Luxury Grand Touring For Less
One of the most complete cars that money can buy is a GT car. A ‘GT’ or ‘grand tourer’ offers the perfect blend of luxuriousness, refinement, and comfort, that at the same time offers more than enough power to enjoy crossing countries and continents effortlessly on scenic driving roads or cruising along motorways. They should also be stylish and sophisticated and look perfectly at home in a high-end high street as they do wafting through the gates of a stately home.
After the interest in the recent posts about the range of supercars that are available for less money than you might have thought, and the performance SUV’s too, we thought we’d look at the range of luxury Grand Tourers that are available for the same budget. With £60,000 to spend on a luxury GT car, there are several options that started with a list price of double or even triple that amount yet after just a few years are comparative bargains now that they are within the maximum set budget.
So, what are our Top 10 luxury GT cars that you can buy in 2024 for £60,000 and under? Keep reading to take a look at our roundup of our choices:
BMW M8 Competition
The BMW M8 took the reinterpretation of the legendary 8-Series luxury grand tourer of yesteryear and added the famous ‘M’ treatment. The ‘standard’ 8-Series manages to combine the upmost in refinement and comfort as well as the latest technology in abundance. The M8 Competition adds the prospect of 616bhp from a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine, four-wheel drive to keep it slightly reigned in and even more technology and features for your money.
With the finest Merino leather to the interior, every driver assist system you could ever imagine and a superb audio experience from the Harman Kardon surround sound system, the interior is certainly more than capable of making the experience a very relaxing one indeed. Then when you want to wake yourself up again, 0-62mph is capable in just 3.2 seconds and 0-120mph takes just over 9 seconds. The M8 Competition can really impress when it needs to in so many areas.
The current M8 Competition starts at £140,000 but with the prospect of BMW Individual paint colours, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fibre trim, increasing the speed limiter to 190mph, you can easily find yourself surpassing £160,000 or more. At time of writing there were 5 BMW M8 Competition models on popular automotive marketplace Auto Trader within budget, a comparative bargain at well under 50% of its original list price. It may be slim pickings with the £60,000 to spend, but you’ll definitely struggle to find a car that offers so much, especially in terms of performance, at that price point.
Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT is for many the ultimate grand tourer, and rightly so, it even says it in the name. Bentley have always been synonymous with producing some of the finest grand touring cars in history and have carried the ethos of ultimate luxury and effortless power reserves right up to today. Bringing back one of the most iconic badges in their long history was always going to be a gamble, yet the Bentley Continental GT has been a huge sales success for the company.
The attention to detail that you get from one of the finest luxury car manufacturers in the world is plain to see, whilst drooling over the exterior or making yourself very comfortable in the interior. The abundance of colour choices, material finishes, styling options and trim features make any Bentley an exquisite place to be, and it always manages to make you feel very special indeed.
Whilst your £60,000 might not mean you can quite stretch to the latest version of Bentley Continental GT, it doesn’t mean you are limited by choice. With the model being available since 2004 there is something for every budget and at time of writing there were almost 480 models on Auto Trader at £60,000 or less. Being spoiled for choice means you can afford to be picky with specification and make sure you get the exact Continental GT you are looking for, and with the right engine. Whether you are looking for a 4.0-litre V8 ‘S’ model or a full-fat 6.0-litre W12, there are plenty to choose from. If you’re feeling like something a bit more sporty but with still all the opulence a Bentley has there is also the ‘Speed’ models or perhaps the ‘Supersports’ with over 620bhp on offer and a top speed in excess of 200mp.
Ferrari California
Historically if you were to think of a brand who offer the ability to drive across Europe in comfort and with an abundance of power and a symphony of exhaust noise most people would start with a Ferrari. If you fancy grand touring with just that yet with the ability to remove the roof when the weather allows, the Ferrari California could well be the perfect choice. It may have been the ‘entry level’ model at the time yet that doesn’t mean Ferrari skimped on anything or made the experience less alluring. It was their first model with a V8 engine in the front, their first with a folding hard top and the first with a twin-clutch gearbox.
