37. Volkswagen Passat W8
Volkswagen isn’t a company that likes to experiment or introduce overly-advanced models with unique features. They are famous for “middle-of-the-road” cars with regular engines and decent driving characteristics. That’s why their introduction of the Passat W8 in 2001 surprised the car industry. They restyled the current B5 generation of the mid-size sedan, introducing a special edition with top-of-the-line technology. It had an advanced 4.0-liter W8 gasoline engine and a four-motion all-wheel-drive system. Customers could select either a manual or automatic transmission.

This top-of-the-line model had all the luxury features and creature comforts standard too. The result was the perfect sleeper performance car in an unassuming Passat body. The compact-yet-powerful W8 engine delivered 270 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque. This was enough to propel the somewhat heavy Passat to just over six-second 0-to-60 mph acceleration times. Volkswagen ceased production in 2004.