10 Sleepers you might not knew until now – Part 2 (Wagons Only)

First of all, I want to thank you guys for your support. I never thought that this post would be able to make such an impact. So thanks for that :D

Anyway, lots of people made suggestions for wagon sleepers, so I decided to make part 2 a wagon only list.

#10 Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4 (as suggested by Glen David Wilson)

Engine Layout: 2.5i V6 Twin Turbo
Engine Code: Mitsubishi 6A13TT
Power: 206 kW / 280 PS
Torque: 367 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 5 speed manual or 5 speed semi-auto
Vmax: 180 km/h (limited)

The Legnum is the wagon variant of the JDM Galant EA. So what does make the Legnum VR-4 so special? Well, if you pop the hood, you’ll see a mighty V6 Twin Turbo producing officially “just” 280 PS, but we all know that the actual power output is way higher, maybe even north the 300 PS mark. If the speed limiter was disabled, the VR-4 could reach over 240 km/h. Moreover, the AWD system from the LanEvo was adapted to grant optimal traction in every situation. This system is a so-called intelligent AWD-system with an Active Yaw Control rear axle. Fun fact for our Kiwi ctzens: According to the German Wikipedia site, a total of 497 Legnum VR-4s was exported to New Zealand back in the day.

#9 Mercedes-Benz E 430 T-Modell (S210) (as suggested by Tom Kranich)

Engine Layout: 4.3i V8 NA
Engine Code: Mercedes-Benz M 113 E 43
Power: 205 kW / 279 PS
Torque: 400 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: RWD or AWD, 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic
Vmax: 243 km/h

Everyone knows the Mercedes E-class and the W210 generation is no exception at all. Usually the E-class is every taxi driver’s darling in Germany as well as in many other countries worldwide. But the E 430 has not much in common with your average E 220 cdi taxi cab. It’s packing a meaty V8 with a power output of 279 PS, 400 Nm of torque and it sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in under 7 seconds. Pretty awesome, eh? Well that’s not all. It also reaches a top speed of 243 km/h which means this car keeps up with most cars you’ll meet on the left line of the Autobahn. Moreover, most cars were fully optioned with electric adjustable & heated leather seats, sunroof and lots of safety features (later models always came with ESP and Windowbags). After the facelift in 1999, you could also get the first generation of Mercedes-Benz COMMAND, a navigation system which regarded as one of the best navigation systems back in the early 2000s. But nowadays it will be pretty useless and outdated. Other notable options for the E 430 T-Modell was the 4MATIC as well as a 7 seater option, which was first introduced in the W123 and is an option for the current gen T-Modell.

If you’re looking to buy this car, you should look out for rust, because this car is one of the worst Benzes in that aspect.

#8 Audi S4 V8 Avant (C4) (as suggested by Max Vinzi)

Engine Layout: 4.2i V8 NA
Engine Code: VAG ABH
Power: 206 kW / 280 PS
Torque: 400 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 6 speed manual or 4 speed automatic
Vmax: 247 km/h

The Audi S4 C4 Avant is the predecessor of the S6. Being based on the Audi 100 C4 this was a more upscale and sportier model. Two engines were offered: One was a 230 PS (169 kW) 2.2i, 5-cylinder engine with turbocharging and an intercooler, with 350 Nm of torque. It was first used in the legendary 80s rally cars. The other was a V8 which was also used in the Audi V8. I’m not sure, but I think the V8 version was only offered in Europe. The S4 V8 sported a 280 PS (206 kW) engine which was upgraded in the facelifted S6 by 10 PS. It was either available as 6 speed manual or as 4 speed automatic.

We all know the S4 based on the first gen A4. So Audi fans and other enthusiasts usually refer to the S4 C5 as the “Ur-S4” (like in Ur-quattro). The ‘Ur-‘ is used in the German language, as a prefix to signify ‘ancient’ or ‘early ancestor’.

In the mid-1990s, Audi’s model designation system changed, with the 80 and 100 series being superseded by the A4 and A6 nomenclature respectively. While the A4 was an entirely new car, the first A6 was a facelift of the Audi 100. The changes were minor and mostly cosmetic, and consisted of minor engine and specification changes, new bumpers, wheels, and front lights for an updated look. As the S4 name was now earmarked for a performance version of the A4, the updated performance version of the A6 became the S6. Later, a final special edition, the S6 plus was introduced, which featured a 4.2i V8 engine with 326 PS and was the first model built by Quattro GmbH.