With a 4.3-litre V8 engine you certainly get the right Ferrari noise, and with 0-62mph despatched in just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of over 190mph it certainly has the speed to match. From the outside the California is a fantastic looking car, metal folding electric roof up or down, and has aged very well since it was released in 2009. Inside there is the usual abundance of soft Italian leather, carbon fibre trim and all the creature comfort and driver aids you’d need to keep you relaxed on your long drive.
There were 9 examples listed on Auto Trader at time of writing for your £60,000 budget. Yet with the list price starting at over £140,000, and Ferrari’s extensive list of options not exactly cheap to add on, many would have started at considerably more than that. You neighbours will certainly think you’ve splashed out more than your budget when they see you pulling on to the driveway with a prancing horse on the bonnet and be green with envy on a hot summers day when you lower the roof to enjoy that V8 sound even more.
Mercedes Benz SL
The SL badge is one of the most legendary in Mercedes Benz’ illustrious history. It may no longer accurately state the ‘Sport-Leicht’ (Sport-Light) precedence as the early models, yet for comfortable long-distance roof down cruising, the big Mercedes takes some beating. Their flagship convertible also remains one of the most stylish models in their line-up, with its long curvaceous bodywork, AMG GT looking front end and endless bonnet stretching out in front of you.
Being a Mercedes, it also means you get seemingly limitless choice of engines and trim levels to get just the type of grand touring convertible you were looking for. But not just that, the longevity of the model also means you can extend your search to a mid-1970’s SL and look just as cool as you cruise around with the top down. Whilst cruising around effortlessly in comfort is what grand touring is all about, at the other end of the scale are the full-fat AMG models. The SL63 AMG comes with the 5.5-litre V8 providing 577bhp, 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds and the iconic soundtrack that driving an AMG Mercedes provides.
For your £60,000 budget there were almost 550 Mercedes Benz SL models listed. These ranged from a 1974 350 SL to a 2020 SL400 3.0 V6 Grand Edition and everything in between. With so many models to choose from, you can afford to be picky and decide what you are looking for from your SL. Whether that is power and speed, comfort, and high specification or both if you have enough time and can search hard enough. With its electric folding hard top (classic models excluded), extensive list of features and comfort and refinement in abundance, the Mercedes Benz SL manages to be one of the best grand touring convertible models money can buy.
Maserati GranTurismo
If any brand has a history for powerful yet comfortable grand tourers as long as Ferrari, it would be Maserati. From the 3500 of the 1950’s to the Biturbo’s of the 80’s and right up to the GranTurismo of today, the Maserati name evokes the epitome of powerful luxury cars. Though they may now be exploring an electric future, one thing is certain about the GranTurismo of the past 17 years, the sound is exceptional.
With a 4.2-litre or 4.7-litre V8 engine, the GranTurismo is the definition of how good a naturally aspirated V8 engine can sound. From start up, to cruising speeds to accelerating hard, a Maserati V8 is difficult to beat. Combine that with an interior covered in the finest soft Italian leathers, stylish contemporary design and exceedingly good comfort levels and you can easily see Maserati have not lost any of that grand touring magic.
With over a decade of production, there are plenty of GranTurismo models to choose from, the £60,000 budget sees 74 currently listed on Auto Trader. For that you will no doubt find the exact specification you are looking for, from the less expensive base models to the highly sought after MC Stradale or Nerissimo edition models. Either way you will be looking at 454bhp and anything up to a 2020 model with reasonable miles and a fantastic specification. One thing is for sure, as soon as you hit that starter button, you’ll not get tired of that incredible sound.
Aston Martin DB9
If it is incredible sound and the upmost in luxury whilst oozing effortless style that you are looking for, surely Aston Martin also has to be right at the top of your list. If James Bond is your brand ambassador, famous for cruising the length and breadth of the world in an Aston Martin, it doesn’t get much better an endorsement than that. Granted it is a fictitious brand tie in, but if its good enough for one of the coolest characters to ever exist, its good enough for most of us.
