A few decades ago, you had to brace yourself for reliability quirks and the lack of practicality that a performance car came with. Highly strung engines, nowhere to put your cargo, and weird driving positions were simply the norm, but recently, customers have been demanding that their supercars be just as easy to get-in-and-go as a Toyota Corolla.
Automakers have responded with full force. The latest Porsche 911 Turbo S with its hybrid power or the McLaren GTS with a huge amount of cargo room means that you don’t need to make as many excuses for this segment as you used to. The used market is also awash with options for these cars – and here are our favorite modern choices, both new and pre-owned.
New: Porsche 911 Turbo S
The Definitive Daily Supercar
People were terrified at the prospect of electrons ruining the pure driving experience of a Porsche 911, but the Turbo S (and the lower-priced GTS T-Hybrid) shows that there was nothing to be afraid of. Of course, the $270k car has become quicker with hybrid power, now outputting 701 horsepower and a 2.4-second 0-60 mph time, but what’s more impressive is how the turbochargers instantly spool up thanks to electric assistance.
The first 930-generation 911 Turbo that debuted in 1975 was nicknamed the “Widowmaker” for how hard it was to control on boost, but that’s a long way from what the Turbo name stands for today. It sits at the top of the 911 ladder in terms of refinement and creature comforts, built to rival the long-distance grand tourers. The rear-engine layout means there’s space for cargo in the frunk and inside the cabin.
Used: Audi R8 V10
A Gallardo In A Sharper Suit
The Audi R8 V10 has aged beautifully, and this writer thinks it might be a better buy than the Lamborghini Gallardo, which is built on the same platform. A 5.2L V10 sits in the middle of the car, making 525 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty for a quick Costco run. You won’t have to worry too much about how much you buy either, as it rivals the Porsche 911 in terms of frunk space.
That incredible soundtrack can be paired with a slick six-speed gated manual transmission, and you can even get a droptop version to clearly hear all ten cylinders howling away behind you. It was the first car to come with LED lights, but that’s not where the creature comforts end, as it has heated seats, cruise control, and a great Bang & Olufsen sound system. You probably won’t be using that last feature much with a soundtrack that’s this good.
New: McLaren GTS
In a sea of supercars, the McLaren GTS is a slightly forgotten-about beast that boasts a load of trunk space for its class. In fact, the British automaker boasts that it’s the “most practical supercar on sale today,” with 14.8 cubic feet of space behind the front seats and 5.3 cubes in the frunk. Those are impressive numbers for a sedan, let alone a twin-turbo mid-engined supercar. The V8 produces 626 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
The focus here is on everyday performance, which is why it comes with longer dampers and a GTS-specific anti-roll bar that makes it more supple over bumps. There’s also a 12-speaker premium audio setup available, along with cupholders and CarPlay connectivity to help you rack up the road trip miles. We’d also get the nose-lift system and optional parking sensors for even more everyday practicality. Unfortunately overlooked, the GTS deserves more recognition for how well it blends performance and practicality.
Used: Lamborghini Huracan
Still Better Than The New Baby Lambo
There are a million Huracan variants, but every single one of them sounds better than the newer Lamborghini Temerario thanks to that naturally aspirated V10 engine. In its basic pre-2020MY form, the 5.2L unit makes a healthy 602 horsepower, but in its facelift EVO form, it can reach 631 all-Italian horses. Power is routed through a clever torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system in most of its variants, and later versions even got rear-wheel-steering for extra drivability on the road.
“At full tilt, the V10 engine screams with a ferocity that buzzes your eardrums into submission. It’s one of the all-time best sounding engines.”
– Jared Rosenholtz, Former Editor-at-Large, CarBuzz
For your shopping trips, the Huracan has a decently sized frunk, and thanks to Audi’s influence on the powertrain, the engine is free from any major problems. Some owners have noted nose lift failures, but as a complete package, you won’t have to worry about the longevity of your Italian supercar. You can even show off at the local Costco parking lot by pulling both shift paddles, which takes the car out of gear to let you rev freely. Such is the personality of a Lambo.
New: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport X
Your Neighbors Won’t Hate You As Much
Replacing the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray for 2027 is the Corvette Grand Sport X, which adds delightful boost to the total power thanks to a new engine. The LS6 6.7L small block V8 makes 535 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque (the most torque of any N/A V8 ever) on its own, but when paired with the front-axle-mounted electric motor, the Grand Sport X makes a dizzying 721 hp. That electric power means it also has all-wheel-drive to make it easier to drive when conditions are tough.
“Grand Sport has always been the Corvette for drivers who want the spirit of a race car in a package they can enjoy every day.”
– Scott Bell, Vice President of Global Chevrolet
The electric motor at the front doesn’t remove the frunk, and there’s also a trunk behind the engine that gets a little toasty from the engine’s heat. Being a hybrid, it can sneak out of your neighborhood thanks to a few miles of electric-only driving range before the engine starts. Driving in this mode is also available up to 50 miles per hour. Unlike other European exotics, the Corvette knows that its owners use this car every day — and it’s one of the best coupe daily drivers around, period.
Used: Acura NSX
The Original Daily Supercar Revived For A New Era
When the Acura NSX came out in the late 1980s, it ushered in a new trend of supercars that you could actually daily drive. The second-generation, which came out in 2016, was built as a collaboration between the Japanese and American strands of Honda/Acura. The focus here was the powertrain, which is a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 paired to three electric motors and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Acura wanted to make power instant.
“We don’t care what car you show up in for a cruise up a mountain road, the NSX will keep up with it. It will then bunker down into its Quiet mode, transport you home in perfect comfort, and remain reliable while you pile up the miles.”
– Jared Rosenholtz, Editor-At-Large, CarBuzz
573 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque were easily accessible thanks to a clever all-wheel-drive system and magnetic dampers that would slacken to provide plenty of comfort. Revered by journalists but not a sales hit, used examples don’t come up for sale as often as other cars from the same era. Thanks to the electric powertrain, it can easily average over 20 mpg.
New: Ferrari Amalfi
A Baby Ferrari Shouldn’t Look This Good
The lower-rung Ferrari models always have a hard time being remembered when compared to the V12-powered or mid-engined models, but the Amalfi is one of the best looking cars to come out of Maranello in a long time. The buttresses and sweeping front window mean we think it looks better as a droptop with some of the pretty colors Ferrari recommends, like Rosso Tramonto. It’ll be the best-looking car at Costco, for sure.
A twin-turbo 3.9L V8 makes 631 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, a perfect amount for a leisurely coastal drive. There is a movable rear spoiler, which adds 240 lbs of downforce at its highest setting, and it sits above a trunk that’s double the size of the Porsche 911’s frunk. If it rains with the top down, that’s no worry – you can put the roof up in just 13.5 seconds at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.
Used: Nissan GT-R (R35)
A Performance-Democratizing Tech Hero
The Nissan GT-R is one of the longest-living performance cars, and we’re not shocked about that fact. This V6-powered Japanese coupe could accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds, with its motor slightly canted forwards so that under hard acceleration, it would level out. An early version of this car also posted a faster lap time at the Nurburgring than the Porsche 911 Turbo, the one car Nissan had hoped to beat.
It was discontinued after 18 years in 2025. At its launch, this iconic car made 473 horsepower from a 3.8L twin-turbo V6, and came in at some $50k cheaper than the Porsche 911 Turbo. Only nine people were responsible for handcrafting each engine over the car’s entire production run, and each engine took 60 hours to build. With 48,000 built worldwide, values can vary drastically, but there are always a few clean examples available in the classifieds.
Sources: Nissan, Audi, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Acura, Chevrolet, Porsche
