The official operating system for the Raspberry Pi board, previously known as Raspbian, is now called Raspberry Pi OS. It is based on the Debian distribution and offers over 35,000 software packages to explore. There are three versions of the Raspberry Pi OS to choose from: desktop version, desktop with recommended software, and Lite (without a graphical interface, only command line). All versions are optimized for Raspberry Pi, ensuring compatibility.
Installing the Raspberry Pi OS is a breeze since it was developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. You just need to download the OS installer app called Raspberry Pi Imager (also made by the foundation), insert your microSD card into your computer, and select your preferred version of Raspberry Pi OS from the list.
What makes the Raspberry Pi OS ideal for beginners is its versatility. If you’re a developer, you can install any necessary software for your projects. You can even connect hardware like sensors and Arduino microcontrollers to the GPIO pins and ports, which are likely to be recognized seamlessly. If you’re not a developer, you can simply use the Raspberry Pi as a regular computer. You can browse the internet, listen to music, write documents, and watch videos without any hassle.
Sleepers, or “Q-cars” as they’re referred to across the pond in Europe, come in many forms, but the best ones are completely underdressed and indistinguishable from other cars on the road. The most popular form of sleepers in the U.S. come as performance sedans or fast wagons and barely give an impression of performance and speed, flying under the radar of unsuspecting motorists.
Finding its popularity in the 90s, this class of performance cars is what started the horsepower wars between automakers until now, where we’ve become jaded and 600-horsepower in a family sedan is common. Back when they weren’t as crazy and well-known, the best sleepers could go toe-to-toe with even the supercars of the period.
While sleepers back then made less power than their current counterparts, they hid their performance better in more understated clothing, making them more effective at keeping a low profile until it was time to boogie. No gaping ducts, canards and aggressive appearance packages that, ironically, make them standout when the point is to keep a low profile.
And arguably, the sleepers back then were genuinely fun cars to drive, having less weight and no need for complicated suspension systems and drive modes to compensate for their hefty mass. That said, here are some of the best sleepers that took the fight to supercars in their heyday.
By gathering information from Car and Driver, Evo Magazine, and Car Directory, we’ve compiled a list of the best sleeper cars ever.
Fast wagons have always been Volvo’s trick, building their brand on reliable, fast sedans and wagons, it’s almost a crime to not have one on this list. And the V70 R is arguably the best one they’ve ever made. Building on the 850 T5R, the V70 R is even more capable and unassuming than its predecessor.
Only a subtle grill badge and the 17-inch “Pegasus” wheels give a hint that Mr. Hyde was hiding under its hood. Nothing else about the Swede sleeper’s exterior gave away that it could hang with the sports cars of its day.
The V70 R owed its performance to the turbocharged in-line five-cylinder that was smooth and quiet even when harassing sports cars on the way to work after the morning school run. While its six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels, it only made the fast Volvo approachable and manageable through fast corners.
With a genuinely plush interior and space for the entire family, plus the dog, the V70 R was especially unsuspicious making it the perfect sleeper and the biggest surprise light-to-light.
9Maserati Quattroporte
0-60 mph: 5.6 seconds
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The most luxurious sleeper on the list, the Maserati Quattroporte “V” as its fans call it, is also the only Italian in the list. And later must be the reason for the statement prior. With a long history or making sports cars and sedans, its was inevitable that Maserati would blend the two.
The beautiful subtle curves penned by Pininfarina, its leather-swathed and wood-trimmed interior hide the screaming monster that Ferrari had developed for its fellow Italians.
Underneath its seductive lines and pretty face, the Quattroporte is a luxury land yacht with the heart of a Formula 1 car. Its elegant hips and flared haunches mislead unwitting motorists that it’s just another executive sedan to waft its chauffeured owner to and from meetings and brunches.
Little do they know that despite its shapely figure, the Maserati Quattroporte can also hold up its gloves and hustle. Its Ferrari V-8 gladly carries the Quattroporte to reveal its naughty side as it breathes down any other sports car like a gangster who’s owed money.
As Mercedes-Benz’s way to take the fight to the BMW M5, the 500E was directly at par with the E34 M5 of its time, with a reputation for being built like tanks, Mercedes took a different approach. If BMW built the ultimate driving machines, Mercedes made the most comfortable driving machines.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t make fast cars. With racing history tracing back to the 1950s, they knew how to make a fast car and come out on top. And they have done it before when they put a 6.3-liter V-8 from their 600 into the smaller W108/109 chassis.
