6 Fast Cars That Fooled Us Into Thinking They Were Slow

1. Audi S8 D2

The Audi S8 D2 is best known for its role in the John Frankenheimer epic Ronin. When a bunch of ex-special operatives needed an undercover performance car, there was only one vehicle for the job, the S8. The 4.2-litre, 335bhp V8 powered super saloon was a perfect example of restrained design. There was almost nothing about the handsome car that pointed to its supercar baiting performance; the silver mirrors (an S car tradition) and the discreet badges were the only give away.

With an advanced Quattro system the S8 could haul itself to 60mph in an impressive 5.7 seconds, and would have gone on to 170mph if it hadn’t been fitted with a 155mph limiter. We desperately want one, but running costs are a huge turn off. Then again, a clean, low-milage example would be uber cool. Now to find one…

2. Subaru Legacy Spec B

The great thing about the Subaru Legacy is that the majority of the general public have no idea what they are. Don’t get me wrong, in the UK, you see plenty of them, but they’re usually packed with children, dogs and walking gear. But when you think about it, this is actually a good thing, because you can own a car with fantastic performance, without having to deal with the attention that comes with owning something like an anti-social STI.

If you’re currently in the market for one of these brilliant vehicles, we’d search for a Subaru Legacy Spec B. With a STI six-speed manual transmission, 2.5-litre, 247bhp boxer engine and top-quality Bilstein dampers, the Spec B is the ultimate all-rounder.

3. GMC Syclone

The GMC Syclone is argubly the most famous pick-up of all time. Based on the fairly uninspiring GMC Sonoma, the Syclone was shockingly fast in its day, instantly securing it legendary status.

The truck featured a turbocharged, 280bhp 4.3 litre V6 engine which sent power to all four wheels. According to a 1991 Car and Driver comparison test, the Syclone could accelerate to 60mph in a shockingly fast (for the time) 5.3 seconds and could run 14.1 seconds in the quarter-mile. We can thank the Syclone for trucks like the F-150 SVT Lightning and the Dodge RAM SRT-10, but nothing comes close to the cool factor of the GMC.

4. Mercedes 500E

JL Photography suggested this brilliant classic. The 500 E was a high-performance variant of the W124, developed in a collaboration with Porsche. The 500E received a naturally aspirated, 5.0-litre, 322bhp, V8 engine which allowed the car to reach 62mph (100 km/h) in an impressive 6.1 seconds.

Around 120 cars were produced, with later models being built beside the iconic Audi RS2. A limited number of cars were fitted with a 6.0-litre AMG developed V8. But for ultimate sleeper status we would happily stick with the standard 500E.

5. Passat 4Motion W8

In our opinion, the Passat 4.0-litre 4Motion W8 is one of the coolest cars of the last decade. We even picked one as our favourite unconventional sleeper. The W8 was uber exclusive, with only 246 examples being sold in the UK, which was probably something to do with the car’s eye-watering £38,000 price tag. However, when you consider the development work that went into the engine, you can see why the car was so expensive.

The W8 engine was effectively formed by sticking two VR6 blocks (with a couple of cylinders lopped off) together at 72 degrees. In fact, the car was basically an engineering testbed, with derivates of the highly complex motor working their way into the VW Phaeton and Bugatti Veyron. The four-wheel drive system made this car a brilliant all-weather machine, and if you buy one in estate form, you’ll have yourself an understated practical weapon.

6. Renault Mégane GT 220

The Renaultsport Mégane 275 Trophy-R is quite easily one of the best handling front-wheel drive cars on sale. But with lairy graphics, heinous racing seats and a strut brace running through the boot of the car, it’s not a vehicle for someone who wants to slip under the radar.

Thankfully, the guys over at Renault have your back. The Mégane Sport Tourer GT 220 has all of the good bits from the 275 Trophy-R, all wrapped up in a humble estate body. The Tourer receives the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the R, revised springs and dampers, and a Renaultsport honed chassis - brilliant.

So guys, which car is the most covert? If you have any other suggestions, let us know in the comments below!