, navigating this jumble of letters can be daunting. There's one very popular set of letters that have been around for over a century, and it has taken on different meanings over that time: GT.
We've seen that badge on countless vehicles from nearly every car manufacturer, but what does it mean? GT stands for gran turismo in Italian, which translates to grand touring in English. The first car to ever carry that moniker is widely accepted as the 1929. It was intended to represent a vehicle that is both inspiring to drive, yet comfortable enough for long journeys.
As a GT, these upgrades needed to be carefully metered, so as not to delve too deep into sport car territory. The suspension had to deliver more compliance than those sport and race cars in order to provide a decent amount of comfort. Thealso needed to be less abrupt to allow for smoother stops and easier conservative driving. In some cases, engines have been quieted somewhat to reduce long-distance fatigue.
The dream sequence was to fill the need for well-to-do clients that wanted a vehicle that could comfortably log a ton of highway miles on the way to a luxury destination while also being able to tear up Alpine switchbacks with reasonably high aggression. The definition later expanded to include more than two seats as well as a trunk large enough to carry luggage for those passengers.Later, the GT badge began showing up as a trim-level designation.
With all of this in mind, drivers seeking a bit more excitement could still find their desired performance with many GT-badged vehicles, but that doesn't apply in every case. Do your homework and find out what you get if there's an additional cost, both monetarily and in regard to comfort.