This time, with Porsche’s help, it put a 5.0-liter V-8 into its W124 chassis and it mated to a beefy four-speed automatic transmission, and called it a day. But the Benz didn’t flaunt that extra power at all. Save for the badge on the trunk and slightly flared fenders, there was no sign of the 500E packing any more performance than its lesser-powered siblings.
Compared to the E39 M5, the Lotus Omega, which refers to the left-hand drive versions, is slightly less inconspicuous with its Lotus-enhanced body kit. But back in 1990, it was legitimately faster than many sports cars available including the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 of the time and the Ferrari 348, both considered to be the best sports cars in the early nineties.
The performance of the Lotus Omega at the time was almost unheard of from a four-door sedan. With virtually every component tweaked, Lotus created one of the best sleepers out of the pedestrian Opel Omega and Vauxhall Carlton.
Making 377-horsepower, sporting AP Racing four-pot brakes and an expertly tuned suspension, the Lotus Omega was a British brute that was almost outlawed by its government for being too fast for the public.
Notoriously, the Lotus-tuned Opel was involved in several highly publicized crimes in the UK, ultimately getting away from the police after a high-speed chase. With its infamous reputation and performance disproportionate to its looks, it seemed the Lotus Omega could outrun just about anything.
Often regarded as the greatest sports sedan ever made, the E39 M5 was a true wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing back when it was first sold in 1998. With a slightly different front bumper, its face wasn’t aggressive at all. And though it had quad exhaust tips that was probably its biggest giveaway that it wasn’t just any other Bimmer, they were dainty and didn’t give a sense of the monster that lay quietly under its hood.
Known for being a competent all-rounder, it still showed that BMWs were “The perfect driving machines”. The third generation M5 was the first generation to come with a V-8 engine and was that V-8 just oh-so intoxicating.
The sound from its throttle bodies, the howling engine note towards the end of the tachometer, and its six-speed manual gearbox sending power to the rear, all made it clear that the E39 M5 meant business. With a sub-five second 0-60 mph time, this sleeper surely caught many sports cars off-guard in its time.
5Audi RS4 Avant (B5)
0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds
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The B5 Audi RS4 was the successor to the Porsche-aided Audi RS2. But like the E39 M5, the wagon had slightly more aggressive aesthetics compared to the regular Audi A4. But they were too subtle to tell apart unless you knew what you were looking at.
Its bigger front bumper openings and flared body panels were almost negligible compared to what the RS4 was capable of. And in its family-hauler form, was more deceivingly unremarkable to anyone non-the wiser.
Its motivation came from a buff twin-turbocharged V-6 and transmitted its power to a six-speed manual gearbox and an all-wheel drive system which meant the wagon is an all-weather sleeper. Capable of putting down its power in any weather condition, this is a fast wagon.
It could comfortably eat miles of roadway with the entire family. The Audi RS4 was quite the value proposition for a father who just couldn’t rid himself of the need for speed, especially when the B5 Audi RS4 could outgun a 996 Porsche 911 Carrera on the sprint to sixty.
For a car that was built with the magic formula, V-8, rear-wheel drive, and manual as a no-cost option, the Chevrolet SS was quite underrated which only helps its case as a sleeper. With relatively nondescript styling and its large size, no one would even suspect the SS was quite rowdy when you wanted to party.
And the performance wasn’t the only trick in its playbook. The big sports sedan had a spacious cabin reasonable trunk space and up-to-date amenities, that further underlined it as a sleeper.
The definite highlight of course is its all-around performance. Its 415-horsepower V-8 was well-matched by a surprisingly balanced chassis, brakes that stop it well enough, and Magnetic Ride Control suspension to manage all that weight properly.
With styling like a regular Chevrolet sedan to the uninitiated, the SS can easily fly under the radar as a daily runabout around the city and provide a fun canyon drive-hunting supercars during the weekends. Underrated as this Chevrolet SS may be, the ones who own them know the capabilities of the sleeper they have at their disposal.
3Lexus ISF
0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
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Known as the elder gentleman’s choice of the car before the IS F was introduced, this high-performance sedan from Japan has to be one of the best sleepers on the list. Lexus up until this point carried the reputation for being reliable, comfortable, and refined, which to many, translated to boring and uninspiring cars.
