[elf]

prabuddhadg: Boss, your car's as Q as it gets!

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by elf

prabuddhadg: Boss, your car's as Q as it gets!

In fact all Petra 1.6's are and to some extent Palio 1.6's. Palio's are a little less as they have a stance of being raring to go as against Petras that seem to look quite comfortable to just stand there and look handsome.

[nitroxx]

Just a question? When you use the term sleeper its associated to a car which looks like any other fuel efficient driven machine,can do better type of vehicle but bursts out with a whistle on the traffic lights as soon as it turns green ( or stays red in our country ),now considering that, I'd like to know which of you think a car like the M5... badged originally plus those mean discs.. and ofcourse the silent roar of the exhaust would actually call it a sleeper?Plus Supras also are termed as performance cars,even with the dealers...and are already distinguished for their outraging capability..in other words if you have an M5 or supra standing next to your savvy looking slk 230 kompressor you know stock or not youre gonna get %$$ whipped, so for sleepers heres this(honda civic,toyota corolla AE 86,101 wateva,Nissan Silvias not Skylines,they arent sleepers as they are termed as performance cars now.And a bunch of understated sedans that dont look fast but are..or made quick,nowadays even a Golf 32 isnt tagged as a sleeper.

[elf]

@nitroxx: Bossy, you are being hitting nails on head of thread. Phully correct. Phully correct.

@prabhuddag: Agree with you on the Petra v/s Palio thingie. The Palio GTX's looks & stance definitely give it away, at least to car enthusiasts everywhere.

[nitroxx]

Me thanx me boy for co-operating on d subject, now me áve a drink and sit ova deir wid me Julie...n watch before me sleep..ers?

[karthik247]

The new Opel Vectra is the perfect sleeper if ur plannin to race in straight lines. JC tested it and called it to be one of the fastest cars around (strictly in terms of top speed)

[sajo]

Originally Posted by karthik247

The new Opel Vectra is the perfect sleeper if ur plannin to race in straight lines. JC tested it and called it to be one of the fastest cars around (strictly in terms of top speed)

That was for the turbocharged direct injection engine only.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by elf

prabuddhadg:Boss, your car's as Q as it gets!

elf, are you sure about that ? I think the term for such cars is "stock".

The description that you gave for Q cars at the start of this thread was
"Q-cars are regular understated sedans or coupes with high performance modifications for the engine, suspension &/or braking systems, yet have barely discernible signs of their underlying performance anywhere on the body."

While the part about "regular, understated sedans" is true about his car, there are no mods whatsoever for performance.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

elf, are you sure about that ? I think the term for such cars is "stock".

The description that you gave for Q cars at the start of this thread was
"Q-cars are regular understated sedans or coupes with high performance modifications for the engine, suspension &/or braking systems, yet have barely discernible signs of their underlying performance anywhere on the body."

While the part about "regular, understated sedans" is true about his car, there are no mods whatsoever for performance.

And for the city or a regular highway stroll, it does not need mods. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing. An 8.5kmpl has to show positively somewhere.

Anyway, I suspect Elf was joking.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

And for the city or a regular highway stroll, it does not need mods.

True. But then most of its peers also qualify for the same in stock condition, belting out anything between 91 - 100bhp and to top it, having a weight advantage, resulting in a better power-to-weight ratio.

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

An 8.5kmpl has to show positively somewhere.

The extra 100-150 kgs of steel (compared to its peers) would partly explain that.

Anyway, my intention was just to point out that stock and Q cars are not the same thing.

[binz]

Originally Posted by nitroxx

When you use the term sleeper its associated to a car which looks like any other fuel efficient driven machine,can do better type of vehicle but bursts out with a whistle on the traffic lights as soon as it turns green,now considering that, I'd like to know which of you think a car like the M5... badged originally plus those mean discs.. and of course the silent roar of the exhaust would actually call it a sleeper?Plus Supras also are termed as performance cars,even with the dealers...and are already distinguished for their outraging capability..in other words if you have an M5 or supra standing next to your savvy looking slk 230 kompressor you know stock or not youre gonna get %$$ whipped, so for sleepers heres this(honda civic,toyota corolla AE 86,101 wateva,Nissan Silvias not Skylines,they arent sleepers as they are termed as performance cars now.And a bunch of understated sedans that dont look fast but are..or made quick,nowadays even a Golf 32 isnt tagged as a sleeper.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

elf, are you sure about that ? I think the term for such cars is "stock".

