About Us
 
Grand Touring Automobiles began its journey on Front and Sherbourne 1970. Managed by George Minden and John Cox the company bought and sold used exotic vehicles. In 1971 GTA acquired the Rolls-Royce franchise, in 1972 the Alfa Rameo franchise and 1973 the BMW franchise.
 
In the early 1990's Grand Touring Automobiles switched to fine British automobiles renaming themselves Jaguar on Bay located at Bay and Davenport; although they still retained the service department located on Dupont. A few years later all sales were moved with the service business to its current location on Dupont.
 
In 1993, Mr. David Geneen current president and CEO acquired the business and grew the business to what it is today. It has become "the place" to acquire fine British automobiles. In 1999 two of the biggest names in fine British luxury, Bentley and Rolls-Royce split up but the franchises remained a part of Grand Touring Automobiles. In 2003 the Rolls-Royce showroom moved to the heart of the city to 87A Avenue Rd, and now with a new purpose built showroom opened in July 2008, has returned with its stable mates to Dupont Street.
 
In 2008 Grand Touring Automobiles is bigger than ever participating in many charitable events and proving the city of Toronto with those luxury British automobiles the public loves.

When you power up the electrics in the 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe, three words flash up on a blue screen tucked into the speedometer -- Power, Beauty, Soul.
Reminders, as if it were necessary, that you are about to experience something rather special.
Actually the order is a little off. You've already run your eyes, and perhaps hands, over bodywork shaped into a form that's not only beautiful but aerodynamic. And also, thanks to some long-standing styling cues, a heritage that dates back to the teen years of the last century.
Power you discover after slipping into the fine leather bucket seat of a V8 Vantage in the pit lane at Mosport, as I did recently on a sparklingly clear fall day.
After clicking the belt into place, firing up the silky/snarly, 420-hp V-8 "on the button" then snicking the gear lever into first, I accelerated downhill through the right-hand spiral of the concrete-confined entry to one of the world's great racing circuits, an experience that is, well....
The revs, and the counterclockwise rotating tach needle, rise in a rush as you accelerate uphill, grabbing third and then fourth before its crest and the blind, take-it-on-faith turn-in, to the breathtaking downhill plunge through the twin apexes of turn two.
Get it right and the Vantage clips both apexes without you having to move the steering wheel and exits the corner moving naturally over to the right side of the track surface before you force it over to the left again, brake, downshift and turn into a long and sweeping right-hander.
Surge up into fourth once more and over another brow and the left-hand downhill dive that was always called "the chute" with its suspension-squashing compression at the bottom, where you brake hard and catch third for the uphill right-hand entry to turn 5A -- called Moss's corner after the legendary racer who drove an Aston Martin a time or two.
A busy moment or two of braking and downshifting follows before exiting 5B and accelerating up through the gears again as you negotiate one of the most serpentine pieces of road ever to be called a "back straight."
You're using every one of the Vantage's 420 hp and 7,500 rpm on this long climb and doing 180-190 km/h over the rise, before dropping back into fourth for fast turn eight, then into third for the quick left- and right-handers that lead back out onto the pit straight.
By now, you're becoming aware of the intangible "something" that the third word in that display, Soul, attempts to describe.
Mosport's fast, sinuous, sweeping bends suit the V8 Vantage, but that's no surprise as this classic marque was born to run on racing circuits.
Its creator, Lionel Martin, built his first car in 1914 to compete in the Aston Clinton hill climb and added its name to his own to create a legendary brand that went on to win sporting acclaim in the great events of his day. And it continues to do so in ours, with recent wins in 24-hour endurance races at the Nurburgring (V8 Vantage N24) and Le Mans (DBR9).
Aston Martin went through many changes of ownership as its fortunes waxed and waned. It was under Ford stewardship from 1994 to 2007, before it was acquired by the current owners, Britain's racing-oriented Prodrive organization backed by Kuwaiti investors and a Brit businessman and marque enthusiast (Ford retains a small share, too).
Its current offerings, built in the company's Gaydon factory in Britain, include the $200,000-or-so, 6.0-litre, 450-hp V-12-engined DB9 Coupe and DB9 Volante, the almost $300,000 DBS with a 520-hp, 6.0-litre V-12 and the "entry-level" V8 Vantage coupe, which lists for $140,000; it's $155,000 in roadster form. Arriving next year will be the four-door Rapide and the One-77 (only 77 will be built), 700-hp super car.
The V8 Vantage coupe was introduced for 2006 (with the roadster arriving a year later) powered by a 4.3-litre, double-overhead-cam, V-8 engine rated at 385 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque. The 2009 V8 Vantage -- in which I managed to scam a quick drive during a customer event staged by Aston Martin North America and one of its four Canadian dealers, Toronto's Grand Touring Automobiles -- does a bit better than that.
Increases in the bore and stroke have upped the motor's displacement to 4.7 litres and the cylinder head now sports larger valves. These changes have boosted output to 420 hp (up 11 per cent) at 7,300 rpm and torque increases to 346 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm, a 15-per-cent gain spread over a broader curve that promises improved mid-range drivability. That's enough power to get the Vantage to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and propel it to a top speed of 290 km/h.
There's a lighter clutch action to make using the six-speed manual easier in traffic, and the paddle-shifted Sportshift F1-style automated manual transmission's "crawl" feature has been revised for better low-speed traffic operation.
The suspension has been firmed up 11 per cent up front and 5 per cent at the rear and Bilstein dampers are now standard. Stiffer bushes and revised geometry are designed to improve steering feel and response. The 20-spoke, 19-inch alloy wheels are also new.
Taking chassis changes a step further is the Sport Pack for both coupe and roadster, which includes lightweight, five-spoke alloy wheels, even stiffer springs and a different rear anti-roll bar. It was a Sport Pack-equipped Vantage I drove on the track, where it proved not only quick, but remarkably easy to drive.
Changes to the lavishly leather-swathed interior (which takes 70 hours to complete) include a new centre console, a push-button start system and a new navigation system.
Aston Martin has built just more than 60,000 cars since 1914, and currently sells about 7,000 a year, a high proportion of them V8 Vantages. After even a short acquaintance with them, I'm not surprised.
 
