with a 14.6-second quarter mile and 310 ft/lbs of torque. This vehicle packs a sneaky amount of power behind its uninspiring all-black finish.

In the past, these vehicles were known to be popularly used as local police vehicles so you know they can handle high speeds and maximum performance when needed. They also include lots of cargo and trunk space for drivers to use.

Other features include a 3-inch chrome exhaust with 18-inch alloy wheels. The factory model tires are sporty and made to handle the high-speed driving and sharp cornering demands the vehicle can provide.

4. Saab 9-2X Aero

The Saab 9-2X Aero is a top-rated fast sleeper car with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that gives it the ability to get the speed of up to 140 miles per hour. The car also has a six-speed transmission to give you an easy driving experience along with a sleek design for your parking space.

This sleeper car has been designed for comfort, performance, and aerodynamics. That is why this car is so popular among buyers who want to enjoy their drive without getting tired or bored of driving it on long trips.

The design of this vehicle includes 4WD and excellent fuel efficiency too. It can go from 0 to 60 MPH in a brief 6.1 seconds and ranks atop the list among other competing fast sleeper cars in this category.

The design of this car does not give you the slightest impression that it has any power under the hood until you hit the gas for the first time. It was designed and manufactured by Subaru but marketed and sold by Saab.

5. Audi RS2 Avant

The Audi RS2 Avant is an older fast sleeper car that was released in 1994 which could go from 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and had plenty of power. Although it is not as popular as some other cars, it was a car that stood out and could be considered one of the best sports cars at the time.

This vehicle only ran in production for one year and it came with a six-speed manual transmission and high flow fuel injectors. This helped with the power of the engine to maintain lots of road stability for the lightweight body.

This vehicle also marked the start of a newer breed of fast Audis that would change the direction of the brand in the future. It came with the hatchback design and was one of the first of its kind too.

This vehicle took lots of its engine and under the hood design features from Porsche to help give it the sporty feel with lots of speed. It was the perfect combination of a family vehicle with sport driving features.

6. Ford Taurus SHO

The Ford Taurus SHO is one of the best value sleeper cars in history with 365 horsepower and a twin-turbo V6 engine. This car is an excellent value for collectors who want to own something special with low mileage and high performance.

The Taurus SHO was not only praised for its performance but also its aesthetics. It was marketed as having a modest look making it an ideal sleeper car with loads of performance capabilities under the hood.

The best Ford Taurus SHO sleepers were made back in the late 1980s and early 90s, but there have been some excellent options released lately between 2010-2019 too. It can also be used for daily driving with lots of durability features.

The older V6 engine design was upgraded on some newer models of a 3.4 L V8 engine for more performance but less horsepower. This just shows that there is a perfect option for every driver.

7. GMC Typhoon

The GMC Typhoon is one of the best fast sleeper cars with a 4.3-liter, turbocharged V6 engine and lots of horsepower too. It’s not only very powerful but also it has a smooth driving experience for all types of drivers.

It’s not only very powerful but also it has a smooth driving experience. This vehicle also has a nice cabin design and interior features that will make your drive more enjoyable than ever before.

It’s not the fastest car on the market, but it’s probably one of the most user-friendly cars for people who want to take their driving to the next level. This vehicle also gets lots of comparisons to the old Ford Broncos because of the bulky exterior design.  

8. Volkswagen Golf R

The Volkswagen Golf R is one of the best cars to buy. It has a powerful engine and can speed up to 60 mph quickly. The traditional design on the seventh generation model includes a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 288 horsepower.

The Volkswagen Golf R is one of the fastest cars on the market and also happens to be one of the most popular sleeper cars every year. This car has a powerful engine and it can reach 60 mph in only 4.7 seconds.

The spacious interior of this car is also an important factor that makes buying this car more appealing. It is a four-wheel drive, front-engine, front-wheel drive hatchback with a turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with direct injection.

This vehicle also uses a 7-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission that makes handling more accurate and new high speeds easier. It can reach a max speed of 155 MPH.  

What Makes a Sleeper Car?

Sleeper cars are underrated vehicles that will often be underestimated by outsiders looking in too. They have been built to drive fast with some excellent high-performance features and a durable exterior design. There are a few factors that make up the best fast sleeper cars.

High-Performance

The key to a fast sleeper car is high-performance capabilities with advanced engine designs and fast driving. One of the most important factors in the production of a fast sleeper car is the engine design and the amount of horsepower it can provide drivers.

The key to a fast sleeper car is a powerful engine to achieve high performance. Many fast sleeper cars also use a six-speed transmission that allows more accurate performance and incremental speed increases.

Uninspiring Exterior

Fast sleeper cars also have an uninspiring exterior design that would make others think it was not a very fast car. This is what makes a sleeper car such a unique vehicle because under the hood it packs plenty of unexpected power and performance.

The design of a car is not always an indicator of how fast the car is. But the exterior design should be judged by how it makes other people feel. The first thing that comes to mind for most people when they see a fast sleeper car is that it looks like a junk car.

Quick Acceleration

Fast sleeper cars have faster acceleration and a shorter braking distance than standard cars. They should be able to go from 0 to 60 MPH pretty quickly under 8 seconds. This allows them to hit top speeds easier and qualify under the sleeper car category.

The main difference between fast sleeper cars and normal ones is the suspension system and engine design they have which makes for a great acceleration with less braking distance.

Lightweight Body

To benefit from the technology, the body is made of lightweight material. This allows for faster speeds, as well as a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, they have a more aerodynamic design that improves performance and decreases wind resistance.

This goes hand in hand with the design of the vehicle, and because they typically do not look like fast cars this lightweight design is made possible by manufacturers.

How Fast Can a Sleeper Car Go?

The exact speed of each sleeper car will vary in a particular range, but some of the estimates of the fastest sleeper cars ever are up to 155 MPH with lower-end options still ranging between 130 MPH to 150 MPH.

Beyond just the top speed, another critical factor of a fast sleeper car is how quickly it can accelerate and handle. For example, some of the best fast sleeper cars can go from 0 to 60 MPH in roughly 4 to 4.5 seconds flat.

These vehicles also tend to have an interior engine design that is optimized for speed with a body design that remains lightweight enough to reach top speeds without any problems. They also pack lots of horsepower in the engine design.

Are Sleeper Cars Legal?

Sleeper cars are legal and completely safe to drive on the road. But it is not uncommon for people to modify their vehicles significantly to create their own sleeper vehicles. This can become an issue if too many changes are made.

However, every vehicle listed in this guide comes straight from the factory with no illegal modifications. They are legal to drive and it is encouraged to give a sleeper car a try if you like to go faster on a budget.

Best Fast Sleeper Cars

About The Author

Charles Redding

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.

Read More About Charles Redding