There are the cars everyone wants, and there are the cars everyone needs. No matter what your garage’s budget is, at some point or another every automotive enthusiast must face the reality that their favorite driving machine isn’t life-proof. Even in the wealthy supercar territory, we still have super SUVs to do the jobs their low-to-the-ground counterparts can’t. However, not everyone needs an SUV or even a crossover to satisfy their practical needs; just a little trunk space and a comfortable ride are enough to keep the best joyrides sensible for day-to-day tasks. Queue the Grand Touring car: the silver platter compromise between sports car recreation and luxury crossover feasibility. Want to floor it to the supermarket and be back home in time for dinner? Here are 10 GT cars that will get the job done.

Aston Martin Vantage

Subtle, strong, and really freaking comfortable, the iconic Aston Martin Vantage doesn’t fail to live up to the wings on its hood. Priced just under $144,000 for the base V-8 Coupe (which isn’t bad given all the options are just for personalization), the Vantage is a British powerhouse – boasting horsepower figures from 503 to 690 horses for the V-8 and V-12 engines, respectively.

All you have to do is take one look at how plush the interior is and you'll know the comfort level this car offers. With a smooth ride and a reputation to hold with it, even the cheapest Aston Martin makes you feel like a monarch on your throne of a driver’s seat. As for those groceries, the Vantage provides a little over 12 cubic feet of trunk space, which is just enough to fill all the shelves of the fridge when you get home.

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

The ‘Stealth Superhero’ of cars, as many see it, or rather don’t see it. It’s hard to make a 911 a sleeper, which is exactly why Porsche didn’t do that. What they did do, however, was take one of the hottest, fastest, and outright coolest 911 variants, and make it blend in with the rest of the lineup. Although the hot topic of Porsche right now is the 911 GT3 RS, the most favorable 911 amongst dreamers and owners alike is the GT3 variant with the Touring Package.

The concept is simple: Take a GT3 and remove everything GT3-like about it. The big wing? Gone. Black accents? Gone. Bright flashy colors? You get the idea. The 911 GT3 with the Touring package was designed for the driver who wants to drive like it’s their last ride, yet fly under the radar from onlookers and cops. Performance-wise, no compromises were made, with the touring package keeping the same 502 horsepower 4.0-liter flat-six as the normal GT3. This car can also be optioned with a front-suspension lift, allowing it to roll smoothly over speedbumps and return to normal ride-height afterwards.

Ferrari Roma

Let’s clear something out first: This is a beautiful vehicle. Admittedly, the Roma (also a beautiful name) has developed a reputation for using a little too much tech, but none of that takes away from the driving experience. After all, it is a Ferrari. Equipped with a 612 horsepower 3.9-liter TT V-8 that redlines at 7,500 RPM, the Roma does not shy away from having a good time. On the other hand, the eight-speed DCT provides a smooth ride, making 100+ MPH feel like just 30. The Roma isn’t the most spacious Grand Tourer on the list, as it only packs about 10 cubic feet in the trunk. When you count the extra room behind the seats though, it becomes a little more digestible. Not to mention it at least has an acceptable trunk, unlike most other Ferraris.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Entering a new realm of bodystyle is the spacious GTC4Lusso. This car, like its precedent (the FF), is pretty much the enemy of Ferrari purists. Why? Because it has one thing that most supercars stand against: A tailgate.

Yes, it’s a hatchback. The fastest, prettiest, and most premium hatchback money can buy. However, just because the window goes up with the rest of the trunk does not deny it the right to being possibly the perfect Grand Tourer. Unlike the Roma, the GTC4Lusso includes just enough tech in all the right places, and it keeps everything that should be analog, analog. It also ups just about everything on space – at 28.24 cubic feet with the rear seats down, the GTC4Lusso has over double the trunk space of most full-size sedans, including the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8. Throw in a 680-horsepower, 6.3-liter V-12 matched with AWD, and you have what is easily the most practical and unique GT/Supercar on the market. Unfortunately, the GTC4Lusso is no longer in production, but it is still new enough such that the tech, mileage, and the price will almost match that of a brand-new Ferrari.

McLaren GT

Keeping on track with the topic of trunk-space-galore, the McLaren GT now enters the frame. Besides being a high-end car, there is little to nothing that this car shares with the GTC4Lusso. It’s British, mid-engined, low to the ground, rear-wheel drive, and longer than an LMP1 racecar. If you didn’t know what it was, you would call it a supercar, and given the way it’s built it pretty much is one. Similar to other GT cars, the McLaren GT boasts some 612 horses under the hood; what's notably distinctive from those other GT cars though is the location of that hood.

