The first car that comes to mind when any vehicle enthusiast thinks of Porsche is the 911. Porsche’s halo car has built a reputation for being fast everywhere - on straights and through corners. The base model 911, the Carrera, features a 3.0-liter flat-six engine. The engine directs power to the rear wheels via a fast, precise eight-speed automatic transmission. Porsche introduced the eight-speed transmission on the 2020 model, which, though heavier than the previous unit, improved the vehicle’s performance.
Porsche countered the weight gain by tuning the engine to produce more power - the 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera had 14 more horsepower than the previous model. Powered by a 379-horsepower engine, the Porsche 911 Carrera shoots from zero to 60 MPH in 4.0 seconds and peaks at 182 MPH. The Carrera is rapid, but these sleeper cars are faster. Here are 10 sleeper cars that can school the Porsche 911.
10 Audi RS3 Performance Edition
Top Speed 184 MPH
The Audi RS 3 Performance Edition is a faster version of the RS 3 hatchback and sedan. Both feature a turbocharged inline-five engine, but the one in the Performance Edition produces seven more horsepower due to increased boost pressure. The growling heart of the Performance edition beats out 401 horses and 369 pound-feet. It distributes power to all wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Audi RS 3 Performance Edition Specs and Performance
| Engine | Turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five |
| Engine Output | 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | Seven-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 3.3 seconds |
| Top Speed | 184 MPH |
At full tilt, the RS 3 hits a top speed of 184 MPH. The Performance Edition’s carbon-ceramic brakes, sticky Pirelli Trofeo R tires, and adaptive suspension are available on the standard RS 3 as options. However, front-row bucket seats (a first for the RS 3) and 10-spoke 19-inch wheels with a matte gray finish feature exclusively on the Performance.
9 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon
Top Speed 186 MPH
The Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon is practical, luxurious, and, though its looks indicate otherwise, fast. Under the hood of the E63 S Wagon lies a raging twin-turbocharged V-8 churning out 603 horsepower, enough to launch the vehicle from zero to sixty in 3.0 seconds and past a quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds at a little over 120 MPH. The E63 S Wagon maxes out at 186 MPH.
Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | Nine-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 3.0 seconds |
| Top Speed | 186 MPH |
The impressive V-8 powering the AMG E63 S Wagon hardly breaks a sweat as it rockets the 4,683-pound Mercedes to incredible speeds. Unfortunately, the 2023 E63 S was the last model to feature a gas-only powertrain. As it has done with models like AMG C63, Mercedes is expected to offer the next generation E63 S wagon with a hybrid powertrain.
8 Jaguar XJR575
Top Speed 186 MPH
The large XJR575 might look slow, but don’t let perceptions fool you. The XJR575 has sizable dimensions, but it’s comparatively light, weighing 4,156 pounds, and features a 567-horsepower engine that makes light work of the vehicle’s mass. Under the XJR575's hood is a colossal supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine that hurls the Jag from naught to 60 MPH in under 4.5 seconds.
Jaguar XJR 575 Specs and Performance
| Engine | Supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 575 horsepower and 517 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 4.2 seconds |
| Top Speed | 186 MPH |
Power arrives at the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. If you keep your foot down long enough, the Jaguar XJR575 hits a top speed of 186 MPH.
7 Cadillac ATS-V
Top Speed 189 MPH
The ATS-V was one of Cadillac’s most potent fighters in the sports coupe arena. Its performance figures at times bested its competitors across the pond. For instance, the 2019 Cadillac ATS-V’s top speed of 189 MPH beat the Audi RS5.
Cadillac ATS-V Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6 |
| Engine Output | 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual |
| 0-60 | 3.8 seconds |
| Top Speed | 189 MPH |
The force behind the ATS-V’s rip-roaring speed was a twin-turbocharged V-6 churning out 464 horses. The ATS-V's engine sent power to the rear via a six-speed manual transmission. Cadillac claimed that the ATS-V hit 60 MPH from zero in 3.8 seconds.
6 BMW M5 CS
Top Speed 190 MPH
BMW was on a weight-loss mission when designing the 2022 M5 CS, saying the vehicle would weigh less than the M5 Competition. The manufacturer installed a carbon-fiber hood, removed sound-deadening material, and fitted racing-style front-row seats. The 2022 BMW M5 CS weighed 4,096 pounds, nearly 150 pounds less than the Competition.
