An almost invisible Euro Wagon that adds power and torque to the C8 Corvette

Is a sleeper still a sleeper if the name suggests so? This Czech estate with British performance under the bonnet, which makes almost as much power as a C8 Corvette but looks like a regular Passat, says it definitely is. The Škoda Superb Estate Sleeper Edition is a one-off celebration of the end of a model range that makes our dreams of a fast but quiet sleeper estate come true.

The Škoda Superb is one of the best cars ever made from a car manufacturer you’ve probably never heard of. Škoda is the budget brand of Volkswagen from the Czech Republic. You can think of it as the opposite of Audi: a VW with less equipment and a less prestigious brand for less money. The Superb is a model based on the Volkswagen Passat, and with that soon to be replaced, Škoda has turned to a company that usually works on kit like the world’s fastest V10 Lamborghini and twin-turbo McLarens to try and make something a little more fun.

VW subsidiary Škoda builds a fast station wagon

RE Performance has used the car’s 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder. Forget the Superb’s standard 276bhp, or even the 316bhp the same engine makes in the Volkswagen Golf R. In the Superb Sleeper Edition, the engine produces a whopping 470bhp with 650Nm of torque.

A larger turbocharger that pumps more boost into the cylinders improves performance. The VW engine also gets a new intake, a revised intercooler and a fuel system that can pass significantly more gasoline when needed. RE Performance is no newcomer to Škoda, after all. The same company built a version of the automaker’s smaller Octavia that hit a record 227.080 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2011.

Skoda Superb Sleeper Edition Technical Data

No conspicuous details ensure the perfect sleeper status

The Sleeper Edition takes its name from its standard bodywork. The Superb Wagon comes in Royal Green with tan leather inside, but it’s almost unchanged on the outside. It has four-wheel drive and big wheels, but the wheels aren’t as flashy as those on the standard Superb 280, the most powerful production version of the car, which we’ve dubbed one of the best Euro sleeper cars on the market. The rest of the bodywork isn’t flashy either, the Sleeper Edition wears the chrome trim of the standard car and not even black trim to give you a clue.

If you want camouflage, the effect is perfect. Even when the cars are side by side, there are no visual cues to tell you that the Sleeper Edition is special.

But there are also many changes under the hood. The car is two inches lower than the original thanks to a coilover suspension from KW Suspension, which was developed from race cars. The brakes have also been significantly improved: larger discs and six-piston calipers from AP Racing ensure that the sleeper can also brake at its new top speeds.

The Sleeper Edition is based on the top-of-the-range Superb, which Škoda oddly calls Lauren & Klement. It’s not a “Limited” or “Platinum,” but it’s probably a more interesting name. Laurin & Klement was a Czech car manufacturer that started building cars in 1905. That company became Skoda Auto after it was bought by Skoda-Werke-Gesellschaft in 1925.

This neat piece of history comes with matrix LED headlights (taken from Audi), a power tailgate, three-zone climate control and a stereo from German hi-fi manufacturer Canton. Oh, and for the ultimate “I can’t possibly go fast” detail, there’s an umbrella in the door. Remember, it’s bad luck to open that umbrella indoors. Or at 60 mph.

Skoda only builds one model, and it is not available for purchase

The car is a farewell gift to the third generation Superb, which began production in 2015 and is being replaced by a sleeker new model. But you won’t be able to buy the Superb Sleeper Edition, no matter how cool it is. Not even if you live in Europe.

You can’t have one because there will only be one. Škoda only had RE Performance build a single example and it’s not for sale. That’s not a big surprise because we have no idea how they would get a 470bhp four-cylinder through emissions tests or warranty life tests. The bean counters at the VW Group would never agree to that.

Some people will get to drive it, though. The Škoda Superb Sleeper Edition, complete with the requisite 69 cubic feet of storage space for an estate car, will be part of Škoda UK’s media fleet, so you can expect to see it on your favourite broadcasters’ channels.SheThe best YouTubers from this country will appear on the scene in the next few months.