Grand tourer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)
A classic Gran Turismo, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

A grand tourer (Italian: gran turismo) (GT) is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement.

The term derives from the Italian phrase gran turismo, homage to the tradition of the grand tour, 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 is grand tourisme.

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

Grand tourers differ from standard two-seat sports cars in typically being larger, heavier, and emphasizing comfort over straight-out performance. Historically, true GTs have been front-engined with rear-wheel drive, which leave more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engine layouts. Softer suspensions, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their driving appeal. Some very high-performance grand tourers, such as the Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Nissan GT-R and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren make various compromises in the opposite direction while rivalling sports cars in speed, acceleration, and cornering ability, earning them the special designation supercars.

[edit] GT abbreviation

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 GT, a GT car from the 1940s.
Lancia Aurelia B20 GT, a GT car from the 1950s.

The GT abbreviation so popular across the automotive industry traces to the Italian tradition of referring to their luxury performance cars as gran turismo. Manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Lancia led the way, with the 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT being one of the first examples.

Among the many variations of GT are:

2007 Maserati Gran Turismo

2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

2007 Bentley Continental GT Speed
Audi A5 sideright.JPG

2008 Audi S5

2002 Lexus SC430

2007 Lotus Europa S

2007 Jaguar XKR

2007 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Sessenta Edition

1971 Monteverdi High Speed

[edit] Grand tourers in racing

Today the term grand tourer, or gran turismo is synonymous with race versions of sports cars (even those which don't fit the definition given above) that take part in sports car racing, including endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana. Examples of race grand tourers include:

[edit] 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."

[edit] Examples of grand tourers

 This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (March 2009)

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. Some examples include:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_tourer"
Personal tools