Best GT cars 2024 – grand touring greats
The best GTs must marry the opulence, comfort, refinement and appointment of a luxury saloon, with the style, performance, engagement and sense of occasion of a supercar
It’s been a fantastic few years for that most illustrious and long-lived of performance car breeds; the grand tourer. A new Maserati and a refreshed lineup of Aston Martins, Ferraris and Bentleys add to a marketplace that now features powertrains ranging from naturally aspirated, to turbocharged, hybridised and even some that are fully electric. Most are of course front engined, but some are all-wheel drive, some are rear-wheel drive and some don’t even limit the door count to two.
The growing pains the motor industry is suffering with have proven most unexpectedly fruitful in the GT car space. But as the end of 2024 draws near, we can add a couple of the newest entries in long-standing GT dynasties to the ranks of the best GTs you can buy right now: the very latest V12 Ferrari, the 12 Cilindri, as well as the excellent, electrified new Bentley Continental GT.
> Ferrari 12 Cilindri 2024 review – 819bhp super GT tested on road and track
No matter how they go about achieving it, the best grand tourers must nail the same brief – to ensconce in comfort and inhale miles, but still engage when driven spiritedly. The best GTs marry the opulence, comfort, refinement and appointment of a luxury saloon, with the style, performance, engagement and sense of occasion of a supercar. These are our favourite current GT cars, from an 800bhp V12 Ferrari to an all-electric four-door Audi.
Best GT cars of 2024
Click the links below to read our full review on each or our favourite GTs.
- Ferrari Roma
- Bentley Continental GT
- Ferrari 12 Cilindri
- Aston Martin DB12
- Mercedes-AMG GT
- Porsche Panamera
- Porsche Taycan
- Audi e-tron GT
- Maserati GranTurismo
Ferrari Roma
Ferrari has long been a key manufacturer of the traditional grand tourer, so it’s no surprise to discover few modern GTs hit quite the same notes as the Roma. This V8-powered two-plus-two coupe comes with elegant restrained styling and a dynamic repertoire that makes it as brilliant to drive on a challenging road as it is munching through hundreds of motorway miles.
First launched in 2020, the Roma was a brand new addition to the Ferrari range, combining the hardware and aluminium-intensive chassis derived from the Portofino with a sleek coupe body. Ferrari also used the Roma to introduce its next generation interior design and digital interfaces, dominated by a highly-configurable curved screen ahead of the driver paired to a new portrait-aspect screen in the centre of the dash.
The Roma’s powered by Ferrari’s twin-turbocharged 90-degree 3.9-litre V8, here producing 560lb ft of torque between 3000 and 5750, with a peak of 611bhp taking over from 5750 to the 7500rpm redline. This, combined with Ferrari’s clever e-differential and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted on the rear axle gives the Roma an impressive 3.4sec 0-62mph time, also breaking the ten second barrier to 124mph at 9.3sec.
With a Spider version recently added to the Roma family and Ferrari's replacement for the GT4C Lusso now the V12-engined (not an) SUV Purosangue, the Roma is Ferrari's most traditional GT car. One of the best, too.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Bentley Continental GT’s job is to make the passing of the twin-turbo W12 engine a little less sore. That was a tough moment for Bentley and fans of the British marque as it was an engine we all grew to love, that came to define the marque in the 21st century.
Silence at the push of the start button doesn’t sound like the best start but of course, next-generation Bentleys will be hybrids. Specifically in Bentley parlance, ‘Ultra Performance Hybrids’, with a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 paired with an e-motor in the gearbox fed by a 25.9kWh battery. That gives the new Bentley Continental GT Speed a 50-mile electric range but also a total system output of 771bhp, making it the most powerful Bentley road car yet sold.
> 2024 Bentley Continental GT Speed review
Happily, by our reckoning, the new hybrid powertrain suits the character of the Continental GT down to the ground, with a new kind of versatility that fits the flying B very well indeed. Pair that with a chassis that’s more playful, more willing, and you get the most sporting Bentley yet made – and perhaps the best Continental GT yet. By definition, that makes this one of the best GT cars, certainly on the more luxurious side of things, available right now.
evo’s Deputy Editor, James Taylor, wrote: ‘It still has the same continent-crossing comfort, sense of presence, and an enjoyable soundtrack: the V8 is a truly characterful engine and the hybrid powertrain is integrated in such a way as to expand the car’s repertoire rather than restrict it.’
