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Jekyll & Hyde: Top 30 Versions of Ordinary Cars

Vukasin Herbez July 29, 2024

Most cars on the planet are plain and simple transportation devices. But for car lovers, this is a devastating fact since they think of cars as a life philosophy. If you are one of them, you know cars are much more than just a transportation device. However, for the vast majority of the population, cars are a necessity. So, most people just want a decent set of wheels to get them around.

But even those ordinary cars can be the basis for some fantastic road machines. When those bean counters at the head office are satisfied with the sales results, the engineers and designers get permission to play with interesting combinations of engines and drivetrains. And then the magic happens when they turn those boring machines into proper driver’s cars. So, keep reading to learn about 30 of the best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformations.

1. Hyundai Veloster N

The regular Veloster is an odd-looking hatchback with an unusual three-door layout which includes two doors on the right side and one on the left. Apart from this quirky feature, Veloster in its standard guise is a pretty boring car without any real significance to car enthusiasts. However, the N version is a whole different story.

The Veloster N has 250 to 275 HP, turbocharged engine, trick front differential, different suspension, and exterior design package. With all of this, the nature of the car is totally changed and from boring economy hatchback, Veloster N is turned into one of the best hot hatches on the market.

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2. Subaru Forester STI

Unfortunately, US car buyers never got the Forester STI but this car is one of the best examples of how to turn ordinary family SUV to a race car for the road. The standard Forester is well-known as one of the most popular mid-size SUV with dependable mechanics and nice features.

But, when somebody in Japan put Impreza STI engine into Forester, it turned the family car into rally beast with 265 HP, intelligent all-wheel-drive system and very vivid performance and handling.

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3. Nissan Sentra SE-R

The Sentra SE-R was one of the most surprising economy cars from the early 2000s. It featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The engine delivered 175 HP to the front wheels. From the outside, the Sentra looked as ordinary and boring as any other economy compact.

But, when the driver pressed the gas, this little sedan could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds, embarrassing many pricier cars.

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4. GMC Typhoon

From the outside, Typhoon looks like ordinary early ’90s GMC Jimmy or Chevrolet Blazer. And it based on the same platform and body style. But, under the metal, nothing is the same. GMC equipped its Typhoons with a 4.3-liter V6 engine with a turbocharger and intercooler.

The power output was 280 HP, not that impressive today, but back in 1991, it was a nice number. It came with the automatic transmission, performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system and suspension helped the performance. The Typhoon could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds which surprised many of the Porsche owners back in the day.

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5. Chevrolet Cobalt SS

Although discontinued, Chevrolet Cobalt SS will be remembered as one of the best affordable performance cars. Available as a supercharged, turbocharged or naturally aspirated model, the best SS was the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder introduced in 2008. The engine delivered 260 HP which was astonishing by the standards of the day and more than any of the competitors.

Also, Cobalt SS had big tuning potential and it is easy to get even more power from this engine. The SS version although based on regular Cobalt was nothing like the boring economy car it originated from.

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6. Ford F-150 Raptor

Derived from ordinary Ford F-150 truck, Raptor has almost supercar performance and unmatched ability to go practically anywhere. It has a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with 450 hp and 510 lb-ft, 10-speed automatic transmission and sub-5-second acceleration times.

Again, we have to remind you that this is a full-size pickup truck, with room for five people and a regular truck bed behind.

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7. Volkswagen Golf R

The Volkswagen Golf is an ordinary family compact hatchback with a comfy interior, decent features and a standard range of engines. However, the Golf R is something completely different. The R is a top of the line Golf with a powerful four-cylinder turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive. In fact, it delivers a brutal performance for a family hatchback.

The latest version features a powerful 2.0-liter turbo-four that delivers 308 HP. As you can expect, the performance is quite brutal for what is basically a family compact. To get from 0 to 60 mph, it only takes 4.5 seconds and this car can top 155 mph, which is amazing.

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8. Dodge Ram SRT-10

Ram trucks are dependable workhorses for working people, often coming with diesel engines they design for towing. And then there is the Ram SRT-10. It has an 8.2-liter V10 engine producing over 500 HP. And that gives it a 0 to 60 acceleration time of fewer than five seconds, yet its fuel economy is in the single digits.