A huge step forward in development, performance, and chassis capability, in 2004 the DB9 arrived and upped the game for grand tourers with that little bit more elegance until 2015. With a 6.0-litre V12 engine in the front, a whole cabin of leather and exotic woods, and a symphony coming out of the back, the DB9 is one of the definitive grand tourers of the past 20 years. Whilst it may have 540bhp from that incredible engine, it is too brash to talk about 0-62mph times in an Aston Martin. Just know that it is plenty enough and that you definitely won’t be disappointed when you push the accelerator into the deep carpets.
For £60,000 there were just under 100 examples of Aston Martin DB9’s listed on Auto Trader at time of writing. With just the one engine choice it comes down to specification, colour choices and whether you want that extra bit of elegance from the convertible Volante model. As you would expect most are very well looked after, with some examples having covered just a few thousand miles since new. If you happen to have just 10% more in your budget, you should be able to stretch to the slightly newer and even more impressive DB11, with 4 available at just £65,000.
Jaguar F-Type
When you are looking to reinvent one of the most iconic cars ever made, you really cannot make a mess of it. Thankfully, when Jaguar decided to bring the legendary E-Type into the 21st century with the F-Type, they did a great job of producing a fantastic sports car. To begin with, it was styled by former Aston Martin designer Ian Callum, so that is why it looks so good. Then there’s the comfort and refinement levels, which when your sister company is Land Rover, means the finishes and materials are of Range Rover quality. But one of the best things about the F-Type, no matter which one you choose, is how good they sound.
Surprisingly even including the the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder version, to the 3.0-litre V6 and obviously the 5.0-litre supercharged V8, an F-Type sounds the way a sports car should. With everything from 296bhp in the 2.0-litre version, to 567bhp in the SVR or R, the F-Type also offers fantastic handling, brilliant cruising ability and something for everyone and every budget. Whilst the model had a facelift in 2019, the design and styling were not altered that much, so the previous iteration still looks as good today as it always has.
The popularity of the model and the fact that it has been on sale for just over a decade means there are plenty to choose from on the used car market, just over 500 were listed on Auto Trader at time of writing within budget. This gives you the chance to not only find the exact specification you want, but also includes the impressive SVR models too. Due to the model list price starting at just over £60,000 however, there are a few pre-registered or delivery mileage examples of brand new F-Type models available, the only car on this list that will be available from new within budget. Not that it means the F-Type is any less impressive than cars on this list costing double or triple the price when new.
Porsche 911
It may be classed as a sports car to most people, but the sheer range of abilities that the Porsche 911 offers mean it is also more than capable of performing as a grand tourer too. The fact that it is more than comfortable to be cruising up and down a motorway and is luxurious and refined enough to be used on long trips means that it can make the perfect car for a road trip or long weekend away. The fact that it is so impressive as a sports car also means that it offers such an engaging drive when the mood takes you.
With the variety and longevity of the 911 model there are so many different iterations to choose from for your £60,000 budget. For those looking to grand tour in style, you may be able to stretch to a mid-1970’s model at a push, but the ‘whale tail’ 1980’s cars are very much within reach at that price point. At the other end of the scale, it may not be enough for the latest 992 iteration, for that you would need another £15,000, but it will still stretch to the latest of the previous 991.2 generation.
With over 850 911 models available on Auto Trader within budget there really is the possibility to look for exactly what type of model you are looking for. From 991 Carrera models to 997 Turbo’s, 993 Targa’s to G-Series Carrera Classics, the specification levels, potential future classic potential and power outputs are all possible on a variety of models and ages. The good thing is, that because of the way a Porsche manages to hold on to their value so well, chances are if you pick a good one, you may find yourself with an appreciating classic.