BMW M5 CS Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 627 horsepower and 553 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 2.6 seconds |
| Top Speed | 190 MPH |
Paired with a 627-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8, the lightweight BMW M5 CS was a rocket ship. It accelerated from naught to 60 MPH in 2.6 seconds, needing a further 3.6 seconds to reach 100 MPH. The vehicle waved goodbye to a quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds at 130 MPH. The BMW M5 CS had a top speed of 190 MPH.
5 Audi RS6 Avant
Top Speed 190 MPH
The Audi RS6 Avant earns top marks for styling, but essentially, it is a wagon - a people and cargo hauler. Therefore, it’s easy to dismiss the RS6 Avant as nothing but a gorgeous and practical family car. However, the RS6 is a speed freak, capable of outperforming premier sports cars, the 911 included.
Audi RS6 Avant Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 3.1 seconds |
| Top Speed | 190 MPH |
Powering the Audi RS6 Avant is a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine producing 591 horses. The vehicle clears zero to 60 MPH in a little over three seconds, hitting a quarter-mile in under 12 seconds. The Audi RS6 is electronically-limited to 156 MPH. However, the vehicle’s Dynamic Plus Package unleashes the full potential of the RS6 Avant, vaulting the car to a 190 MPH top speed. In 2023, Audi released the 2024 RS6 Avant Performance, a more potent variant of the Audi RS6 Avant. The Performance’s engine produces 621 horsepower and accelerates marginally faster than the base model.
4 Lotus Carlton
Top Speed: 190 MPH
The Lotus Carlton debuted several years after General Motors acquired Lotus. On the outside, the Lotus Carlton looked like a humdrum Vauxhall Carlton. However, bolted to the chassis lay an inline-six engine producing 377 horsepower. The vehicle accelerated from naught to 60 MPH in about 5.0 seconds and had a listed top speed of 176 MPH.
Lotus Carlton Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter inline-six |
| Engine Output | 377 horsepower and 419 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual |
| 0-60 | 5.1 seconds |
| Top Speed | 190 MPH |
However, word was that the Carlton, sporting a six-speed manual gearbox from a Chevy Corvette ZR1, could do a lot more. According to TopGear, company insiders knew that the Lotus Carlton’s top speed neared 190 MPH and kept quiet about it. The Lotus Carlton's insane speed was debated in Britain’s Parliament, with some lawmakers viewing the automotive legend as detrimental to society.
3 Mercedes AMG GT63 S
Top Speed 196 MPH
At first glance, there isn’t much about the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S that screams extreme speed. It looks like a typical luxury sedan. However, upon lifting the hood, you encounter a colossal twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine producing 630 horsepower. It sends power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all wheels, hurling the GT63 S from zero to 60 MPH in a shade under three seconds.
Mercedes AMG GT63 S Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 630 horsepower and 664 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | Nine-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 2.6 seconds |
| Top Speed | 196 MPH |
The GT63 S accelerates to 175 MPH in one mile, peaking a short while later at 195 MPH. The GT63 S is a rocket in a straight line and agile through corners. Its active aero package adjusts the rear spoiler for optimum speed, lowering it on straights to reduce drag and raising it in corners to increase downforce.
2 Cadillac CT6-V
Top Speed 200 MPH
The 4.2-liter Blackwing V-8 and the Cadillac CT6 were a match made in car heaven. The CT6 impressed when it debuted in 2015, but the motoring world agreed that the vehicle needed more power. Cadillac obliged, pairing the CT6 with a 550-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 engine to create the CT6-V. The CT6 finally had the engine it deserved.
Cadillac CT6-V Specs and Performance
| Engine | Twin-Turbocharged 4.2-liter Blackwing V-8 |
| Engine Output | 550 horsepower and 640 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 3.8 seconds |
| Top Speed | 200 MPH |
With the engine power distributed to all wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission, the vehicle hit 60 MPH from naught in 3.8 seconds and cleared a quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds. A limiter capped the maximum at 149 MPH. However, without the limiter, the CT6-V could hit 200 MPH.
1 Jaguar F-Type SVR
Top Speed 200 MPH
When the F-Type SVR was released, it was the fastest vehicle made by Jaguar and the first road-going Jag since the XJ220 to reach 200 MPH. It did so thanks to a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 producing 575 horsepower and 516-pound feet. The SVR sped from zero to 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds.
Jaguar F-Type SVR Specs and Performance
| Engine | Supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 |
| Engine Output | 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
| 0-60 | 3.5 seconds |
| Top Speed | 200 MPH |
Unhindered by a limiter, the vehicle had a top speed of 200 MPH. Jaguar discontinued the freakishly fast F-Type after the 2020 model year. The F-Type will soon disappear from production lines: the 2024 model will be the F-Type’s swan song.