And then they topped it all off with a crazy bright red or yellow paint job and two white racing stripes. With those big shiny chrome wheels, you get the idea what the SRT-10 is all about. Imagine a truck with a Viper engine. How crazy is that?

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9. Ford Focus RS

The regular Focus is a favorite boring family hatchback, but its RS version is one of the best, most affordable sports cars. The new Focus RS has a 2.3-liter turbocharged unit that delivers 345 HP to all four wheels, making it a capable hot hatch beast. The performance is incredible, too. To go from 0 to 60 mph, it takes the RS only 4.7 seconds with a top speed of 165 mph.

This kind of performance deserves special packaging, so the Focus RS has a unique front spoiler, bulged fenders, side skirts and a spoiler. Just looking at this furious compact will tell you that this is a genuinely fast Ford.

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10. Omega Lotus/Lotus Carlton

In the late ’80s, Opel and Vauxhall, GM’s European subsidiaries, introduced a full-size family sedan aimed at comfort and effortless cruising. But then Lotus decided to turn it into a hot rod and one of the fastest sedans on the planet. And the first step was the engine. The 3.6-liter six delivered 377 HP, which was massive by the standards of the day.

Best of all, the performance was thrilling, as well. A 0 to 60 mph run was over in just 5.2 seconds and the top speed was a record-breaking 177 mph. Strangely, they only sold the car in one color. They called it Imperial Green, which was a shade of dark green.

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11. Cadillac CTS-V

The CTS is a bit boring mid-sized Cadillac sedan with the performance V option. Arguably the most successful was the second generation, which they produced between 2008 and 2014. Under the hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 556 HP. And that made the CTS-V the most powerful performance sedan on the market.

The suspension and the rest of the drivetrain were advanced and up to the task, too. Today, most people consider the CTS-V to be a full package and one of the best cars available.

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12. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

One of the best examples of how to transform an ordinary car to a performance machine is the Lancer Evolution series. For decades, Mitsubishi produced fantastic rally cars for the road they based on the ordinary and dead boring Lancer sedan.

However, when the Mitsubishi engineers installed a turbocharged engine, stiff suspension and capable all-wheel-drive systems, the Lancer became the Evolution. Amazingly, it managed to outrun some much more expensive machines. The latest generation delivers almost 300 HP with a 0 to 60 time of 4.5 seconds.

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13. Chevrolet Impala SS

You might know the seventh generation Chevrolet Impala as a taxi or police cruiser as the Caprice. But mostly, it was just an ordinary family sedan common in suburban America in the ’90s. However, there was one version of this platform that throws away the boring image of an ordinary sedan for muscle car performance and feels, and that is the Impala SS. Since the early ’90s it marked the return to performance for most American manufacturers.

Chevrolet installed the famous 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine in this full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan. And then they equipped it with a heavy-duty suspension and components to create a modern-day muscle legend. For two years, Chevrolet produced almost 70,000 Impala SS models in several colors.

However, dark purple was the most popular and highly sought-after. The engine delivered 260 HP, propelling the big sedan to a 0 to 60 mph time of just seven seconds. They may not be spectacular numbers, but for the mid-90s, they were quite good.

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14. Ford Taurus SHO

The Taurus may be considered a bland sedan commonly used as a company or rental car, but there is one version that destroys that image. It is the Taurus SHO, which always was considered the most interesting model in the Ford sedan range.

The current generation is extremely fast with its 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine. It delivers 365 HP to all four wheels over the six-speed automatic transmission, making the Taurus SHO capable of a convincing performance with high top speeds.

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15. Mazdaspeed 6

Emerging in 2006, the Mazdaspeed 6 is an affordable performance car they disguised as an economy family four-door. However, Mazda designed this car to be the perfect driver’s machine in sheep’s clothing. Under the hood is a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 270 HP.

It sends power to all four wheels over its intelligent AWD system and six-speed manual transmission. They hid the Mazdaspeed 6 advanced hardware under their regular body style. The only difference is the grille and a few subtle modifications.

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16. Buick GNX

The Buick line up in the mid-80s was anything but exciting. Those were the days of comfy sedans, low compression engines and low-performance cars. And then came the GNX, a turbocharged, blacked-out version of an ordinary Regal two-door sedan. It features a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 but with 275 HP and 0 to 60 mph time of 4.7 seconds.

