You may have heard the term sleeper build or sleeper car. The sleeper is a fairly simple concept. It’s a car that looks unassuming on the outside, leading many to believe that the car’s performance reflects its dull looks, when, in fact, it’s probably faster than most sports cars you see on the road.

One thing about sleeper cars that doesn’t get talked about as much is that there are actually two distinct types of sleepers. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but one thing is for sure: you won’t believe what it is until it has sailed past you at breakneck speeds.

Let’s examine the two different kinds of sleepers and some minor telltale signs that the car you’re looking at is far from ordinary.

The Factory Sleeper

As the name implies, factory sleepers come like that straight from the automaker. There are very few, if any, signs on the outside that you’re looking at something that’s fast and fun to drive. Subtlety is the key here.

Sadly, factory sleepers are becoming less common nowadays. There’s this rather annoying trend in the current automotive climate where automakers try to make it as clear as possible that we’re, in fact, looking at a performance car.

The previous Honda Civic Type R, for example, made it so obvious that it was a Type R that you could argue that it was patronizing to whoever saw it. Still, it had the performance to back it up.

What’s ironic about that is that Honda has made factory sleepers in the past. The EK9 Civic Type R looked almost the same as the regular EK Civic hatch, only those in the know would realize that it’s the fast version.

The old Accord Type R, based on the sixth generation Accord that North America didn’t get, was a pretty convincing sleeper, and the same applied to the Accord Euro R, based on the seventh generation Accord. North America did get that one, but it was renamed the Acura TSX.

Another great example of this is the Ford Taurus SHO. The sixth generation Taurus is a fleet sales darling, handsome though it may be, and the SHO had virtually no telltale signs on the outside that it was the fast version.

By the time you realize what you’re up against, it may be too late. Larger wheels, performance tires, exhaust outlets, subtle badging, and other minor signs might make it clear that it’s something special, but the Taurus SHO didn’t reveal anything.

History is full of great examples of a factory sleeper. The first generation VW Sharan was offered with a 2.8-liter VR6, which was also a fantastic tuning platform, meaning the myth of the minivan that can take you to Gapplebee’s really might not be a myth after all.

There was the Skoda Superb VR6, which could mix it with some serious compact performance cars, the VW Passat W8, the W211 Mercedes E55 AMG, the E34 BMW M5, even the GT version of the beloved(!) Chrysler PT Cruiser, and many others.

So that’s the factory sleeper. It left the factory gunning for high-performance sports cars, all while resembling something your parents might take you to the soccer game in.

Many untrained eyes will think that these are just regular sedans or hatchbacks, but car enthusiasts may be able to spot that the car is not to be messed with. What about the other type of sleeper?

The Beater Sleeper

For lack of a better term, the beater sleeper, more often than not, didn’t come from the factory with the ability to hang with performance cars.

As time passed, they’ve been beaten up, scratched, scraped, and, more often than not, have some rust, then they’re bought off Craigslist or eBay by loving car enthusiasts who bless them with the Gapplebee’s ability.

YouTube channels like Thatdudeinblue have extensively covered these types of sleepers. Cars that look like they’ve had quite a rough life, but as soon as you pop the hood, you see an absolute gem of an engine bay, often with some type of forced induction and dress-up parts.

These sleepers can be even more difficult to spot, but there are usually some clues. Of course, you can hear that something is amiss if they’ve had their engines swapped or gotten some breathing help in the form of forced induction.

Bigger brakes are typically required to improve the stopping power, meaning you might need to look beyond the steelies that these sleepers often have. Fatter tires may also be a potential giveaway.

Why Are Sleepers So Cool?

Whether it’s from a factory or a home-built one, sleepers are among the greatest inventions of the automotive scene. Factory sleepers are a great way to remain subtle while still getting all the performance you’ll ever want for.

Meanwhile, beater sleepers are cool because, a lot of the time, they have stories to tell. These cars have infinitely more personality, but they also happen to have the performance that their looks seemingly don’t back up.

The stark contrast to performance cars that shout about their prowess, and sometimes can’t even back that up, is fascinating, and it proves that, sometimes, your vehicle doesn’t need to look a certain way to impress. What good are the vortex generators on your Civic Type R if it can’t keep up with a Mercury Sable?