I’ve found a very nice article a couple of years ago (sorry, it’s only in German www.sueddeutsche.de/auto/audi-sms-s-revo-s-darf-es-ein-bisschen-mehr-sein-1.622458), where tuner SMS Revo offered the biggest tuning kit for the S4 C4 back in the 90s. The squeezed a total of 276 kW (375 PS) out of the 2.2i I5 turbo, which meant that it could hit 0 to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds and reach a Vmax of 280 km/h.

#7 Skoda Superb III Combi SportLine 2.0 TSI (as suggested by Jordan Bell)

Engine Layout: 2.0i I4 Turbo
Engine Code: VAG CJXA
Power: 206 kW / 280 PS
Torque: 350 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 6 speed DSG
Vmax: 250 km/h

Ok, for those of you who are not familiar with this car, I’ll shortly introduce it to you: The Skoda Superb Combi is based on the same platform VW uses for the Passat. Although the car itself is a bit bigger (it’s almost as big as a A6 Avant). Most Superbs are powered by the EA288 Diesels (Note: it’s not the EA189 which is infamous for the Dieselgate) and are usually driven by sales representatives. But if don’t want get much attention from other driver and still accelerate faster than other Superbs, you should opt for the strongest 2.0 TSI motor. This version of the famous 2.0 TSI is Skoda’s version of the same motor that powers the Golf R. So you’ll get 280 PS, AWD and the DSG. Unfortunately, there isn’t a 6 speed manual option. However, this combination is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds. But it seems to be limited at 250 km/h. Anyway, this would be a perfect getaway car for a bank robbery ;)

#6 Audi S4 Avant (B5) (as suggested by Serghei)

Engine Layout: 2.7i V6 Twin Turbo
Engine Code: VAG AGB/AZB
Power: 195 kW / 265 PS
Torque: 400 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 6 speed manual or 5 speed tiptronic (export only, has 15 PS less)
Vmax: 250 km/h (limited)

In 1997, the S4 was launched as the sportiest version of the brand-new A4 B5. With this introduction the S4 C4 was renamed as S6 during its facelift (as mentioned above). The S4 Avant features the same 2.7i V6 Twin Turbo engine as the RS4 Avant. Details of the power plant include a cast iron cylinder block with two lightweight aluminum alloy cylinder heads. The valve train includes 30 valves (five valves per cylinder), twin hybrid-driven (timing belt and roller chain) double overhead camshafts and variable valve timing for the inlet valves. The intake air is pressurized by two parallel water-cooled BorgWarner K03-series turbochargers; the charged air is cooled by two side-mounted air-to-air intercoolers. Engine management was by way of a Bosch Motronic ME 7.1 (7.0 in North America) electronic engine control unit (ECU), and helped it meet the European EU-3D emissions standard. In all US-market cars, the engine was detuned to meet US emissions regulations; output was reduced to 187 kilowatts (254 PS) and 350 Nm (258 lbf·ft) (identification code: APB). Furthermore, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is 5.6 seconds and if you deactivated the electronic speed limiter, you could reach over 250 km/h. Back in the day, it was one the fastest midsize cars, which isn’t that hard, because obviously most of them were also limited at 250 km/h. Like in the MB E 430 T-Modell, you will always get a fully optioned car, but nowadays prices for a S4 will of course be higher than for a E 430.

#4 Nissan Stagea 250tRS FOUR V (M35)

Engine Layout: 2.5i V6 Turbo
Engine Code: Nissan VQ25DET
Power: 206 kW / 280 PS
Torque: 407 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 4 speed automatic
Vmax: 180 km/h (limited)

In my previous post, I’ve featured the more famous WC34 Stagea. This time I will introduce you to its successor – The Stagea M35. The M35 series looks very different from the previous models and is still based on the Skyline. In this case it’s the V35 platform, which shares its engines with the Nissan 350Z. But I won’t talk about the 350Z’s VQ35DE V6 today (fun fact a.k.a little teaser for Part 3: The VQ35DE was also used in the Renault Espace 3.5). You might think “WTF? The VQ35DE is such a powerful engine, why don’t you feature it?”, well, despite being only used in the top-of-the-line Autech Axis Model, it’s not the most powerful engine in the line-up. The king of all M35 Stageas are the 250tRS FOUR V/RX FOUR/AR-X FOUR models, which are powered by a VQ25DET engine (V6 2.5L single turbo, 206 kW / 280 PS, AWD). There was also a special edition which had the HICAS four-wheel steering system. Unfortunately, the 250t models were discontinued after the facelifted Series 2 was introduced in 2004.