But nobody expected such a bold move from boring Buick. After all, Buick was a company for old people producing cars without any excitement. But all of sudden, here is a turbocharged V6 coupe that broke every classic muscle car mold. In fact, it was faster than a Ferrari.

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17. Dodge Neon SRT-4

Introduced in 2003, Neon SRT4 was one of the best, most affordable performance cars in America at the time. Somehow Dodge managed to turn the compact, inexpensive and boring Neon into a pocket rocket. They installed a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor delivering 230 HP.

And it propelled the Neon to a 5.4 second 0 to 60 mph acceleration time. Amazingly, the Neon went from a simple grocery-getter to a muscle car with just an engine swap.

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18. Fiat 500 Abarth

This ordinary Fiat 500 may look cute, but it is nothing more than a stylish microcar delivering a poor performance and an even worse ride. However, its evil twin, the Abarth 500 is a different story. Although the 500 Abarth gets only 160 HP from its tiny turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, it is a seriously fast and fun little car. And that is due to its small weight and compact dimensions.

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19. Honda Civic Type R

Honda has resisted the temptation to turbocharge its performance engines for a long time. However, the Civic Type R has exactly that under the hood, just like any other competitor in its class. The 2.0-liter turbo-four delivers 306 HP, so it can propel this nasty-looking Civic Type R from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. The Type R is the polar opposite of the regular Civic you see every day.

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20. Chevrolet El Camino SS 454

The Chevrolet El Camino was conceived as a half-car/half-truck vehicle for carrying light loads, delivery duty and for small business owners. And most of them lived their lives exactly like that. But, in 1970, Chevrolet introduced the wildest El Camino of all in the form of the El Camino SS 454. The mighty 454 V8 LS6 was a 7.4-liter Chevrolet`s big block engine with a 450 HP official rating.

However, the engine delivered around 500 HP in real life and was a fire-breathing beast. In fact, it was one of the best engines of the muscle car era. In the El Camino SS, this engine provided significant performance figures that were close to the best regular muscle cars of the day.

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21. Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

When you mention the Mitsubishi Evolution to your car-obsessed friends, they will probably think of those Lancer-based, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Evo models that are popular JDM performance cars. However, this is something quite different because they based this Evo on the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV from the ‘90s.

Mitsubishi was always a big name in tough off-road racing, winning numerous races. However, in 1997, the company decided to introduce the Pajero Evolution. It is a special off-road prepared version of the three-door Pajero SUV, ready for racing. The Pajero Evo got a new suspension, 3.5-liter V6 engine with 276 HP and Recaro seats. Some models even got a fully white paint job ready for the sponsor’s decals and stickers.

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22. Renault 5 Turbo

The early ’80s brought the widespread popularity of turbocharged engines and its use in various forms of motorsports. In order to participate in racing, the manufacturer needed to produce turbo cars and one of the companies that went almost too far was Renault with its crazy R5 Turbo. The essence of the R5 Turbo was the mid-mounted 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 160 HP.

Incredibly, they re-designed and re-engineered the entire car, moving the engine from the front hood to the space behind the driver. Also, the rear track is much wider and they added side scoops for better cooling of the engine. The result was an extremely fast, dangerous and fun hot hatch. In fact, it is one of the wildest homologation specials they ever made.

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23. Mercedes 500 E

Back in the early ’90s, Mercedes produced the successful but docile W124 E-Class. This elegant sedan was famous for its comfort and refinement rather than its performance and speed. However, a team of crazy German engineers soon changed that. So, in 1991, they presented the mighty 500E model. This was a high-performance version of their main sedan featuring a different drivetrain, suspension, brakes and engine.

But the main feature of the 500E was the 5.0-liter V8 engine that developed 326 HP. Those numbers may not be impressive by today’s standards but they were crazy figures for the early ’90s, especially in a formal sedan. The 500 E could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just six seconds, which was almost as fast as a Ferrari 348.

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24. Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

Today, fast SUVs are nothing special, but in the ’90s, they were extremely rare and obscure. However, Jeep produced one that will be a collector’s item in the near future. And that is the 1998 5.9 Limited. It was a one year, top of the line model they equipped with every luxury item Jeep had to offer including a 5.9-liter Magnum V8 producing 245 HP.

