Need to cross continents with companions and luggage as quickly, effortlessly and stylishly as possible? Then, it's time to scratch that GT-car itch. GT cars walk a tricky tightrope between sportscar fun, luxury, comfort and refinement – all of which must be packaged in a body that leaves jaws dropping in their wake. It sounds like an unattainable formula, but here, you'll find a range of GTs that fit the brief and suit various tastes and budgets – here’s our guide to the best GTs to buy in 2023.
The best GT cars to buy in 2023
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1. Aston Martin DB12
While the Aston Martin DB11 looked beautiful and had plenty of power, it was dynamically lacking and saddled with an interior that would have felt poor in a £30,000 car, never mind one costing five times that.
Thankfully, the new DB12 addresses both of these issues despite, in truth, being heavily facelifted rather than an all-new model. With the old Aston Martin V12 dropped due to emissions regs, the DB12 gets a Mercedes-sourced twin-turbocharged V8 that hammers out 680PS (500kW) for 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and a 202mph top speed. Extra bracing means the DB12's chassis is seven per cent stiffer than the DB11's, and revised damping has transformed how the car deals with bends. A fresh interior gives the final big tick, meaning Aston finally moves away from old Mercedes infotainment systems unbefitting of a car this price.
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2. Ferrari Roma
With the latest legislation doing everything it can to hinder Ferrari's ability to build a spine-tingling GT car, the Roma is the car that proves it's still possible. Its turbocharged flat-plane crank V8 responds like a naturally aspirated unit and revs 7,500rpm. While emission-reducing gasoline particulate filters do their best to tame the noise, Ferrari gets around this simply by removing any reminiscence of a silencer.
The result is a car that screams from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and can exceed 199mph. Its multifaceted chassis pampers you with a luxury-limo-like ride yet exercises extreme body control, which means this 620PS (456kW) GT isn't intimidating at the limit. Having said all that, the Roma loses points for an interior that's awash with infotainment screens that are unintuitive to use.
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3. Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT nails its brief as a comfortable grand tourer better than any other car on this list, even if it might not have the driver-focus of a Ferrari or the style of an Aston Martin. You can’t argue that the Bentley has presence, and under its substantial bonnet, you'll find your choice of V8 or (soon to be phased out) W12 that offers power and refinement in equal measure – both have more than enough oomph to dispatch long lines of traffic.
Bentley got the drive right, too. While the Continental GT isn't a big-bodied sportscar, it handles surprisingly well for its size and offers sublime ride comfort. Inside, the Continental GT oozes luxury with acres of leather and wood, and an infotainment screen that spins to reveal a trio of analogue dials that suit the cabin's old-school feel beautifully.
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4. Lexus LC500
The Lexus LC500 is a have-your-cake-and-eat-it car. On the one hand, it's a coupe with origami looks that defy convention (but are stunning nonetheless), powered by a fabulous V8 engine that sounds gloriously old school and, because it has no hybridisation or turbochargers, feels it, too. The interior is arguably even more impressive, not because of how it looks but how it feels – the quality is several rungs up the ladder from any of its monetary value competitors.
The contrasting side of the LC500 is that, without stating the obvious, it's a Lexus, which means you can expect this quick and beautiful couple to have Casio-watch-like reliability.
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5. Rolls Royce Spectre
Rolls Royce comes late to the electric car party. Still, it's hard to imagine a manufacturer that suits EV power better than a company that prides itself on interior refinement and effortless power. With an electric motor at the front and the back, the Spectre produces 577PS (424kW), which is good for 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph.
The silent electric motors and their effortless performance are the ideal match for the Rolls Royce's leather and wood-lined interior, helping the car feel even more luxurious than a petrol equivalent. The 100kWh battery gives the Rolls a range of more than 300 miles, and while it weighs an awful lot (this coupe tips the scales at nearly 3,000kg), it's less of an issue in a GT car leaning so heavily towards comfort.
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6. Jaguar F-Type
We're not going to gloss over the downsides of the Jaguar F-Type. Jaguar has the whiff of a business that, sadly, might not be long for this world as it buckles under the might of the German big three and a host of electric new entrants, and that shows in the F-Type's poor interior quality and long overdue (and very mild) facelift.
So it says a lot about the depths of the F-Type's character to say it's still one of the best GT cars on the market today. The Jaguar undercuts its rivals by a significant margin, meaning the magnificently lairy 575PS (423kW) V8 costs about the same as a base level – and, let's face it, somewhat dull – 385PS (283kW) Porsche 911. And while the 911 gets more lardy with every iteration, the F-Type remains one of the best-looking cars on sale, much like the E-Type that preceded it.
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7. Mercedes-AMG SL
The Mercedes SL isn't the raw and engaging GT car that will appeal to all of this parish's congregation, but if you want a luxury car with sporting pretensions (many do), it hits the nail square on the head. Laughably standing for Sports Light (even a four-cylinder SL weighs more than 1,800kg), the SL cocoons you under a many-layer roof and has seats that make a good impression of a hot stone massage.
The 43 is the SL at its most sportscar-like model, but a four-cylinder motor is laughably underwhelming when you're spending well over £100K. It's better to prime the wallet, splurge £150K and have yourself a 476PS (350kW) SL55 V8, which at least has the soundtrack to match the SL's long-bonnet looks.
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8. Maserati GranTurismo Folgore
While the Rolls Royce Spectre is an electric GT primed for comfort, the Maserati uses the power of the GranTurismo Folgore's electric motors (it has three in total) to make it more fun to drive, with a chassis you can easily provoke into a safe and controllable oversteer. It's also rapid, with the EV's 760PS translating into 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of more than 199mph.
Power comes from a T-shaped battery that runs across the engine bay and down the car's transmission tunnel, giving the Maserati a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The battery's 83kWh capacity provides the Maserati with a reasonable 280-mile range, and you can add up to 100 miles worth of charge in ten minutes using a public fast charger.
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