As you all have probably noticed, part 1 and part 2 of sleeper cars did extremely well
ever since i uploaded those two videos my subscriber base has pretty much doubled. Its
unreal. And honestly i owe it to you guys. So I want to say Thank you. So in my last
video I said if I get 500 likes I'll create a part 3 but this time featuring some of the
most iconic sleepers of all time. And of course you guys crushed it and got 500 likes in one
day. So here it is.
First sleeper is the Ford Taurus SHO. Easily one of the the milestone cars of the 1980s.
This was arguably one the best sleepers to come to America. Back in the day the original
plan was for it to be a limited production project that is until it caught on to car
enthusiast. Even the commercials for the SHO at the time marketed how limited it would
be. Ford instead decided to increase the number of SHOs and was able to sell around 15K of
them in the first year. Classic bait and switch. Unlike the regular Ford taurus the SHO received
a reworked suspension, dual exhausts, heavily bolstered sport seats and 15 inch wheels.
And of course the biggest difference was the engine. It carries a Shogun 3L V6 engine that
produces 220HP and 200lb-ft of torque. And get this, the engine was designed and built
by Yamaha. It was unavailable in any other Ford vehicle. The SHO is able to run from
0-60MPH in 6.5. and yes I know what you're thinking, that doesn't sound like much in
today's world. But keep this in mind, this was back in 1989 where the top level mustang
GT only made 225HP from 5.0L V8 engine and the top level Corvette only made 240HP. The
Ford SHO not only provided similar performance numbers but it did so in a basic boxy 4 door
sedan. In fact at the time it was the fastest 4 door sedan you could buy for less than 50K.
The Ford SHO sold for 20K. What is there not to like. It features a humble appearance,
while secretly carrying a unique engine that not only performs but looks good and has all
the practicality you need from a sedan. Well taken care examples are becoming harder to
find but if you do manage to find one just know you’ll own a future collectible.
2nd sleeper on the list is the GMC Syclone. There is also the sibling GMC typhoon which
is arguably more sleeperish but I believe the Syclone will be more remembered. Inspired
by the Buick Grand national, GMC created the fastest production truck ever. And that also
counts today's trucks. And yes it's faster than the Dodge Ram SRT10, and the Ford F-150
Raptor. And the best part that you can't even tell by looking at it. But what lies under
the hood, will convince you otherwise. It comes equipped with a 4.3L pushrod V6 engine
with a Mitsubishi turbocharger that produces 280HP and 360lb-ft of torque. Add in that
it's AWD with a torque split of 35% to the front and 65% to the rear, with a limited
slip differential in the rear axle. Some sources say it can run a 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and some
say 4.6 seconds. And it can complete a ¼ mile run in the low 13 seconds. Only thing
I dislike it that it came with a 4speed automatic transmission which btw was the same one used
in the 4l60 Corvette. It was clear what GMC’s goal was with the Syclone, and that was speed.
While yes it has a bed in the back it really couldn't carry much. It can only haul up to
500lbs and tow up to 2K pounds. But let's be honest this is a truck that no one will
ever haul cargo with. Empty is the way it'll usually be driven. Well maybe a bag full of
feathers and that's about it. Sadly the production for the Syclone only lasted one year and with
just under 3K units made. Even though it might of been a sales flop at the time, the limited
production truck has since grabbed the attention of automotive enthusiasts and collectors.
Jay Leno, one of the biggest cars collector owns one himself. He bought it new over 25
years ago.
