What Does “GT” Stand For?

Grand Tourer Definition

Grand tourer is a borrowed translation from the Italian phrase gran turismo. Gran turismo means “grand tour” in Italian — in non-automotive contexts, a grand tour is traditionally a cultural tour around Europe. It’s fitting, then, that in the context of vehicles, a grand tourer is a model that’s meant to be comfortable and powerful over long distances. Ultimately, when it comes to cars, the grand tourer definition indicates tangible differences in performance, comfort, and amenities between GT cars and other vehicles.

Grand tourers emphasize comfort and speed together, rather than focusing solely on speed with spartan amenities or solely on comfort at the expense of performance. Moreover, grand tourers tend to be more elegant and refined than traditional sports cars, which tend to be crude — both in terms of engineering and features — in comparison to a proper GT.

Most GT cars share the following characteristics:

• Seating for two or more: 2+2 seating configurations are most common among grand tourers.
• Design: Functionality is paramount in GT cars, so complete control should be afforded to the driver.
• Driving: The chassis and suspension of GTs should be able provide tight handling and significant comfort in a variety of road conditions.
• Engine: A grand tourer’s engine must be able to run a marathon, with the ability to cruise comfortably at the upper limits of its output for an extended period of time.