Beneteau Gran Turismo 32, the Hardtop Cruiser Built on a Dayboat

A Gran Turismo with Flyer DNA

Beneteau announced the Gran Turismo 32 in August 2019 as the first of a new generation of express cruisers and gave it its world premiere at that September's Cannes Yachting Festival. The brief was unusual: rather than shrink a traditional sportscruiser, Beneteau took the deck plan and Air Step hull of its Flyer 10 outboard dayboat and added the hardtop, windscreen and cabin finish of the Gran Turismo line. Beneteau described the result as the benefits of a day boat on an express cruiser.

That heritage explains most of the GT32's character. The 9.95 m (32 ft 8 in) length, 3.35 m (10 ft 12 in) overall width, 1.30 m maximum draft and 160 liter water tank all match Beneteau's figures for the Flyer 10 Sport Top, as does the CE rating of category B for eight people and C for eleven. What the Gran Turismo 32 adds is weather protection, a more finished interior and, crucially for many buyers, the choice of inboard sterndrives as well as outboards.

Outboards or sterndrives, and why it matters

Beneteau sold two versions side by side. The outboard boat takes twin engines up to 350 hp each, 700 hp in total, and keeps two 400 liter tanks; Beneteau quotes a light displacement of 5,727 kg with engines. The inboard version swaps the transom for a full swim platform over twin sterndrives, carries two 360 liter tanks (190 gallons) and weighs 6,148 kg (13,550 lb) light. YachtBuyer lists the sterndrive choices as Mercury MerCruiser 4.5 liter 250 hp or 6.2 liter 300 hp gasoline V engines, or Mercury Diesel 3.0 TDI units of 230 or 260 hp.

Beneteau's launch material promised peak speeds of about 35 knots, and YachtBuyer gives a 32 knot cruise and 195 nautical miles at 8 knots. No independent magazine test with a full speed and fuel curve has been published, so treat those numbers as builder figures for a light boat. As a rule of thumb, the diesel sterndrive boat will be slowest but most economical and best suited to longer seasons, while twin 350 outboards give the most speed and the simplest engine access.

Options included a Mercury joystick, Zipwake automatic trim, a bow thruster and two 12 inch Garmin displays. On a used boat, the joystick and Zipwake are worth paying for: they make a beamy 33 ft boat with a tall hardtop far easier to handle in a crosswind.

Life under the electric roof

The polyester hardtop has a built-in electric sunroof and an integrated wiper, and the windscreen is translucent glass with an access door at the front leading to a semi-walkaround route to the bow. Up there, a sun pad for three sits on the foredeck. At the helm, a pair of adjustable seats with flip-up bolsters face a dash with room for up to a 16 inch screen, and a two-person bench to port means four people ride facing forward.

The cockpit uses the full beam. An eight-person lounge converts to a sun deck, the aft bench backrest folds to make a 1.80 by 0.90 m pad, and a solid wood table measuring 1.05 by 1.20 m serves meals. To starboard, the outdoor galley has a glass hatch with power-assisted closing, a sink with retractable tap, a two-burner gas stove and space for an extra fridge, with an electric grill offered as well. Freeboard in the self-bailing cockpit is 0.74 m (2 ft 5 in), which feels secure with children aboard.

Below: two doubles and a proper shower

The cabin is the GT32's best argument against a dayboat. Beneteau fitted a double berth in the bow and a mid-cabin double for two, a shower room with a separate shower and an independent toilet compartment, with an electric marine toilet optional. Long hull windows bring in light, a storage column at the foot of the companionway serves both cabins, and the woodwork is walnut.

It is a genuine two-couple weekender in a size that still fits a lift or a modest slip. What it lacks, compared with a traditional 33 ft sportscruiser, is an interior galley: cooking happens in the cockpit, which suits warm-weather cruising better than a wet autumn.

• Bow double and separate mid-cabin double
• Shower stall separate from the toilet compartment
• No galley below, full outdoor galley in the cockpit
• Walnut-finish joinery and long hull windows

Who the GT32 suits

Buy a Gran Turismo 32 if you want Flyer 10 performance and deck space but need a roof and a more finished interior for nights aboard, or if you prefer the quieter, more familiar arrangement of sterndrives. It is a natural step for owners leaving a 25 to 28 ft open boat who are not ready for a 40 ft diesel express.

Look elsewhere if you plan long passages or extended cruising. Water capacity is only 42 gallons, there is no interior galley, and the hull is a dayboat hull, fast and fun rather than heavy and soft-riding in big seas. The CE B rating is a coastal rating.

Running costs and resale

Expect annual costs of roughly $18,000 to $35,000 in the US excluding depreciation, depending on engines, storage and how many hours you run. Twin large outboards or twin gasoline V8 sterndrives burn far more fuel than the diesel option, and sterndrive legs need regular bellows, gimbal and anode service.

Values have held well. YachtBuyer's market data recently showed an average US asking price of about $277,500 for four-year-old boats, and European listings range from 170,000 euros for a 2020 boat to 315,000 euros for a 2025 example. We estimate $185,000 to $330,000 in the US depending on year, engines and options.

Where it sat in the 2019 to 2024 Gran Turismo range

The GT32 opened what Beneteau now files as its Gran Turismo 2018 to 2024 generation, followed by the American-built Gran Turismo 36 in 2020 and the Gran Turismo 41 and 45 in 2021. All four are now discontinued. In 2025 Beneteau launched an all-new Gran Turismo range starting with the outboard-only GT35 and the GT40, so there is no direct successor at 32 feet; the closest Beneteau today is the Flyer 10 Sport Top, which offers a glass hardtop on the same basic platform.