9 Detroit Sleepers Faster Than a Subaru WRX STI

The Subaru WRX is one of the most popular Japanese tuner cars on earth and STI represents the top trim of this model. It uses a rally-bred platform paired with Subaru’s signature all-wheel drive system that gives it unbelievable grip on any surface. The VA-generation WRX (2015–2021) is considered the highlight of this lineage since it is the last version to get the high-performance STI trim.

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Its signature 2.5-liter EJ25 boxer four-cylinder in the standard STI makes 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque and will put that power down no matter what. Launch it perfectly on an all-wheel-drive dump of the clutch, and you will clock a 0–60 mph sprint in 5.0 to 5.1 seconds and do the quarter mile in 14.1 seconds. That was fast in 2004, but this boy-racer could easily be beaten by some ordinary-looking metal.

Detroit was quietly dropping massive small-blocks and twin-turbo engines into rental-spec bodies. We’re talking about American sedans, wagons, and family haulers that look completely anonymous to the untrained eye but possess the mechanical muscle to absolutely gap an STI. No wings, no gold wheels—just pure, unadulterated straight-line speed wrapped in domestic sheet metal.

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10 Fast V8-Powered Performance Cars Everyone Forgot About

This list includes a range of awesome performance models, such as a pickup truck and station wagon that’s faster than the early ’00s 911 Carrera S.

9

Lincoln MKZ 3.0T AWD (2017-2020)

4.8 seconds

Lincoln

(Car and Driver)

We start off with one of the biggest sleepers on this list: the Lincoln MKZ 3.0T, the facelifted second-generation model from 2017. Nobody looks twice at an MKZ; it is the ultimate retirement-community cruiser. But the 3.0T comes with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, making it a 400-horsepower all-wheel-drive assassin.

Because it uses an advanced torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system shared with the Focus RS, it hooks up instantly off the line without any of the manual-shifting drama required by the STI’s tight six-speed gearbox. It quietly clocks a 4.8-second sprint to 60 mph and hits the quarter mile in 13.4 seconds in complete comfort while heating your seats and playing smooth jazz.

8

Pontiac GTO (2005–2006)

4.8 seconds

Bring a Trailer

(Car and Driver)

When GM revived the legendary GTO badge in 2004 by importing the Holden Monaro from Australia, purists were furious. It looked nothing like the halo car of the ’60s that they knew, but that didn’t seem to matter to current gearheads. What it lacked visually, it made up in big displacement and raw power. While the 2004 models debuted with a 350-horsepower LS1, Detroit fixed the power deficit for 2005 and 2006 by sliding the 6.0-liter LS2 straight out of the C6 Corvette under the hood.

With 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque driving the rear wheels through a Tremec six-speed manual, the updated GTO laid down a 4.8-second 0–60 mph sprint and hit the quarter mile in 13.3 seconds before the Subie could even clear its turbo lag. Because of its styling, it can easily fly under the radar and is most often overlooked until that V8 is singing ahead of you.

7

Buick Grand National GNX (1987)

4.7 seconds

Mecum

(Car and Driver)

To truly appreciate this matchup, we have to look back at 1987. The Buick GNX is the spiritual godfather of the modern turbo-six sleeper. While GM rated it at a conservative 276 hp to avoid upsetting the Corvette team, the actual output was well north of 300 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. People might also dismiss it because it is old, but this car can move.

Its 3.8-liter V6 used a specialized Garrett turbocharger, a ceramic turbine wheel, and an upgraded intercooler to clock a 4.7-second 0–60 mph time in 1987 and clear the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds. That means a boxy, sinister-looking Buick built during the Reagan administration is faster off the line than a stock VA-generation STI engineered three decades later. Let that sink in.

6

Pontiac G8 GXP (2008-2009)

4.5 seconds

Bring a Trailer

(MotorTrend)

Before Pontiac was laid to rest, it gave enthusiasts one final, glorious send-off in the form of the G8 GXP. This was the precursor to the Chevy SS, featuring the same magnificent LS3 V8 engine and an available Tremec six-speed manual. While lesser G8 GT models had the 6.0-liter L76, the GXP was the undisputed alpha. It cleared 60 mph in 4.5 seconds flat and did the quarter mile in 13 seconds flat, which is impressive. The Pontiac G8 GXP goes about its business with a deep, muscular V8 rumble and immediate throttle response that leaves the Japanese import playing catch-up.

