Best of both worlds: These sports cars double up as daily drivers

Who says you cannot have your cake and eat it?

With this already expensive list of sports cars that can easily double up as a daily drivers, you won't have to spend extra cash (and it's quite a fair bit extra, mind you) just to get a second car to please your partner.

As a matter of fact, with these 'Jekyll and Hyde' sports cars, you can enjoy the best of both worlds as and when you deem fit - enthusiastic driving around the track and uncompromising comfort for everyday use.

And as you can see from this list, obvious hot hatches have been left out for very logical reasons (can you imagine how long and repetitive this list would be if we added in hot hatches?).

Yes, who says you cannot have your cake and eat it?

1. Aston Martin Vantage

A strong contender of the Porsche 911, the Aston Martin Vantage is a highly accomplished and dynamically vicious sports car that feels right at home on the track.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 (same engine found in the V8 DB11) allows the Vantage to churn out 503bhp and 685Nm of twisting force from the word go - giving the Aston the immediacy and aggression that's needed to handle any race track in the world.

Yet, despite all of its track-focused qualities, the Vantage manages to retain its comfort and refinement on the road, soaking up uneven surfaces without breaking a sweat.

Further enhancing this fact is its high-quality and well-appointed cabin that appears to be more like an everyday comfortable car.

2. Audi R8

Whether it's a Spyder or a Coupe, the Audi R8 is beautifully-crafted work of art is a German sports car that's more tender than terrifying. Yes, it may be mechanically similar to the obnoxious and more aggressive Lamborghini Huracan, but the Audi R8 is nothing quite like it. And therein lies its charm...

Instead of creating a typical sports car that prioritises brutality and arrogance, the engineers and designers at Ingolstadt decided that the R8 was more suitable for grace and refinement.

The naturally aspirated (our favourite feature as a sports car) 5.2-litre ten-cylinder powerplant despatches 540bhp and 540Nm of torque so effectively yest seamlessly that the Audi comes across as a matured gentleman rather than an egoistic young punk.

Best of all, it's comfortable enough to soak up bumps and ruts without sending any harshness into the cabin

3. Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Yes, Ferraris may be a supercar manufacturer that makes hardcore, distilled, out-and-out machines that man can only dream of. But the carmaker also makes very capable track-killing four-seater grand tourers that can double up as a daily driver.

From the Ferrari Mondial and the Ferrari 456 GT to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and the Ferrari FF, the Prancing Horse has the experience and capability of creating highly desirable cars that are more special than the common and often-sighted Ferraris.

And the Ferrari GTC4Lusso is exactly that sort of car - one that can head to the race track to extend its 6.3-litre V12 engine for several hot laps before enjoying the 680 horses and 697Nm of torque as you cruise back home.

4. Jaguar F-TYPE

This English sports car is such a looker. In fact, just based on looks alone and you may think it to be a thoroughbred sports car that prioritises tenacious speed and antagonising aggression.

Truth be told, it's quite the contrary. The Jaguar F-TYPE, in its 2.0-litre four-pot form, is such a user-friendly and practical sports car that you can hardly find another vehicle in this segment that matches form with function.

This is most notable in the cabin, where you get high-tech gadgetry that are often found in family cars, premium quality materials used and a reasonable boot space that's actually useable.

Needless to say, with its aerodynamically sound form and its impressive mechanical package, the Jaguar F-TYPE is right at home around corners with the sort of firm setup that's surprisingly pliant and forgiving.

5. Mazda MX-5

Yes, the MX-5 seems like a car that's appearing in a lot of our recent feature stories... but that's only because it's a highly capable car that can easily adapt and embrace the different lifestyles of different drivers. That has and will always be the magic of the Mazda MX-5.

In this case, it is still a mighty sporty roadster that you can throw around bends with reckless abandon and enjoy unadulterated driving pleasure and yet still be comfortable enough to ensure that you and your partner can enjoy a trip up North, should the time calls for it.

It's no lightning quick, this roadster, but it sure is a sports car that's a lot of fun, which is always an added bonus for a daily driver.

6. McLaren GT

The McLaren GT was created with the intention of being a cruiser of sorts - one that will take you and your partner across great distances in extreme comfort and style. However, take the car out for a wet and sweaty driving session and you'll realise that the GT is more than just an expensive cruiser.

With the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 pushing out a 612bhp and a mountain-moving 630Nm of twisting force to the rear wheels via a seven-speed gearbox, the McLaren GT can complete the century sprint in just 3.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of over 325km/h.

More relevantly, it can handle whatever switchbacks you throw at it and carve whatever corners with alacrity and precision if you so order it to.

During our time with it, the car never once compromised driving engagement with comfort and refinement - which is exactly why it's here on this very list.

7. Porsche 911

The quintessential sports car. The three lovely numbers that have earned their stripes in the automotive world. The sports car that needs no introduction or no advertisements or reviews to have people lining up to buy one.

The Porsche 911 has always been on many people's to-buy list, but it's not just because it's fast and pretty, it's also because it's the true blue sports car that can be your daily driver.

And that's the enchanting element about this car. The 911 has been fine tuned over so many generations - from the 993 and 996 to the 997 and now the 992 - that the sports car now manages to be so well-balanced in multiple areas. Driving engagement? Checked. Sporty disposition? Checked. Comfort? Checked. Modern good looks? Checked. Premium cabin? Checked. Desirable? Checked.

8. Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ

The Toyota 86 is an alluring sports car that combines Nintendo driving fun with everyday comfort on the road.

You could obviously choose the Subaru BRZ if you so decide, since both these cars share similar mechanical underpinnings, thanks to the carmakers' close collaboration on the models.

Unfortunately, the new models have yet to come and we do not know yet if they'll be just like the first generation models - where driving enjoyment and necessary comfort integrate seamlessly.

One thing's for sure... If you're on the lookout for something sporty and iconic, yet there's a need to have some form of comfort for everyday driving, the Toyota 86 or the Subaru BRZ is undoubtedly your answer.

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.