What Do You See?

When you look at a car do you immediately see speed?  If that car happens to be a sedan that is made to haul around the family then you most likely don’t think of speed, but you think instead of function and safety.  Even though many times a vehicle is made to be for the family hauling or as a commuter vehicle there can be speed and power hidden under the hood of many of our favorite family cruisers, you just have to know where to look and what you really are looking at to find the power and the speed you desire.

Honda Accord V6 – The Accord has been one of the most popular family hauling daily commuting machines ever built.  With a thought for reliability and a focus on family comfort the Accord has served well in its purpose.  Instead of choosing the four-cylinder model, if you choose to drive the V6 you will be pleasantly greeted with 278 horsepower which is enough to make the run to sixty mph in less than six seconds.

BMW 550i Gran Turismo – While anything BMW is athletic, this one is a bit more subdued with the style and appearance of a great family hauler.  This large and luxurious family sedan looks like it’s built to be a great ride for vacation, but it has a surprisingly full complement of power.  The 550i Gran Turismo is powered by a 445 horsepower V8 that allows the car to reach sixty mph in just over five seconds making it deceptively quick.

Volkswagen Golf R – The R version has been known to be fast, but if you have never read the reviews this appears to be a simple hatchback that has only the versatility of a hatchback to offer.  Keeping the same styling as the GTI and the base Golf it’s hard to fathom a small hatchback like this offering you 300 horsepower or the ability to reach sixty mph in less than five seconds from a standstill, but the Golf R is more than capable of this feat.

Audi RS7 performance – I’m not sure how you can get this car confused, or if the massive amount of power is where the shock factor comes in, but the RS7 does look sporty which gives it away to a point.  Even though it’s a sporty-looking car the RS7 is a four-door car and would not be expected to be quite as powerful or as fast as it actually is.  This car offers you a full 605 horsepower which make the run to sixty mph in just a little over three seconds.

Mercedes- Benz E63 AMG Wagon – When you see a wagon, no matter the name stamped on it, you don’t think of speed, you think of slow rolling and gear hauling.  This wagon has been the sleeper giant for years and even as the styling has become stronger it has not gained appreciations for what it really is.  This is an amazingly styled vehicle with 577 horsepower to blow away nearly every sports car you will find on the road today.

Dodge Charger Hellcat – You and I know what the Hellcat is and what that moniker means, but in the Charger you might be able to hide just a bit.  While the Challenger is overly aggressive from every angle, the Charger is more peaceful and subdued, at least until you press on the accelerator and allow the massive 707 horsepower V8 to charge up and take you for a ride.  Your cover will quickly be blown, but who cares, it’s a Hellcat.

Ford F-150 3.5-Liter EcoBoost V6 – There are plenty of fast pickup trucks on the market, but they are obvious in their attempt to be fast and full of awesome power, but this truck is a certain sleeper on the market.  With a turbocharged engine that offers you 365 horsepower this beauty can reach sixty mph in only 5.6 seconds making it one of the quickest trucks on the market.  Did I mention its only got a V6 under the hood?  Amazing.

Chevrolet SS – This is actually one of my absolute favorites and one that is unfortunately about to leave the market for good.  The SS is a true sedan in the fact it’s made for the family to enjoy the ride and has plenty of space and comfort, but it’s so much more than that.  This is a car that makes 415 horsepower from its powerful V8 engine and will reach the sixty mph mark in less than five seconds while also enjoying the magnetic suspension to make it a great ride.

Ford Taurus SHO – The Taurus SHO is another car that is dialed down almost completely and is looked at by many as just another boring Taurus, meant for little more than just hauling the family around town, but it really is much more than that.  When you add the SHO to the name what you get is the strength and quickness 365 horsepower can provide to give you an awesome ride in a comfortable and large cruiser.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 – The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been a favorite of many as the family SUV or for the purpose of heading off road for a great adventure.  In no way would you think of this SUV as being a fast vehicle and it wouldn’t hit the radar as a sleeper in many ways, but the SRT8 version offers you 475 horsepower to reach sixty mph in less than five seconds making it a seriously speedy SUV and one that you will love to drive.

Looking at most of these vehicles from afar none of them scream speed to you at all, in fact most of them look subdued and boring from the onset, but once you step inside and begin to fully appreciate the amazing power under the hood you can see how your new vehicle will be the secret you want to keep to yourself and only share when your friends and family take a ride with you on the open roads.