3rd one on the list is the Audi RS2 Avant. For those of you that didn't know this was
Audi’s first RS model which stands for racing sport. To most people it looks like an ordinary
Audi 80 Avant from which is based off. Which makes it that much more of a sleeper. This
car was a collaboration between Porsche and Audi. In fact it was built on the same production
line as the Porsche 959. If you're familiar with Porsche cars from back in the day you'll
notice the RS2 has Porsche sprinkled around it's exterior. The side mirrors and wheels
come from a Porsche 964 turbo, and the Porsche inspired long strip tail lights. Porsche also
designed the both the breaking and the suspension for the RS2. But the performance is where
it shines. It's equipped with a 2.2L inline 5 turbocharged engine that produces 311HP
and 302 lb-ft of torque. And thanks to it's AWD Quattro drive system it can put all that
power to the road. It can sprint 0-60mph in just 4.8 seconds. And can also reach a top
speed of more than 160MPH. One interesting fact is that it can do 0-30mph in just 1.5
seconds which was faster than the legendary McLaren F1, the fastest car at the time. And
let's not forget it's a wagon, meaning you get all the practicality you need. This is
proper family wagon backed with the performance that can leave most performance cars lost
at a stoplight. If you're looking to get your hand on one they are pretty rare. They were
only in production for a year and Audi only produced a little over 2.9K of them. None
in the US, because let's face it, Americans don't buy wagons. Just a side note I almost
didn't include this car on the list. It was between the Audi RS2 Avant and Buick Grand
national GNX. I ultimately decided to go for the RS2 Avant because in my opinion it appears
like more of a sleeper. I felt like the Grand national was someone obvious. What do you
guys think. Which one seems like more of a sleeper. The RS2 Avant or the Buick Grand
national GNX?
4th sleeper is the Lotus Carlton. Also known as the Opel Omega and Vauxhall Carlton. At
the time this was one of the fastest sedans the world has ever seen. And yes there was
once a Lotus sedan. It was the fastest sedan in the world. GM pretty much gave lotus a
Vauxhall Carlton GSI and allowed them to go crazy with it. One thing you'll notice about
the exterior is the paint. At a glance many people might perceive it as black but if you
look closer you'll notice a hint of green. The Carlton only came in one color. And that
color was called imperial green. Moving on to the heart of the Lotus Carlton. It comes
equipped with a 3.6L twin turbo V6 engine that produces a whopping 377HP and 419lb-ft
of torque. Combine that with a 6 speed manual borrowed from a c4 crovette ZR1 and a limited
slip differential from the V8 Holden Commodore and It does 0-60 in just 5.1 and has an insane
top speed of up to 180MPH! You know how insane that was for a car in the 90s? For reference
the BMW E34 M5 did 0-60MPH in 6.3 seconds at the time. Not even in the same league!
At the time if you wanted a car that fast you would have to spend double what you would
spend for a Lotus Carlton and only have the practicality. Just think about it. A family
sedan that can go 180MPH, even for today standard that's insane. Its the ultimate sleeper. Only
950 units were produced, so they are pretty hard to find for an affordable price.
5th and final sleeper is the Volvo V70R. You guys thought I forgot about this car. Well
I didn't. As many might know Volvo has always been known for their focus on safety, but
there has been some times where they decided to go a little outside of the box by producing
sleepers. and the V70R is one of them. This is truly a special car, but sadly didn't really
receive the attention it deserved. Let's face it, here in the US wagons aren't popular,
and when they were for a period of time Americans really didn't find them cool. It's such a
shame. In my opinion wagons make the best sleepers. No one ever expects them to perform.
Especially one that looks like the V70R. Other than the R badges scattered around the exterior,
the lowered stance, the minimalist rear spoiler and the 5 spoke Pegasus aluminum wheels, this
looks like a ordinary grocery getter. But that's what we want everyone to think! The
Volvo V70R carries a 2.5L 5 cylinder engine that produces 300HP and 296lb-ft. Top it off
with a speed manual and an AWD system the V70r can do 0-60MPH in just 5.6 seconds. Like
I said earlier it might not sound like much but back in the 90s this was quite impressive.
Just like most cars on this list production numbers are extremely low, only around 3.4K
were built. You can tell because let's be honest how many of these do you see on the
road? For those looking to get one, there is good news. The Volvo V70r didn't really
do a good job maintaining it's value. You can find them in the used market for for around
15K. Not only do you get a practicality machine but you get a pretty sweet sleeper too.
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Which car was your favorite and if you think I missed one let me know what that is. I absolutely
love the discussions that take place in the comment section, and yes I read every comment.
That said thanks for watching, till next time