#3 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (E34)

Engine Layout: 4.6i V8 NA
Engine Code: Alpina F2
Power: 250 kW / 340 PS
Torque: 480 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: RWD, 6 speed manual or Switchtronic
Vmax: 270 km/h

Many enthusiasts know the legendary B10 Bi-Turbo E34 which was the fastest sedan worldwide in the early 90s (Vmax 291 km/h). It was even faster than the Lotus Omega/Carlton which I featured last time. But we’re talking about wagons today, so the B10 Bi-Turbo won’t be featured now. But its successor was offered as a ‘Touring’ model, so today is the day for the not-so legendary Alpina B10 4.6 Touring. The B10 4.6 was introduced in March 1994, right after the B10 Bi-Turbo was discontinued. Instead of being based on the BMW 535i, the BMW 540i was used. Alpina stroked the block from 4.0 liters to 4.6 liters, resulting an impressive power output of 250 kW / 340 PS and 480 Nm of torque. This meant that the 4.6 was slightly less powerful than the Bi-Turbo (265 kW / 360 PS, 520 Nm), but it was left behind in terms of acceleration and top speed (6,2 sec. vs. 5,6 sec. and 270 km/h vs. 291 km/h). However, it’s still a highly collectible car and you have to be very lucky to find one, because only 27 cars were produced and it’s unclear how many of them were Tourings. Fun fact: The 4.6 Alpina F2 motor was also used in the E36 (all models except the compact).

#2 Toyota Caldina GT-T (ST215)

Engine Layout: 2.0i I4 Turbo
Engine Code: Toyota 3S-GTE (4th gen)
Power: 191 kW / 260 PS
Torque: 324 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: AWD, 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic
Vmax: 180 km/h (limited)

The Caldina T210 series was the JDM version of the European Toyota Avensis Combi, a very popular wagon back in the 90s (I think 2 or 3 families had one during my kindergarten and elementary time). While the Avensis is still produced today, the Caldina was discontinued after 3 generations. Imo the 2nd generation is the best sleeper, because the GT-T ST215 was part of it. What makes this car so special? Well, it shares lots of its parts with the Celica GT-Four (ST205). These not-so little troublemakers came with the GT-Four’s turbocharged 191 kW / 260 PS 4th generation 3S-GTE engine, and included the similar all-wheel drive system. The GT-T also came with optional electronic stability control (VSC). 90s automatic transmissions were often a lot slower than their manual counterparts, but not in this case: The manual Caldina GT-T has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.4 seconds, with the automatic version only 0.1 seconds slower.

Furthermore, a refresh was given in 2000 with new bumpers and a new plastic headlight design. The interior was also updated. In 2001, an extra lug was added to the turbo manifold to prevent the manifold from warping which had been a common issue on earlier GT-T models.

P.S. I might feature the 3rd gen Caldina GT-Four in another post.

#1 Renault Laguna III Grandtour V6 dCi

Engine Layout: 3.0i V6 Turbodiesel
Engine Code: Renault V9X
Power: 173 kW / 235 PS
Torque: 450 Nm
Drivetrain Layout: FWD, 6 speed manual or 6 speed automatic
Vmax: 240 km/h

Most petrolheads know the Laguna for its bad reputation as being a “typical” French car, which means lots of failures. Some of you will also know the 2nd gen Laguna V6, but did you know that the 3rd gen Laguna also had a V6 under its hood. Yep, the most expensive Laguna III you could get in 2008 was the Grandtour (Wagon, obviously) V6 dCi Initiale. Right, the top-of-the-line Laguna was a Diesel. Which is nothing special, because Renault never produced an R.S. model of this car and I guess they won’t do it in the future with the new Talisman. Nevertheless, the Laguna Coupé was introduced in Fall 2008 and it came with the down-tuned engine from the Nissan 350Z, now producing 175 kW / 238 PS. Ok, back to the Laguna Grandtour V6 dCi.

The production version was revealed at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, coinciding with the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix to take the wraps off. I don’t know why, but the sedan didn’t receive this powerful motor. This very potent engine accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in under 7.5 seconds, but what’s even more impressive are its torque figures: 450 Nm at 1500 rpm.

Sadly, the V6 dCi was discontinued after the facelift in November 2010.

So what do you think of this list? Part 3 will be a “vans only” special edition and I need 5 cars that weren’t suggested in comments under my previous post.

As always. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.