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A grand tourer (GT) is a high-performance luxury automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé
Coupé

A coup? or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coup?s are often hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a Close-coupled sedan interior offering either two seats or 2+2 seating ....
 with either a two-seat or a 2+2
2 plus 2

The term 2+2 is a phrase used to describe the car classification of a automobile with seating for two passengers in the front, plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers in the rear....
  arrangement.

The term derives from the Italian
Italian language

Italian is a Romance languages spoken by about 63 million people as a first language, primarily in Italy. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four Linguistic geography of Switzerlands....
 Gran Turismo, homage to the tradition of the "Grand Tour
Grand Tour

The Grand Tour was the traditional travel of Europe undertaken by mainly Upper class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of mass railroad transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary....
", used to represent automobiles regarded as grand tourers abilities to make long-distance, high-speed journeys in both comfort and style.






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A grand tourer (GT) is a high-performance luxury automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé
Coupé

A coup? or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coup?s are often hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a Close-coupled sedan interior offering either two seats or 2+2 seating ....
 with either a two-seat or a 2+2
2 plus 2

The term 2+2 is a phrase used to describe the car classification of a automobile with seating for two passengers in the front, plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers in the rear....
  arrangement.

The term derives from the Italian
Italian language

Italian is a Romance languages spoken by about 63 million people as a first language, primarily in Italy. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four Linguistic geography of Switzerlands....
 Gran Turismo, homage to the tradition of the "Grand Tour
Grand Tour

The Grand Tour was the traditional travel of Europe undertaken by mainly Upper class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of mass railroad transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary....
", used to represent automobiles regarded as grand tourers abilities to make long-distance, high-speed journeys in both comfort and style. The English translation is "Grand Touring", the French "Grand Tourisme".

Characteristics

Grand tourers differ from standard two-seat sports car
Sports car

A sports car is a term used to describe a class of automobile. The exact definition varies, but generally it is used to refer to a low to ground, light weight vehicle with a powerful engine....
s in typically being larger, heavier, and emphasizing comfort over straight-out performance. Historically, true GT's have been front-engined with rear-wheel drive, which leave more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engine layouts. Softer suspensions
Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of spring , shock absorbers and Linkage that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose ? contributing to the car's car handling and brake for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road no...
, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their driving appeal. Some very high-performance grand tourers, such as the Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin DB9

The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer launched by Aston Martin in 2004.The DB9 is the first new car to be built at Aston's Gaydon facility. The name "DB" stems from David Brown , the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history....
, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian grand tourer produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's 2-seat Gran Turismo flagship model, replacing the Ferrari 575M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model year....
, HSV GTS
HSV GTS

The HSV GTS is a high performance Luxury vehicle, produced by Holden Special Vehicles. The fundamental Automobile platform are based the on mainstream Holden Commodore models of the same years....
, Nissan GT-R
Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R is a sports car created by Nissan Motors, released in Japan on 6 December 2007, United States July 07, 2008, and expected to be released in the rest of the world by March 2009....
 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an United Kingdom-Germany sports car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England....
 make various compromises in the opposite direction while rivaling sports cars in speed, acceleration, and cornering ability, earning them the special designation supercar
Supercar

Supercar is a term generally used for high-end sports cars, whose performance is superior to that of its contemporaries. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car with a centrally located engine", and stated in more general terms: "it must be very fast, with sporting handling to match", "it should be sleek an...
s.

GT abbreviation


The GT abbreviation so popular across the automotive industry traces to the the Italian tradition of referring to their luxury performance cars as "Gran Turismo". Manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automaker founded on 24 June 1910 in Milan. Alfa Romeo has been a part of the Fiat Group since 1986....
, Ferrari
Ferrari

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1928 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari Joint stock company....
 and Lancia
Lancia

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italy automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage....
 led the way, with the 1951 Lancia Aurelia
Lancia Aurelia

The Lancia Aurelia is considered by many to be the first true Gran Turismo automobile. Designed by Vittorio Jano, the Aurelia was launched in 1950 and production lasted through the summer of 1958....
 B20 GT being one of the first examples.

Among the many variations of GT are:
  • GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) a homologated car for racing (used by Ferrari, Pontiac
    Pontiac

    Pontiac is a brand of automobiles, produced by General Motors Corporation that has been sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico since 1926....
     and Mitsubishi
    Mitsubishi

    The , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese Conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy....
    ).
  • GTS (Gran Turismo Spider) a convertible GT car. For example the Ferrari 348 GTS
    Ferrari 348

    The Ferrari 348 is a Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout V8 engine-powered 2-seat sports car, replacing the Ferrari 328 in 1989 and continuing until 1995....
    .
  • GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) a coupe style GT. For example the Ferrari 328 GTB
    Ferrari 328

    The Ferrari 328 GTB and GTS was the successor to the Ferrari 308 GTB. While largely based on the 308 GTB and GTS respectively, small modifications were made to the body style and engine, including an increase in engine displacement to 3.2 L ....
    .
  • GTV (Gran Turismo Veloce) a fast GT car. For example the Alfa Romeo GTV6.
  • GTI or GTi (Gran Turismo Iniezione) a fuel injected GT, first used on the 1961 Maserati 3500
    Maserati 3500

    Maserati 3500 is a 2-door coup? and convertible made by Maserati of Italy, being the company's first attempt at the Gran Turismo market and large-volume production....
     GTI.
  • GTE or GT/E (Einspritzung - German for fuel injection) used on the Opel Manta
    Opel Manta

    The Opel Manta was a rear-wheel-drive sports coup? motor vehicle built by Opel, a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, from 1970 to 1988....
     GT/E.
  • GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerita) a lightened GT car. For example the Alfa Romeo GTA
    Alfa Romeo GTA