Although 245 HP doesn’t sound like much today, it was a lofty number by late ’90s SUV standards. The Grand Cherokee 5.9 was Jeep’s hot rod model before those modern SRT versions with their powerful Hemi engines. And because they only built about 15,000 of them, the 5.9 Limited is a definite future classic.

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25. Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX

In most cases, the Eclipse was just an attempt from Mitsubishi to introduce a sports coupe. They built it on a regular car platform and it even shared an engine and front-wheel drivetrain with the rest of the Mitsubishi line up. However, there was one special model from the ’90s that was highly respected and worth looking for in the form of the Eclipse GSX.

The Eclipse GSX is an all-wheel-drive version with a highly tuned 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 210 HP. Best of all, with its relatively light body and AWD advantage, the Eclipse GSX is a rapid coupe.

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26. Dodge Neon ACR

Everybody knows about the awesome, turbocharged Neon SRT4 from the early 2000s. But that car wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the fantastic and forgotten Neon ACR Dodge produced for just two years in 1996 and 1997. Back in the ’90s, the Neon was one of the best compact cars America produced when the Dodge engineers realized the chassis had the potential to be something more than just a grocery go-getter.

Basically, the Neon ACR was a race-prepared Neon with a twin-cam engine and four-wheel disc brakes. It came with a different speedometer, stiffer suspension and radio delete. They got the name, ACR, from American Club Racer. Soon, the Neon ACR was the favorite car of amateur racers on track weekends.

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27. Mazda Familia GTR

The early ’90s were the perfect time for the introduction of rally homologation specials, and many European and Japanese companies did just that.  They called it the Mazda Familia GTR for Asian markets and the 323 GTR for the European market, it was a competent and fast version of the popular Mazda compact car.

But the GTR meant more than just a cool nameplate. It meant a highly tuned version of the 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and special all-wheel drive. The power output was high at 205 HP, and with the AWD system, this little compact handled like a dream. Today, they are rare and not as expensive, so hurry up and snap this obscure piece of rally history up while you can.

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28. Ford F-150 Lightning

One of those pure ‘90s performance machines was the crazy and cool F-150 Lightning. It wasn’t the first muscle truck, but it was one of the best. And because it was extremely well-executed, that made the first generation from 1993 to 1995 a true automotive icon. The basic idea was to make a muscle truck using an ordinary F-150, similar to the Chevrolet 454 SS.

However, Ford did it with more care and better engineering, giving the Lightning a lighter and smaller, but equally powerful engine. Under the hood was a 5.8-liter V8 with 240 HP and 340 lb-ft of torque, which gave the classic F-150 Lightning respectable performance numbers.

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29. Mercury Marauder

Even though Ford never intended the Grand Marquis to be a performance car, Mercury decided to turn it into one. They installed a highly tuned 4.6-liter V8 with 302 HP, as well as a revised suspension, gearbox and brakes. All those changes turned this sleepy, comfy sedan into a sharp muscle car. And although it came in three colors, the black Marauder had menacing looks and an aggressive stance, differentiating it from its sedate cousins.

But best of all, the performance was impressive for a big, heavy sedan. It could go from 0 to 60 mph in approximately seven seconds. However, the biggest asset was its appearance. Just the sight of this big, black sedan in the rearview mirror could make drivers want to pull over to the side of the road.

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30. Mazdaspeed 3

The perfect example of an overpowered and brutal front-wheel drive car is the legendary Mazdaspeed 3. They based on the plain old economy Mazda 3, but the Mazdaspeed 3 was something totally different. Debuting in 2007, this hot hatch was powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. It delivered 263 HP, which was a crazy number of horsepower to send to front wheels.

However, despite the severe torque steer, the Mazdaspeed 3 was a capable and rapid car. In fact, it attracted many customers to the dealerships. And better yet, it reintroduced Mazda as one of the prime affordable performance brands on the U.S. market, at least in that period.

These cars are the epitome of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. These 30 mind-blowing versions of ordinary cars prove that it’s possible to transform a boring sedan, hatch or truck into a fast and furious machine. And best of all, most of them are still available to purchase. Just look for a vehicle with a great maintenance record.

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