Powered by a sonorous, high-strung V-8, the IS F is invigorating past 4,000 RPM even more so when its paddle-shifted, eight-speed automatic gearbox lets you ride the rev limiter. Intended as an M3 competitor, the Lexus can hold its own even against sports cars costing twice as much.
Its interior is underwhelming but good enough and it may not be as spacious as other sedans of its size but what is clear is that Lexus hit the ball out of the park on their first swing at building a sleeper.
Unlike the other sleepers in this list, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type RA was an economy sedan turned gravel goblin. Even further, the letters “RA” stand for Record Attempt, meaning it is further massaged and optimized to set a record at the green hell. This of course means it is even quicker than its regular STI stablemate.
Nowadays, it is common knowledge that Subaru makes fast and capable performance machines, but back when the STI Type RA was introduced, it was an unknown brand. And in those days, Subaru preferred function over form and different versions of Imprezas could only be told apart by the stickers on their trunk.
And the Type RA was no different. Only distinguishable by its petite roof scoop and a sticker on its trunk, it might as well have been an imitation by a teenage boy rally fanatic. But the stickers do translate to something.
With the Japanese gentleman’s agreement of 280-horsepower maximum in effect, the Type RA’s 275-horsepower was right at the edge, but that was more than enough when paired to a close-ratio five-speed gearbox, four-wheel drive, and a light 2,700 curb weight. Enough in fact to beat the E39 M5 to sixty.
1Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds
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The second fast wagon on the list is a home-grown supercharged V-8 monster from Cadillac. For enthusiasts and those in the know, long gone is the stigma of being the old people’s car as Cadillac has been building its CTS-V sedan for quite some time when they released the CTS-V in wagon form.
Although the sedan was equally potent and unassuming, the wagon cloaks its supercar-slaying performance better. Disguised as a useful family wagon on a nice set of wheels, the CTS-V wagon is a sharply dressed heavyweight boxer and is easily one of the best Cadillac V-Series performance cars ever.
Wanting a bigger piece of the performance sedan/wagon pie, Cadillac borrowed the supercharged V-8 found in the Corvette ZR-1 and crammed it in their wagon’s engine bay. Paired with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission spinning the rear wheels, the CTS-V even as a wagon was a rocket-powered lunchbox.
Even with its slightly more aggressive front fascia, grille, and larger diameter wheels, its performance was far greater than what its looks made it to be. With a proper luxurious interior and regular wagon practicality, the CTS-V is essentially an upscale sleeper.
UPDATE: An earlier version of this story referred to the game as Forza Motorsport 7. This is incorrect. It is just Forza Motorsport.
The latest trailer for Forza Motorsport premiered during the Xbox Games Showcase during the 2023 Summer Games Fest. This new video focuses on the partnership with General Motors for highlighting the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray and the Cadillac Racing V-Series.R LMDh racer for the new entry in the franchise. October 10, 2023, is the newly unveiled release date.
The Chevy and Cadillac will be the vehicles gracing the cover of Forza Motorsport. The video begins with the V-Series.R on the track competing with other race cars. Then, it quickly transitions to showing the E-Ray in the Home view where players can enter races and select different vehicles.
Next, there’s more racing with a circuit showing Eaglerock Speedway on the walls. The course appears to have an oval layout, which would work for stock car-style events.
The next course on display seems to be the Suzuka Circuit. Later, there’s a brief glimpse of what looks to be the famous Eau Rouge corner from the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. A short snippet also appears to show a bit from the Le Mans track.
Forza Motorsport will launch with over 500 cars, and over 100 of them will be completely new to the game. Plus, developer Turn 10 Studios will pack the roster with more racing-specific machines than ever before. If that won’t provide enough to pick from, there will be over 800 upgrades available for vehicle customization.
Of course, these cars would be useless without a place to race. Forza Motorsport has 20 places to race, five of which are new to the series. An earlier clip revealed two of them: Hakone in Japan and the Kyalami circuit in South Africa.
The graphics should be better than ever, too. The developers promise the ability to play in a 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, and that’s with ray tracing to create even more realistic lighting effects. A new time-of-day function allows players to start a race during the day and have the event transition into the night. For better sound, the game supports Dolby Atmos, which adds a layer of height to the noise in addition to the usual left-to-right projection.
The new game will have additional driving assists to be more accessible to users. For example, Blind Driving Assists help blind players or those with low vision. It adds more audio cues to help users navigate tracks without needing to see everything. One Touch Driving aids folks who have issues with pressing multiple buttons simultaneously, gripping a controller, or maintaining button pressure.
