Just exactly, what is Pro Touring? Defining the term Pro Touring is a tricky one. It’s like trying to explain to a blind person what the color red looks like. You can explain it, but they still won’t really understand. Definitions of Pro Touring are broad, and range from person to person, forum to forum. Even the name itself varies; pro touring, Pro Touring, Pro-Touring, pro-touring, what is actually correct?
Straight To The Source
We knew what we define Pro Touring a,s but we Google’d the question “What is Pro Touring?” Much to our surprise there was an already populated definition, from Wikipedia. They define Pro Touring as, “Pro-Touring is a style of classic muscle car with enhanced suspension components, brake system, drivetrain, and aesthetics, including many of the amenities of a new performance car.” A fair enough definition by most. One thing to note is the use of the dash between Pro and Touring. Other results omitted this dash.
This begs the question, can it be more than just a “muscle car?” A brand new C7 Corvette or brand new Mustang fits the bill quiet nicely as well, and can be a real threat on any track. We had to dig further to see what other people’s definitions were. Another forum’s member had a long, written response to this question, going back to the starts of Pro-Touring. He summarizes by saying “A simple concept, really: take an old car and make it accelerate, brake and corner like a modern day sports car. There are no wrong or right parts as long as they somehow contribute to the acceleration, braking and cornering of a vehicle. There are definitely compromises like adding weight with A/C and a stereo system and sound insulation, but those are the realities of a street car. While these things may hinder ultimate performance they do contribute to the overall driving experience of a vehicle.”
Resto-what?
Things get a little more complicated with this new term called “restomod.” What the heck is a “restomod?” Personally every time I’ve seen a car that has been owner claimed “restomodded,” it was just a stock car with some upgrades. A custom car, if you will. The term restomod and Pro-Touring seem to get interchanged, but at least in my book, they are different animals – or machines in this case.
Digging deeper into our Google results, we see one forum user describe it as the others, a classic car upgraded to outperform a late model car. But he said that the term has grown so popular and skewed, that “it means any car with disc brakes and large wheels,” he joked. Yes, even Pro-Touring has turned into somewhat of a main stream thing inside of car culture. You might not have the suspension, EFI motor, but you can still have the look with some nice big wheels and decent brakes. And there’s nothing wrong with that either. The proof is in the pudding – on the track.
So, what exactly is Pro Touring? Only you can truly answer that question my friend. But just to throw my two cents in, I’ll define it the best I can.
Pro Touring: Pro-Touring is taking a vehicle and upgrading or enhancing the suspension, brakes, motor, transmission and cosmetics to improve the overall design, performance, and efficiency.
Now you’ll notice I omitted “classic car.” Sure that’s the most accepted version, but I wouldn’t say that’s a rule by any means. A ’66 Mustang or ’69 Camaro might be some of the more popular choices out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s a necessity. We’ve seen anything from a VW Bug, to a 34 Ford, all the way up to 80’s and 90’s muscle cars receiving the “pro touring” treatment.
At the end of the day, pro touring is what you think it means. As long as you’re enjoying your car, that’s what matters most in my book! Tell us your thoughts here!