The Volkswagen Passat R36 is one of the best Q-Cars

When it comes to Q-Cars, the Volkswagen R36 Passat is one of the best. A Q-Car is basically a sleeper that comes stock from the factory. A good example is the Honda Accord Type R, which is a really fast sedan that looks like a regular Accord. The Passat is similar with the R36 vs the regular car. The only real differences are the paint colour, wheels, ride height and some special R36 badges, but under the surface there is a lot more.

It's got a bigger V6 engine that outputs 220kW and 350Nm, as well as AWD and lower and stiffer suspension. It also has some special self-leveling fog lamps. It accelerates to 100kmh in 5.6 seconds and it reaches 250kmh before it is stopped by the limiter. These are BMW stats from what looks like a regular Passat!

Ultimately, it's a shame that more people haven't heard of the R36. It was a strictly limited edition car when it was released and it's much rarer than the R32 Golf, but similarily rare to the other sister car in the range, the Touraeg R50. The car will outdrag some obviously sporty cars such as the Renault Clio RS, Nissan 350Z, Bentley Continental R (1991) and Lamborghini Islero. It's an excellent, stealthy performance choice.