When we think of grand touring, we think of Aston Martin, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, and even Rolls-Royce. The GT cars that these companies produced have been the very definition of the term "Grand Tourer." Other manufacturers do their best to compete for cars that people can use to go grand touring around the country.
With time and depreciation, the GT cars of yesteryear are now in reach of owning. There are also cars that are just as good as these GT cars that are also in the same market but for a more reasonable price. Here are a few examples of all of these GT cars that can be found with a budget of $40,000.
10 Aston Martin DB9
The Aston Martin DB9 was widely known as the Grand Tourer to have back in the last decade. A smooth and yet fierce V12 engine under the hood packing around 540 horsepower and a suspension that feels like driving on clouds, the DB9 was the almighty GT car.
It held the standards of what a GT car was supposed to be like but at quite the price. Automotive journalists went on and on about just how great of a car it was. Now, a prime example of an Aston Martin DB9 can be found on CarGurus for under $35,0000. That is a great deal for a car that has that sort of prestige.
9 Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT, like the Aston Martin, also holds the same prestige as its counterpart. The only difference is that the Continental GT nameplate still lives on. Journalists boasted on and always compared the Aston Martin DB9 and Continental GT and said just how great of a car the GT was.
Powered by a W12 that made about 550 horsepower on a suspension that felt like floating, the early Continental GT was a masterpiece. Since time, mileage, and depreciation are always something to keep track of, good examples can be found on CarGurus for under $30,000. A bargain for anyone willing to grand tour.
8 BMW M6
Most people wouldn't think a BMW would be on this list but they would be wrong. A car with great and soft suspension powered a V10 producing around 500 horsepower, it would be wrong to count out the German manufacturer. The BMW M6 is known to be a comfortable ride for long periods of time, which makes it a great car for grand touring.
Some good examples can be found on CarGurus for under $15,000. A great car for a great price cannot necessarily be beat. Don't count out the BMW M6 for something that would make a remarkable GT car to tour the country.
7 Jaguar XK
Jaguar has been known to make very elegant looking cars. To not include the XK on this list would be wrong. A mid-luxurious manufacturer with a V8 with horsepower that ranged from a near 385 to 550 horsepower.
A smooth ride, elegant looks, and great for long-distance driving, the Jaguar XK is one of the few definite options to buy if someone were to take a grand tour of the country. A few good examples can be found on CarGurus for under $30,000. A bargain for a car that is known for its elegance.
6 Maserati GranTurismo
The Maserati GranTurismo has been known to be the manufacturer's GT car for quite some time. The one thing about Maserati is that their cars are also known to depreciate the most throughout the history of modern vehicles. Why wait to buy a new Maserati when it will be worth less than half the price in a couple of years?
The same goes for the GranTurismo. The early model was given a soft ride with a V8 pushing slightly over 400 horsepower is not bad at all for a car made for grand touring. Some fine examples can be found on CarGurus for under $20,000. Talk about depreciation. A car that costs over $100,000 more than 10 years ago falls that far down in price.
5 Porsche 911 Carrera
The Porsche 911 Carrera 996 makes a perfect specimen to be a GT car. Sure it is mid-engined, but it has a comfortable ride and slightly under 300 horsepower fro a flat-6 engine, but the 996 911 Carrera was keen on being the ultimate sports car of that time.
Now it can be an ultimate affordable GT car since the ride comfort is known to be comfortable. A few great examples of the Porsche 996 911 Carrera can be found on CarGurus for under $15,000. That is a great price for a German manufacturer known for making remarkable sports cars to drive.
4 Mercedes-Benz SL550
A car manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz is widely known for everything luxurious. The SL550 is no exception. The fifth-generation SL550 came with a 5.5L V8 pushing around 380 horsepower with a ride comfort great enough for drivers to go long distances and have no issues.
Talk about luxury and sportiness, the SL550 would make the grand touring scene like a walk in the park. As mentioned before, Mercedes-Benz does come to mind when GT cars are brought up in conversation, and rightfully so. Luckily, great examples can be found on CarGurus for less than $30,000. What a bargain for a GT car made by a manufacturer known for its prestige.
3 Cadillac XLR
Cadillac made a wonderful GT car named the XLR. Sadly, it had a short production life. The manufacturer is known throughout the world as a high-quality company known for its luxuriousness with ride comfort and style. With the Northstar 4.6L V8 only producing 320 or so horsepower the Cadillac XLR offered quite the comfortable ride.
Not as great of a ride as others, but good enough to be considered as a GT car. A great example of the XLR can be found on CarGurus for under $26,000. The Cadillac XLR should not be overlooked as a car to be bought to go on a grand tour of the country.
2 Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird used to be a car to combat the Corvette over 60 years ago. When it last came out, it looked like it was a GT car of yesteryear, just retrostyled. Why should it be considered as a GT car? Because at the time, Ford owned Jaguar and the Thunderbird were built on the S-Type platform.
A comfortable ride made by a luxury manufacturer with a 3.9L V8 making around 280 horsepower. Sure, it is not a lot of power, but the comfort makes up for it. Grand touring in a Thunderbird would make perfect sense which is why it should not be overlooked. A fine example can be found on CarGurus for $13,000 or less. A bargain that can't be passed.
1 Plymouth Prowler
It would be wrong not to put the Plymouth Prowler. Plymouth did what it could to make one of the stylish yet retro-looking cars of yesteryear. Sure, it is powered by a V6 that only made around 250 horsepower, but it has the looks. It has the ride comfort as well. Not as great of a ride as other GT cars, but it fits the qualities of a GT car.
Some horsepower to overtake on a highway, ride comfort, and slight sportiness. The Plymouth Prowler checks all the boxes. A few fine examples can be found on CarGurus for under $25,000. Sure they're older than most cars, but they hold value and mileage is quite low. A bargain for a car that would be great for grand touring.