'Sleeper' class cars that awaken the senses

There are cars. Then there are supercars. And then there are sleepers. Sleepers... er, what's that? The current gen of cars such as the BMW 3 and 5-series, Mercedes C, E and S-class, and Audi A4, A6 and A8 are fast machines.

But they are no match to the likes of AMG, M and RS. Rich and famous Indians are lapping these up so that they can stand out in a crowd -- albeit discreetly.

In short, they want the power and performance of a Ferrari or Lamborghini without attracting the unwanted attention and media glare that the Italian exoticas come bundled with.

Tuning divisions at the German big three, they produce absurdly fast versions of practically every car that they produce. Want a fast soccer mom SUV? How about picking up the Mercedes ML63 AMG with close to 500 horses making mincemeat of the four-wheel drive system.

Want an autobahn stormer that can lap the Nurburgring in around eight minutes? Choose from the BMW M3, M5, M6, Audi RS 4 and Mercedes C55 and E65 AMG. Need a luxury limo that gives the sensation of a private jet? Why not tear a cheque for the Audi S8 or the Mercedes S65 AMG? And the price of these cars? Nearly half of a pony powered Ferrari or Porsche.

Alright, here are the figures: the landed price of an AMG massaged S-Class would be close to Rs 1.5 crore and the Audi S8 that is actually powered by a Lamborghini V10 engine (Audi owns Lamborghini) will cost similar money too.

Famous Indians like Sachin Tendulkar own the latest BMW M5 with 500 bhp on tap — these imported machines cost the dark side of Rs 80 lakh. Rumours have it that Yuvraj Singh, inspired by his senior team-mate, has opted for the Bavarian powerhouse as well.

Even builders, celebrities and CEOs are rushing to get deals as mother companies of tuning divisions sense a great opportunity. The numbers might be small, but that hasn't forced the likes of Audi not to consider getting the S4, S6, S8 and RS4 officially to India.

BMW dealers have been supplying the M3 and M5 for a while now, but come April 2007, BMW India might think about pushing itself in an even bigger way.

DaimlerChrysler India has another option -- it can kit your C, E or S-Class cars with AMG aerodynamic kits that look the part but don't have the go -- for those who think there is no room to really unleash those 500 bhp engines.

Not that it has stopped the three companies from exploring the supercar route. Mercedes builds the McLaren SLR, while Audi recently revealed the R8 at the Paris Motor Show.

BMW too looks to develop a supercar once the Quandt family, a major shareholder, gives the go ahead. But given the practicality and comfort of sedans and SUVs with tyre ripping power, the sleepers might have a brighter future than their supercar cousins.