Ferrari 12 Cilindri
Ever since the Ferrari 599 lunged beyond the 600bhp mark with a mildly detuned engine from the Enzo hypercar, there’s been a sense that the front-engined, two-seat V12 Ferrari has become more of a supercar than a GT. That was only compounded by the howling Ferrari F12 and incredibly intense Ferrari 812.
Well, for those who miss the 550 glory days, the 12 Cilindri might be for you, because this is a calmer, more settled Ferrari V12 with a longer fuse. It’s still a 6.5-litre V12, 819bhp monster that’ll hit 62mph in 2.9sec on the way to a 211mph+ top speed but when not calling upon that potency, this car can dull itself quite unlike its immediate predecessors.
The 296 and SF90 XX are absolute hair-raisers and with Ferrari’s GTC4 Lusso being replaced by the Purosangue SUV, it seems right that the 12 Cilindri might settle back into the role of a traditional all-encompassing GT.
evo’s Deputy Editor, James Taylor, wrote: ‘It’s a refined car, that covers ground with ease… The 12 Cilindri is an intriguing car with a unique personality; quite unlike any other current Ferrari, or any other GT car or front-engined supercar, in fact.’
Aston Martin DB12
To mark the dawn of its Lawrence Stroll-led era, Aston Martin has carved a new, stronger identity with a GT car that blends elegance with serious bite and poise. The DB12 may look similar to the DB11 that came before it, but Aston Martin has reworked it to the core to provide a fundamentally different driving experience; and it's one we like a lot at evo.
Aston's twin-turbo V12 has been ousted due to emissions regulations, but the uprated AMG V8 in the nose of the DB12 fulfils its role beautifully. Delivering a rich exhaust note and 671bhp to the rear wheels, it's refined and flexible but deceptively potent when you open it up. There's serious performance on offer here, and the DB12 feels more exciting than even the sharpened DB11 AMR.
With extra bracing in its chassis and a far more reactive chassis setup, the DB12 feels tauter and more controlled, too. There's an alertness, an agility to the new car that the DB11 – for all its suppleness and refinement – simply can't match, and it moves the Aston right into battle with the likes of the Ferrari Roma.
A heavily revamped interior rounds off the series of enhancements. Gone is the fiddly HMI system borrowed from old Mercedes models, and in comes a far more intuitive and feature rich touchscreen nestled within a redesigned dashboard. All of the touchpoints now have a crisp, quality feel that's befitting of a £185,000 Aston Martin, which certainly wasn't the case before.
Mercedes-AMG GT
The latest Mercedes-AMG SL didn't exactly fill us with hope as a precursor to the new, closely related AMG GT. The SL has been repositioned as a more practical, four-seat roadster that also happens to be a sports car, but the result is a confused, misaligned package that we haven't quite gelled with; so much so that it came last at evo Car of the Year in 2022.
But the AMG GT is different. Despite riding on the same platform and using the same fundamental powertrain, it feels more focused and tightly defined as a usable everyday sports car, one that – from our first drive abroad at least – will give the Porsche 911 Turbo a serious headache.
With a 577bhp 4-litre twin-turbo V8 and four-wheel drive, the range-topping GT 63 hits very hard indeed; 62mph comes up in just 3.2sec, and the top speed isn't far shy of 200mph. But the AMG GT has always been quick, and it's the extra sharpness and composure of the new model that really moves the game on – despite it being more usable than ever.
Select Comfort mode and the new GT presents you with a fluid, compliant character that's more mellow than before, and ratcheting up to Sport+ brings extra snap to the engine response and tightens up the damping, although not to the extent that the GT feels overly stiff or uncouth. We wish the V8 was a little more vocal and present inside the cabin, but the AMG GT is now more flexible and technically impressive than ever.
Porsche Panamera GTS
While Porsche doesn’t strictly offer a traditional two-door grand tourer in its range (the last being the 928), the Panamera has been doing an excellent job of filling that role with its two extra doors over two generations now. An updated model with a new face and more tech has been revealed for 2024 that picks up where the old car left off and then some.