    The Alfa Romeo GTA is a coup? automobile manufactured by the Italy manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1965 to 1971. It was made for racing and road use....
    .
  • GTAm (modified lightened car) such as the Alfa Romeo GTAm
    Alfa Romeo GTA

    The Alfa Romeo GTA is a coup? automobile manufactured by the Italy manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1965 to 1971. It was made for racing and road use....
    .
  • GTC (Gran Turismo Compact/Cabriolet/Coupe) for example Opel Astra
    Opel Astra

    The Opel Astra is a small family car designed and manufactured by Opel, the European subsidiary of General Motors.It is branded as an Opel in continental Europe, the Republic of Ireland, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia and South Africa, as Vauxhall Motors in the United Kingdom, as Holden in Australasia, as Chevrolet in Latin America a...
     (compact), Bentley Continental GTC
    Bentley Continental GT

    The Bentley Continental GT is a two-door 2+2 grand tourer coup? released in 2003, replacing the previous Rolls-Royce Motors-based Bentley Continental R....
     (cabriolet), Ferrari 330 GTC
    Ferrari 330

    The Ferrari 330 cars are the successor of the Ferrari 250, first introduced by Ferrari in 1963. The first #330 America was simply a Ferrari 250#250 GT/E with a larger engine, and the #330 GTC/GTS shared their chassis with the Ferrari 275....
     (coupe)
  • GTD (Gran Turismo Diesel), used by Volkswagen in sport oriented Golf version.
  • GTR or GT-R, (Gran Turismo Racing), as in the McLaren F1 GTR
    McLaren F1 GTR

    The McLaren F1 GTR was a racing variant of the McLaren F1 sports car first produced in 1995 for grand tourer style racing, such as the BPR Global GT Series, FIA GT Championship, SuperGT, and British GT Championship....
    , Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR
    Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

    The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a grand tourer and race car that was built by Mercedes-AMG, performance and motorsports arm of Mercedes-Benz. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car, with the road cars necessary in order to meet homologation standards being secondary in...
    , and Nissan GT-R
    Nissan GT-R

    The Nissan GT-R is a sports car created by Nissan Motors, released in Japan on 6 December 2007, United States July 07, 2008, and expected to be released in the rest of the world by March 2009....


Grand Tourers in racing

Today the term Grand Tourer
Grand tourer

File:1962 Ferrari 250 GTO 34 2.jpgA grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coup? with either a two-seat or a 2 plus 2 arrangement....
, or Gran Turismo is synonymous with the high-powered sports tourers that take part in long distance or endurance race
Endurance race

Endurance race may refer to:*Endurance riding*Endurance racing *Ultramarathon...
s like 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a sports car racing endurance racing held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and runs on a Circuit de la Sarthe containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and dr...
, Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia

The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance racing which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 .Like the older Targa Florio and later the Carrera Panamericana, the MM made Gran Turismo sports cars like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche famous....
, Targa Florio
Targa Florio

The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo, Sicily. Founded in 1906, it used to be the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Championship until 1973....
, Carrera Panamericana
Carrera Panamericana

The Carrera Panamericana was a sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico, similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. It ran from a southern Mexican west-coast city towards Texas, and counted towards the World Sportscar Championships....
. Examples include:

  • Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
    Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

    The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian grand tourer produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's 2-seat Gran Turismo flagship model, replacing the Ferrari 575M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model year....
  • Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
    Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

    The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer, designed by Ian Callum and manufactured by Aston Martin. From its 2001 introduction to its cancellation, it was Aston Martin's flagship vehicle....
  • Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
    Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

    The Mercedes-Benz SL is a roadster manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Light — and was first applied to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its Gull-wing doors or upward-opening doors....
  • BMW 6 Series
    BMW 6 Series

    BMW 6 Series refers to two generations of automobile from BMW, both being based on their contemporary BMW 5 Series sedans. The first was the BMW E24, launched in 1976 to replace the BMW E9 ....
  • Audi A5
    Audi A5

    The Audi A5 and S5 is a luxury car sports car produced by the Germany automobile manufacturer Audi since 2007. The Audi A5 was unveiled simultaneously at the Salon International de l'Auto and Melbourne International Motor Show on March 6, 2007....
  • Dodge Viper GTS-R


Motorsport classification

In certain professional motorsport classifications, such as the Grand Touring categories promoted by the FIA, the GT car is defined as "an open or closed automobile which has no more than one door on each side and a minimum of two seats situated one on each side of the longitudinal centre line of the car; these two seats must be crossed by the same transversal plane. This car must be able to be used perfectly legally on the open road, and adapted for racing on circuits or closed courses."

Modern production grand tourers

A true Grand Tourer is a luxury high-performance vehicle intended for long-distance high-speed travel in both comfort and style.

Just because a manufacturer appended some form of "GT" initials to its model designation as a marketing gambit does not make such a car a grand tourer. Grand tourers are a breed of their own.

Some modern examples include:

See also

  • Sports car racing
    Sports car racing

    Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
  • FIA GT Championship
    FIA GT Championship

    The FIA GT Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the St?phane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile ....
  • American Le Mans Series
    American Le Mans Series

    The American Le Mans Series is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance racing and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans....
  • Endurance racing
    Endurance racing

    Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants. Teams of multiple drivers attempt to cover a large distance in a single event, with participants given a break with the ability to change during the race....
  • Super GT
    Super GT

    The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a sports car racing race series promoted by the GT-Association ....
  • Le Mans Series
    Le Mans Series

    The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest ....
  • World Sportscar Championship
    World Sportscar Championship

    The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile from 1953 to 1992....


External links