Britain’s best mundane motors that pack a secret punch include a Skoda, Seat and a Volvo.
The models are known as “sleeper cars” by petrolheads because they are often boring-looking saloons yet outperform other flashier rivals.
Also nicknamed “Q Cars”, a list of the top 10 secondhand buys includes a seven-seater Ford and a 4x4.
These untrendy models are made for drivers uninterested in getting envious looks but who want to accelerate from 0-60 in less than 10 seconds.
The name “sleepers” refers to the kind of secret agents seen in spy films who lead a mundane life in a foreign country until they come out of hiding and roar into action.
They are also known as Q Cars, a reference to wartime Q Ships which the Navy disguised as merchant vessels.
Magazine Auto Express’s list includes the Subaru Forester, the clunky-looking sister of boy racers’ favourite, the Impreza, a VW Golf but not the GTi, a Ford S-Max people carrier and even a 4x4 Volvo that is being used by police.
Auto Express said: “Watching somebody get a serious shift on provokes a sense of, ‘Did you just see that?’.
“What is more surprising is when you see a car you hadn’t given a second glance to shoot towards the horizon with a change of pace such a vehicle has no right to be capable of.”
Top 10 undercover performers
1. Volkswagen Golf R (2012)
A non-GTi Golf that can do 0–62mph in under five seconds.
2. Audi S6 V10 (2008)
Unobtrusive looking executive saloon with a watered-down Lamborghini engine.
3. BMW 330d (2005)
Midrange acceleration that would shame almost anything out there.
4. Skoda Superb V6 (2008)
Looks like a Skoda, drives like a performance car.
5. Mazda 6 MPS (2006)
A seriously rapid saloon that doesn’t shout about its performance.
6. SEAT Exeo 2.0 TSI (2006)
The automotive equivalent of wallpaper paste but an Audi A4 with a nose job.
7. Ford S-MAX 2.5T (2006)
A seven-seater MPV with warm-hatch acceleration.
8. Subaru Forester S Turbo (1997)
Looks like butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth but does 0–62mph in under eight seconds.
9. Volvo V70 R (1997)
A hit with traffic cops who can put their kit in the boot and tear down motorways at 150mph.
10. Mercedes 500E (1991)
No spoilers or multiple exhausts but with a 5.0 litre V8 engine.
