That's often a discussion within the GT community. I've not been a GT user from the start, but from what I've read GT has always been not only about race cars but also about several "special", or sometimes even "weird", car choices. So those trucks, pick-ups etc. are nothing new at all.I wish I could enjoy all the cars and trucks of GT, but I just can't. The medivac van? The Jimny? Sambabus? There are several more. It actually angers me that GT requires the use of such cars for certain races. Just give me my damn Elise back and allow me to use it in every race, lowering the PP to under 50 less than any competition and I'll still win every race and have a great handling car too! So much grrr.
Personally I like those special cars, especially when tuned to their limits or engine swapped. It's a very playful feature, and maybe one reason some call GT rather simcade than pure simulation.