With the 4.0-liter V-8 engine being placed in the center of the car, the weight distribution is unmatched by any other grand tourer, giving the McLaren the edge in both cornering and top speed. Far ahead of any other vehicle on the list, the McLaren GT can reach a heart-stopping top speed of 217 MPH! What really seals the deal is the combined front and rear trunk space of over 20 cubic feet – more than any other mid-engined car. That is truly amazing from a car with a completely different layout than the also-roomy GTC4Lusso.

Mercedes-AMG SL

From coupes to convertibles, the Mercedes-AMG SL-class represents the other end of the grand touring world: The leisurely side. Sure, the driving experience is cool and all and the SL doesn’t take any of that away, but sometimes the simple pleasures in life come from retracting your roof and taking in all the fresh air. Priced at $138,850 for the base SL 55 model, the SL convertibles are considerably less money than your average optioned 911 Cabriolet, especially when you want to match the power specs.

The SL-class has two power options, both including the same 4.0-liter Biturbo V-8: The lower SL 55 outputs around 470 horsepower, whereas its big brother the SL 63 turns it up to 577 horsepower. Combine that with the 8.5 cubic feet of cargo space (which is a considerable amount for a front-engine convertible), and for the middle-$100,000-$200,000 range, you have a formidable Sunday cruiser. Like the 911 GT3, the SL also can be optioned with a front suspension lift for those nasty bumps.

Lexus LC 500 Convertible

To continue the convertible trend, we move to Japan, home of the elegant Lexus LC 500. Unlike the SL, this 471-horsepower V-8 Convertible contains a naturally aspirated engine, making for the perfect raw driving experience. What’s more, it’s a Lexus, meaning the chances of that engine exploding into a million $1,000+ pieces is far less likely to occur than its European competition.

The LC 500 is also one of the rather stylish tourers on the list – including smooth bodylines and a strongly driver-oriented interior that really makes one feel like they’re piloting a yacht. To help keep the entry fee into the grand touring world somewhat feasible, the LC 500 comes in with a base MSRP of just over $100,000. Practicality-wise, the LC 500 has little to no trunk space, but it makes up for that with relatively larger rear seats than the other two-doors, leaving plenty of room when you don't have four people in the car.

BMW M8 Competition

Heading on back over to Germany, there remains one other powerful cruiser that isn’t within Volkswagen’s scope: The BMW 8 Series. Although all trims of the 8 Series are distinctively awesome, the one with the most power to back itself up against the British and Italian rivals is the 617-horsepower M8 Competition. Compared to other BMWs, the M8 sits in a class of its own, reaching from 0-60 MPH in an asphalt-scorching three seconds flat for the coupe and 3.1 seconds for the convertible. The M8 also keeps things practical, offering up to 15 cubic feet’s worth of space in the rear! That’s more than just about any luxury sedan. Due to the M8’s status as a flagship model for a high-end manufacturer, BMW put its complete effort into making it the best car it can be, and boy did that effort pay off.

Bentley Continental GT Speed

It’s a Bentley. What more is there to say? Although this royal monster sits closer to the top of the price spectrum at over $200,000, its value is off the charts. Featuring everything from a standard diamond-stitched Alcantara interior to rear-wheel steering, the Continental GT Speed makes every possible effort at keeping the ride smooth for long journeys yet swift for tight backroads.

The Bentley also contains the meatiest power unit of the bunch with its 6.0-liter W-12 engine. Sure, it may not be light, but who cares about weight when you can floor it to 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds? Not to mention, that weight still leaves room for another 12 cubic feet of trunk space and a pair of actually usable seats in the rear. The car also keeps the perfect balance between the rear-wheel-drive power monsters and the all-wheel drive cruisers – managing a 30/70 split in power between the front and rear wheels.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

What better way to end the list than how it started? Aston Martin has a respectable history when it comes to making Grand Touring cars, but in that history, nothing has been able to top the mighty letters “DBS”. From 1967 and beyond, all versions of the Aston Martin DBS have represented the pinnacle of performance, luxury, and downright awesomeness. Today, that icon still holds true to its origins. Although the current DBS Superleggera may not have the most room in the trunk or the highest quality interior, it does pack a whopping 715 horses and 663 pound-feet of torque under the hood. Match that to a drop-dead gorgeous body with a plush interior, and the heavens come to life with one of the greatest GT cars on sale today.

FAQ

Q: How much does Lexus LFA cost?

Back in 2010, the LFA carried a base price of $375,000

Q: How many LFAs are left?

Back in 2020, there were 12 brand-new LFA cars in Lexus dealerships.

Q: Why is the LFA so special?

It is fast, overengineered and it sounds amazing.