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2009 ASTON-MARTIN V8 VANTAGE COUPE
. Type: Luxury sports coupe
. Base Price: $140,000; as tested, $146,000
. Engine: 4.7-litre, DOHC, V-8
. Horsepower/torque: 420 hp/ 346 lb-ft
. Transmission: Six-speed manual
. Drive: Rear-wheel-drive
. Fuel economy (litres/100 km): Not available; premium gas
. Alternatives: Audi R8, BMW M6, Cadillac XLR, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Jaguar XK/XKR, Lexus SC430, Maserati Granturismo, Mercedes-Benz CL and SL class, Porsche 911
 
Like
. The exterior is beautiful, but the interior, particularly that of the roadster, is stunning
. Performance is good, too
 
Don't like
. I can't even complain about the price, which doesn't seem too high all things (including a 200-hour plus build time) considered

A car that embodies all the refinement, the character and the potency for which Bentley Arnage stands; and one that celebrates the end of a glorious era.
 
Hand built at Crewe and limited to an exclusive 150 cars worldwide, this magnificent car combines turbocharged potency,leading technology and meticulous craftsmanship; all of which adds up to an incomparable driving experience. Ten years of class leading luxury. Ten years of effortless power!
 
Since it's launch in 1998 the Arnage has become a name truly synonymous with Bentley. A fitting end to the Arnage story, the launch of the Bentley Arnage Final Series marks the end of this glorious era. A car that embodies all the refinement of the Arnage R, luxury of the Arnage RL and the performance of the Arnage T, with design elements from the Bentley Brooklands. Arnage Final Series signals both the end of the current chapter for Arnage and the beginning of a new one, as Bentley prepares for the future!

On September 17th, 2008 the most powerful four door sedan ever produced by Bentley was present on the streets of Lakeshore Blvd, Toronto. The 600 bhp Continental Flying Spur Speed made its debut at Gossip Restaurant.
 
It is here, clients were able to experience the thrill of this full size sedan with the DNA of a race car. The 200 mph four door sedan displayed its sporty attributes with a lower ride height, uprated and redesigned suspension as well as retuned steering to deliver outstanding agility and body control.
 
The Flying Spur Speed showed its refined side by improving its cabin refinement. Most notable is the Naim audio system. The system designed exclusively for Bentley by Naim, the renowned hi-fi manufacture, it features an 1100 Watt amplifier - the worlds most powerful production unit fitted in a car - and 15 speakers. The speaker drive units are specifically tailored by Naim to the cabin of each model in the Bentley Range to provide a unique and personalized audio experience. The limited availability vehicles arrive at Bentley Toronto early October.

Mr. David Geneen, president and CEO of Grand Touring Automobiles is a huge supporter of Sick Kids Foundation. When the opportunity arose to get involved in such a dynamic event like Rally for Kids he immediately jumped at the chance. This unique event that attracted some of the most luxurious vehicles in the city was held on September 13th, 2008. With a lot of support from friends and clients of Grand Touring Automobiles we were able to raise more than enough money for an Aston Martin DB9 to be entered in the race. The Aston Martin DB9 driven by Mr. Frank Attard were one of the many success factors that resulted in donations and fundraising efforts generating over $1,000,000 for Kids with Cancer. As one of the sponsors of Rally for Kids, Grand Touring Automobiles were proud to participate in this one of a kind experience.

101EX is the latest experimental model to come from Rolls-Royce, hand-built to explore a design direction for a modern coupé. Following the same uncompromising approach employed for the Phantom, the new car is an engineering-led design wrapped in a sleek, rakish coupé body.
 
The handsome, low-slung body of 101EX has been created by the Rolls-Royce design team under the direction of chief designer Ian Cameron. While the space frame technology has been borrowed from the Phantom, 101EX is shorter and lower than that model: the wheelbase is 250 mm shorter and overall length is down by 240 mm. All body panels, therefore, are new.
 

The unique exterior design features a discreet, streamlined grille, complete with Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, that flows seamlessly back into the aluminium bonnet and windscreen surround. LED sidelight and direction indicators complement the round xenon driving lights.
 
The styling of 101EX is more driver-focused than that of the longer Phantom. According to Ian Cameron, "It is a less formal car, more streamlined, more about the individual."

Jaguar has enhanced the current model XJ for 2008 with a new fresh interior, and new design cues for the exterior taken from the Portfolio range.
 
With unique new colors and an already elegent all aluminum body, this is the best kept secret in the large luxury sedan market. With just 1000 Jaguar units entering Canada each year, to own one makes it very special indeed