Porsche Panamera
If the 911 is too sporty for your tastes and you want something a bit more spacious and luxurious for your grand touring, Porsche have you more than covered in that respect with the Panamera. It may be heavier, more luxurious and be crammed with even more technology than the 911, but that hasn’t stopped Porsche’s engineers from making sure it handles like a sports car when it needs to. When it was first launched it may have had an awkward looking aspect to its styling, however these days the Panamera is a great looking car, especially if found in ‘Sport Turismo’ shooting brake form. Being a Porsche, it also has the same seemingly endless list of possible specification additions, if your pockets are deep enough.
In both Saloon and Sport Turismo estate body style, the Panamera covers the same basic range of models you may be familiar with if you now your Porsches, with S, 4S, GTS, Turbo and Turbo S iterations. It also has been a pioneer of the brand’s impressive hybrid technology so comes with the addition of ‘E-Hybrid’ models to the V6 and V8 powertrain options. This broad spectrum of models means that your Panamera can come with anything from 300bhp in the base Panamera 4 V6, to 671bhp in the hybrid assisted Turbo S E-Hybrid V8 version. Speaking of the latter, a claimed 80mpg fuel economy combined with a possible 192mph top speed and a 0-62mph time of just 3.4 seconds is a very impressive prospect indeed.
For your £60,000 budget, there were exactly 300 listed on Auto Trader at time of writing, including everything from the base specifications to the top of the range Turbo S and even the Turbo S hybrid models, the base price of which started at over £145,000. As with most Porsche models, the specification is key, the GTS and Turbo models obviously give you more standard features for your money, however even they can easily see additions in the £30,000-£40,000 range. The lower range models can see you looking at a late 2021 model if age is a factor, whereas something 2-3 years older can see the GTS, Turbo, Turbo S or even the Turbo S E-hybrid come into range.
Audi RS7
Sharing a platform and technology with the Panamera, the Audi RS7 is a left field alternative for those looking for a more performance orientated approach to a grand touring capable vehicle. An RS model from Audi isn’t interested in electric motors or hybrid assistance, but creating the ultimate combination of luxury, refinement, the latest technology and impressive performance capabilities. Together with its RS6 sibling, the RS7 is one of the most impressive saloon/estate models on the market and is the perfect all-rounder for any type of road trip, and any conditions thanks to their impressive quattro four-wheel drive system.
Sporting a bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, the RS7 does not hold back in terms of performance, with 592bhp on offer from the latest model, and roughly the same output from the previous generation RS7 ‘Performance’. This means 0-62mph is taken care of in just 3.6 seconds and top speed is very limited to 155mph, or 176mph if you pay for the privilege, de-restricted it would surely be pushing 200mph. However the flexibility of the engine and the surefootedness of the four-wheel drive system means that the big Audi is so easy to drive at any speed, or to comfortably cruise watching the miles disappear.
At time of writing on Auto Trader, there were just under 40 examples of RS7 available for the £60,000 budget, with one of those being the latest generation model. Whilst this may mean that the majority are 2018 examples or earlier, the fact that the post-£100,000 latest generation from 2020 onwards is now available for £60,000 shows that you may be able to pick up a lot of car for not too much money. Being the flagship of the range, most RS7 models will come with extensive specifications and with no engine variations, you don’t have to settle for a lesser model.
Oracle Finance Luxury GT Funding
At Oracle Car Finance we are specialists in providing funding luxury GT cars of all shapes and sizes, meaning our expert Account Managers are well equipped to help you find that perfect finance package bespoke to you and your circumstances. If you are looking at purchasing any of the above vehicles, our expert team have over 18 years experience in sourcing tailored car finance products, including these models mentioned above. Whatever type of car you’re looking for, you can get in touch with us either by calling 0800 012 6666 or clicking here.
With over 2,200 Trustpilot reviews and four-time consecutive award winners of the Best Specialist Car Finance Provider award from 2020 through to 2023, you too can find out why thousands of people trust us time and time again to find a smarter, tailored funding solution when looking for your next dream car.
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