random question
 

so i was having a chat with a friend tonight and hes looking into getting a used 8 series BMW. (btw those are nice cars)

anyways, i was wondering..what other "grand tourer" cars are out there? It doesn't have to be new...but any that are nice? I considered the 8 series a grand tourer since it isnt fast but def. comfy.

i was thinking the older, maybe even the current Lexus SC300/400/430

maybe the new accord coupes v6?

The Grand Tourer or "Gran Turismo" concept was originally of a high-powered, large-displacement car (usually a coupe) that could seat four in comfort and luxury, and could effortlessly ferry people through the European continent.

Granted that concept's a little outdated now, since even Accords are relatively high-powered these days, but you can try to see parallels.

The old Lexus SCs (liquid-filled engine mounts and all) and the BMW 8-series fit the description well. Other cars that'd fit the bill IMO:

BMW 6-series
Jaguar XK (barely seats four, though)
Audi A5/S5
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Ferrari 456

Supercars usually don't fit because they can be punishing on their occupants as the emphasis is on performance. The Ferraris I mentioned are all four-seaters.

Can't think of much that fits the GT mold after this list as of the moment.

The Maserati Gran Turismo Coupe would be one, albeit out of my price range LOL
The Aston Martin Rapide, Vanquish, and that other one they make whose name escapes me.
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe (returning to the mortal plain briefly)
If you don't mind butt-ugly The Porsche Panamera. Or if you have more money than sense, a Lamborghini Estoque.

I drove and SC430, and along the lines, and SL500. Nice cars, not impressed because it wasn't what I wanted. The cars had an emphasis on luxury and the only way I can describe it was a "soft" feel. I want to have a little feeling on the road and turns, with these cars, I felt too comfortable. They are nice cars, but more for old people IMO. However I have not had the chance to take a spin on an SMG SL55 or bigger, those are beasts.

Good call on the SLs. Seems their character is decided by how they're tuned. The SL500 is the GT, but the AMG versions play the "tiresome athletic supercar" role. I think the SLs are two-seaters though.

While we're on the subject of Benzes I think the CLs are their GT coupes - those are basically two-door S-Classes, but still seat four. And they're HUGE.