The second Panamera was developed on a platform that’s shared by the Continental GT and Flying Spur, capable of packaging some serious chassis hardware into its considerable footprint. On the latter note, the new car adds the fascinating Porsche Active Ride suspension that, on top of being able to make the car dance (though not for customers), stabilises the platform and cushions the driving experience. The 400-volt architecture on the hybrids informs hydraulically connected dampers that can ‘overcompensate’ for weight transfer. Each is capable of a 1000kg exertion at each corner, though 200kg is the expected ceiling of what it’ll need to do in the real world.
> 2024 Porsche Panamera review
Our favourite variant of the outgoing car was the GTS, a mid-range V8-powered model without any electrification elements and the most dynamic focus. It might not have the numbers of a Turbo or Turbo S – it makes do with a relatively conservative 473bhp – but the GTS makes use of every one of them, and does so with an attitude and feedback missing in more elaborately specified siblings.
Without the added weight of a plug-in module and a more natural, nuanced balance, the GTS had all the appeal of a genuine sports saloon, one that makes a fine grand tourer.
Porsche Taycan
Since its initial debut in 2019, the Porsche Taycan has diversified to nearly as many variants as a 911, with three body styles – a Sport Turismo estate and high-riding Cross Turismo joined the existing saloon. Then they could be had in a range from standard, through 4, 4S, GTS Turbo and Turbo S performance trims.
The most remarkable thing about the Taycan was that beyond just being fast and capable, it also drives with the same finesse and attention to detail that defines all Porsches. This is felt through the steering, chassis balance and impressive damping, which help to disguise its mass like few rivals can.
For 2024 the Taycan has been updated with revised styling, more performance, a boost in range and the option of a clever new active suspension system. The standard rear-driven base car can do a hefty 421 miles, and range for previously ‘thirsty’ Turbo and Turbo S models has risen to 391 miles. Although you’ll still be at the mercy of the public charging network on a grand tour, these figures are near the top of the electric sports saloon class right now.
And anyway, despite the romance of a GT being based around long-distance cruising across national borders, the reality is that most daily driving is much shorter, making the Taycan an ideal daily driver for those who want to adopt EV technology without giving up a Porsche-like driving experience
Audi e-tron GT
Then there’s the Audi e-tron GT, which for 2024 has been updated in line with its Taycan sister. Arguably more handsome, the e-tron GT has always had huge appeal by that virtue alone. But that continues on the inside, with an interior that’s less of a pixel fest with more physical buttons. Okay, yes, the new one has haptic steering wheel buttons that are easily grazed but it still gets points for having physical climate controls.
To drive, the Audi takes a more languid approach to its dynamics than the Taycan, even though it shares the same sophisticated hydraulically-controlled active dampers and air springs. Over long distances – the longer of which it’s now much more up to thanks to a bigger 97kWh battery and 375-mile range – the Audi generally impresses. While it lacks the ultimate dynamic sparkle of the Taycan, it’s one of the most relaxing EVs to cover ground in.
There are three versions available, starting with the 671bhp S e-tron GT, moving through the 844bhp RS and then up to the 912bhp RS Performance. Needless to say, the S with almost 700bhp and almost 400 miles of range is probably enough for brisk continent crossing.
Maserati GranTurismo
The clue's in the name. The Maserati GranTurismo taps into the firm's legacy as a maker of achingly gorgeous, fast, sumptuous and engaging GT cars, picking up where the MC20 left off as one of the finest models of its type.
In its final years, the last-gen GranTurismo withered against more advanced and more capable rivals from Aston Martin and Bentley, but from a purely visual standpoint, it remained hard to beat. Thankfully, the new GranTurismo carries forward much of its design DNA, but the beneath the skin is a car transformed.
The top-spec Trofeo version generates 542bhp from its MC20-derived twin-turbo V6, hurling from 0-62mph in 3.5sec and on to a 199mph top speed. But even when you aren't exercising the engine to test those claims, the GranTurismo feels beautifully engineered and indulgent – particularly now that the cabin feels truly special with exceptional fit and finish.
Switch to Corsa mode and in a blink, the character changes dramatically. The V6 takes on a harder, sharper character and the GranTurismo flows with wonderful precision. The four-wheel drive system is beautifully judged to provide security without strangling adjustability, and it feels a match for the latest and greatest GTs out there. Maserati is well and truly back on form.
