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John LeBlanc's Top 10 New Q-cars
BMW M5
Derived from the term Q-ship — those heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry used by the British navy during the Second World War — the automotive equivalent Q-car is basically a wolf in sheep's clothing.
These "sleeper" cars look like regular, boring-to-drive models. But each possess a measure of added performance and handling normally associated with flashier sports or GT cars.
Here, then, are my Top 10 new stealth cars — or Q-cars, if you will — for 2010:
10. Volkswagen Passat Wagon 2.0T
First off, it's a station wagon. I mean, really; who drives fast in a wagon?
Second, it's a Volkswagen. GTI exempted, a brand known better for its stern build quality than grin-inducing driving fun.
But equipped properly (200 hp turbocharged 2.0-litre I4 straight from the GTI; six-speed manual), the $29,275 midsize Passat wagon can haul more than top soil home from the garden centre.
With its front tires scrambling, naught to 100 km/h arrives in about 6.5 seconds.
Throw in supportive seating and a firm, yet compliant, suspension and dropping the kids off at piano practice was never so much fun.
9. Ford Taurus SHO
Back for a third time, the new full-size Taurus SHO sedan continues the previous two generations' Q-car tradition.
In addition to plenty of room for five and their cargo, a 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 with 365 hp means it's relatively quick in a straight-line: 0-100 km/h takes only 6.3 seconds.
Plus, all-wheel-drive ensures surefootedness in all kinds of weather.
The $48,199 SHO, though, tends to fall apart in sharp, tight turns. It's simply too huge.
But as a big, comfy highway missile, it has few rivals for the price.
8. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
At less than half the cost of sporty SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne GTS or BMW X5 M, the $43,395 Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a slam-dunk Q-car deal. 
Taking only 5.5 seconds to get to 100 km/h, the midsize SUV is also faster than its Teutonic rivals.
Kudos to its special 6.1-litre V8 — it produces 420 hp — and the SRT model's rear-wheel-biased AWD system.
A real point-and-shoot type of vehicle, the big-hearted Jeep can also duke it out when the road gets twisty.
The SRT-tuned suspension and the Jeep's relatively high centre of gravity means you can left-brake this SUV into luscious four-wheel drifts till they take your licence away.
7. Acura TL SH-AWD
This cooking, front-drive TL sedan, is a nice car. But add the letters "SH-AWD" to its rump, and the Acura midsize sedan gets downright nasty.
Even better new for 2010, the $46,885 SH-AWD can be had with a six-speed stick. Like most Honda gearboxes, it's a snickety-snick paradigm of accuracy.
With its torque-vectoring AWD system (that helps to "push" the car through curves) and smooth revving 305 hp 3.7-litre V6, the sportiest TL yet is a real stealth fighter.
It's quick, too: 0-100 km/h takes about 5.5 seconds — about one second quicker than a regular TL.
6. Jaguar XF-R
Jags are supposed to be all stiff-upper-lip, cheerio-oh, and God Save the Queen. In other words, stuck-up and stuffy. 
But like most of the Q-cars on my list, a simple addition of a letter to Jaguar's midsize XF sedan (in this case an "R") changes the car's personality dramatically.
This midsize Jag Q-car isn't perfect.
Too much weight, uncommunicative steering, and an anxious stability control see to that.
But it has a 510 hp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 hulking under its hood. Switch the e-nannies off, and the $85,300 XF-R is one oversteering, donut-making chunk of Britannia.
5. Chrysler 300 SRT8
Just as the SRT Jeep brings serious bang-for-your-performance-bucks to the table, the $48,345 Chrysler 300 version
is easily capable of blowing off twice—as-expensive rivals in a straight line.
The offspring of German (Mercedes-Benz suspension) and American (Chrysler V8) parents, the 300 SRT8 delivers big-American-car luxury and European rear-wheel-drive driving characteristics in a ba-da-boom, ba-da-bing styling package.
Like the SHO, the 300 is a fullsize sedan. But instead of a blown V6, the Chrysler gets a hulking 6.1-litre V8 with 425 hp, bullying its way to 100 km/h in under five seconds.
4. Audi S6
Under the $99,500 Audi midsize sedan's conservative clothes lies the heart of a quarter-million-dollar Lamborghini. Specifically, a 435 hp 5.2 liter V10.
What else makes the S6 special?
If you must, there's a retuned six-speed autobox with gorgeous aluminum-optic shift paddles as well as quicker steering.
What's missing is any kind of external bling.
Except for spicy alloys, four tailpipes and various S6 and V10 badges, there's little to differentiate the S6 Q-car from a cooking A6.
3. Mercedes C 63 AMG
In contrast to its long list of AMG-badged predecessors, the latest C Class AMG sedan is by far the most comprehensive Q-car to date. 
While bringing a howitzer to a knife fight, the 451 hp C 63 AMG comes armed with the same hand-built 6.2L V8 found in other AMG Benz's, some costing more than twice as much as the $63,500 hot rod C.
The result: zero to 100 km/h takes only 4.5 seconds. But cold, objective measurements are only part of the compact C63 AMG's story.
Don't bother with stereo upgrades. The engine and exhaust noise alone from the bellicose V8 is enough aural entertainment for any red-blooded Q-car fan.
2. Cadillac CTS-V
The new CTS sedan is already a decent daily driver. But glue a V on its trunklid and the car grows fangs.
Attached at the other end of the CTS-V's six-speed manual box is a 6.2L supercharged V8 spouting out 556 hp — a slightly detuned version of the Corvette ZR1's 638 hp LS9.
This in turn produces zero to 100 km/h in the 4.5 second range — right in the wheelhouse of serious sedans like the `Benz C 63 AMG and the M5, below.
The rear-drive chassis was honed on what is becoming The General's favourite proving ground: the Nürburgring. As such, neutral handling and massive grip are also part of the $72,045 Caddy Q-car's repertoire.
But wait, there's more.
GM is promising a car that may top the CTS-V in its Q-car quotient: a wagon version.
1. BMW M5
Soon to be replaced with a new model about a year from now, there's not a lot wrong with the four-year-old $106,900 M5 super sedan (pictured at top). It's still a technical tour de force from a company that sometimes can make the nice folks at NASA look like they're part of a knitting bee.
With the same styling as a 230 hp 528i, BMW M Division's wizards add power (500 hp 5.0-litre V10 inspired by the automaker's former F1 efforts) and superior rear-drive handling to create a four-seater that can take on a more-than-twice-as-expensive Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.
Maybe the best part of the midsize M5 is its adjustability to suit your driving mood.
Select the steering wheel M button, and you get your favorite power, steering, suspension and electronic-stability-control settings.
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