5

Chevrolet SS (2014–2017)

4.5 seconds

Chevrolet

(Car and Driver)

This is the king of modern sleepers. The Chevrolet SS is criminally underrated because GM styled it to look identical to a 2015 Malibu rental car. There are no hood scoops, no aggressive fender flares, and zero boy-racer indicators. Underneath that rental-fleet styling hides a genuine Holden-developed chassis paired with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 straight out of a Corvette. With 415 hp sent strictly to the rear wheels via an optional six-speed manual or a snappy automatic, the SS handles like a sports car and launches to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and hits the quarter in 12.9 seconds. This is like the continuation of the G8 GXP, but as a Chevy, it is the definitive sleeper—utterly invisible to the police unless you’re doing something foolish—and it absolutely gaps the STI.

4

Chrysler 300 SRT8 (2012–2014)

4.4 seconds

Bring A Trailer

(Car and Driver)

The Chrysler 300 SRT8 looks like something a high-ranking mobster or a retired grandfather would drive to a golf course. Its slab-sided, blocky proportions scream luxury cruiser similar to a Rolls-Royce, not a street fighter. But under the hood is a big 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pushing 470 hp; the result is 4.4 seconds to 60 mph and the quarter mile in 13.2 seconds. The interior and exterior design exude luxury, but the mechanical underpinnings are pure brute force. It effortlessly dispatches the rally-bred Subaru without even wrinkling the driver’s suit jacket.

3

Dodge Charger SRT8 (2012-2014)

4.2 seconds

Via: Bring a Trailer

(Car and Driver)

If the Chrysler 300 was too boring-looking for you, you can get the same package in the more aggressive-looking Charger SRT8. This is pure Detroit muscle disguised as a standard highway patrol cruiser. The 392-cubic-inch Hemi is the same one found in the Chrysler, producing the same power and torque to the rear wheels. But this is faster.

The Charger SRT8 392 drops a 4.2-second 0–60 time by simply overpowering the tarmac with 470 lb-ft of torque and clears the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds. By the time the Subaru’s turbo finally spools up in second gear, the Charger is already half a block ahead and asserting its dominance with a deep V8 growl.

2

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon (2010–2014)

3.9 seconds

Bring A Trailer

(MotorTrend)

Let’s be completely honest: the second-generation CTS-V Wagon is a grocery getter from Hell. Subie owners love their hatchbacks and long-roofs, but the CTS-V wagon took that concept to another level. Under that creased American hood sits a detuned version of the Corvette ZR1’s supercharged V8.

The LSA engine pushes out 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque that hits like a freight train the second you drop your right foot. Despite weighing nearly 4,400 pounds, the Magnetic Ride Control suspension hooks the chassis up well enough to smash the 60 mph barrier in 3.9 seconds flat. It is the only car on this list to hit the quarter mile in under 13 seconds (12.9 seconds) and is also the fastest, with a top speed of 190 mph. Forget the Subaru—this car will keep up with most modern sports cars.​​​​​​​

1

Cadillac ATS-V (2016-2019)

3.9 seconds

BaT

(Car and Driver)

Not what you would expect us to finish with, but the Cadillac ATS-V is one of the best compact sports sedans out of Detroit. Import enthusiasts love to brag about boost and turbo noises; well, this has all of those. Cadillac built this car with the BMW M3 in mind, so it uses a twin-turbo V6 with titanium-aluminide turbines to virtually eliminate lag. The engine as a whole is very responsive and will give most V8s a run for their money.

While the STI needs a brutal, transmission-shocking launch to hit its 5-second mark, the rear-wheel-drive ATS-V uses a clever launch control system to lay down a blistering 3.9-second sprint to 60 mph and pass the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds. Keep your foot pinned with enough road ahead, and it will hit a top speed of 189 mph, thoroughly surpassing the STI’s performance. At this point, the Subaru is out of the conversation.

Sources: OEM Manufacturers, Kelley Blue Book, Motortrend, Car and Driver.