The description that you gave for Q cars at the start of this thread was
"Q-cars are regular understated sedans or coupes with (id like to add) Aftermarket high performance modifications for the engine, suspension &/or braking systems, yet have barely discernible signs of their underlying performance anywhere on the body."

While the part about "regular, understated sedans" is true about his car, there are no mods whatsoever for performance.

Same thing

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

True. But then most of its peers also qualify for the same in stock condition, belting out anything between 91 - 100bhp and to top it, having a weight advantage, resulting in a better power-to-weight ratio.

The extra 100-150 kgs of steel (compared to its peers) would partly explain that.

Anyway, my intention was just to point out that stock and Q cars are not the same thing.

Goes without saying, Petra is not a Q car per se. But speaking only of high speed performance, I have driven only the Baleno and the Esteem at over 120, and I have found the Petra definitely more stable at that speed. In fact on my very first drive on the Bombay Ahmedabad highway, I did 150 comfortably and slowed down only because i was not sure I should go faster on the stock tyres. The car was game for more. I was not feeling as confident with either the Baleno or the Esteem.
But your point is taken on the definition.

[nitroxx]

A real good example for a sleeper is a Skoda Audi A4...coz it comes in two different variants like the stock and RS (now the RS is a sleeper..),I would say the same for the Skoda Octavia RS too but we all know what it delivers and the exterior gives it away.However for some people the Dodge Charger (06) would be considered a sleeper coz it looks like a family sedan with no badging to show performance but when she goes she delivers enough to blow your socks off..Well in detail..
sleeper (US English) or Q-car (British English) is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior. Sleeper cars are termed such because their exterior looks little or no different from a normal version of the car, but internally they are modified to perform at higher levels, so they are like "sleeping" dragons.

Some cars come like this from the factory to suit the tastes of those who want performance without drama, whether understatedness suits their chosen image or lifestyle, or because they do not wish to attract undue attention of the police. For instance, many high-performance sedans look hardly different from the lower-powered models in the range; for example, the Audi RS4, Acura TL Type-S, Cadillac CTS-V, Volvo S60R, Chrysler 300C SRT8, Mercury Marauder, Volkswagen Passat W8, 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS and the Dodge Charger SRT8, among others. Cars with external badging, or other visual elements that give the impression of high performance, are not true sleeper cars.

Other vehicle owners create sleepers by swapping more powerful engines, or other performance modifications like turbochargers, and leave the external appearance exactly the way it came from the factory. Sometimes hints of the car's true nature show if one looks and listens carefully: wider tires, a lower stance, or a different engine tone or exhaust note. Gauges and instrumentation are often kept to a minimum. Some owners go as far as to use weight reduction techniques employed by other performance enthusiasts, such as removing items not fundamental to street racing, such as rear seats, interior trim, spare tire, or even the heater.

In some countries, customized sleeper vehicles (as with other heavily modified street cars) may be considered illegal for road use, because the car's level of performance is higher than intended by the vehicle manufacturer; if the owner has focused only on straight-line performance, the existing braking, steering, tires, and suspension systems may have been rendered inadequate. The emissions control system (such as intake and exhaust restrictions, or the EGR system) is often bypassed or removed entirely in customized sleeper vehicles.

Owners sometimes reduce the evidence that their high-performance car is such by removing characteristic badging and trimmings. Sleeper cars often contain stock body work and wheels found on their less-capable brethren to better blend with other traffic and appear unassuming. Some owners simply like having performance without show, but a more predatory use of the sleeper is in street racing, where it is used to fool an opponent into underestimating a car's performance for the purposes of "hustling". Some have even gone so far as to leave their cars' exteriors banged up and rusting, and sometimes even causing additional rusting with the use of battery acid.

[elf]

@supremeBaleno: The Petra's horsepower may match the other sedans in it's class, but don't forget the gobsmacking torque that the 1.6 engine in it produces.

To clarify:
A factory Q comes with uprated suspension & engine mods from the manufacturer. Regular / underpowered cars need owner intervention to get to Q status. Either way, apart from verrrry discreet (or absent badging), Qs have no visible body mods to distinguish them from their more pedestrian counterparts.

[elf]

An aside:
I just saw a body kitted black Lancer pulled over by the cops yesterday. It had the works - a two storey wing, front airdam, overdone side skirts, red / orange / yellow graphics & a big end can. Couldn't help but smile to myself...

One more reason to Q!