Yahoo Autos Have you ever wondered what 'GT' means on cars?
The automotive landscape is littered with acronyms. From ABS to BLIS, ESC, DOHC, CHMSL and TPMS, 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. But what does GT mean on cars?
We've seen that badge on countless vehicles from nearly every car manufacturer. The letters GT stand 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 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo, an old-school two-door machine, and it set the definition for decades to come. But, as you'll see, the original definition has evolved over the years, to the point where Audi appended the letters to a high-performance station wagon.
What is a GT, Grand Touring, or Gran Turismo car?
Gran Turismo generally referred to a vehicle that fills the space between luxury and sports cars. It was intended to represent a vehicle that is both inspiring to drive, yet comfortable enough for long journeys. That meant it needed stronger performance than a typical road car delivered, and not just in regard to power, though that is a big part of the equation. Braking and handling also needed upgrades to account for the added power.
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. The brakes also 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.
