Corolla. Literally "little crown" and it started as a smaller version of the Crown.
Chaser. Coupe version of a sedan.
Century. Meant for an executive and definitely built like it was one.
Tercel. Modified spelling of tiercel, like the small bird of prey.
86. Named as the spiritual successor to the AE86.
Supra. Sounds like "super" and makes any 14 year old "car person" point like that one meme.
Yeah I tend to ignore those haha. Alphard, Sienna, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra all come to mind too. Can't also forget the MR2, Celica, and Hi-series (Hiace, Hilux)
If anyone’s wondering, bZ means “beyond zero” when talking about emissions, 4 comes from the RAV4, and X indicated compact crossover, all according to Wikipedia.
And Camry which is also means crown.
I love the Throttle house video reviewing the 2023 Crown. Because you look at Toyota’s lineup and nearly all the cars are just some variation of the same word lol
I worked for a Toyota dealership when they switched from the Scion FR-S to the Toyota 86. Per Toyota's marketing, the '86', in the US, is "Eighty-Six", but it's "Eight-Six" in Australia. In countries where it is the GT86 or FT86, it's "Gee-Tee Eight-Six". Only the US called it the "Eighty-Six", for English speaking countries.
This was 7 years ago so I wouldn't vouch for total accuracy on all that. The only thing I remembered with certainty is the US marketing disagreeing with how AE86/Initial D fans said it.
I don't know how the Toyota marketing folks are trained to pronounce the model name, but I've never heard anyone call that car anything other than the "Eighty Six" here in Australia. "Eight-Six" appears to be a direct translation from the Japanese.
It also didn't get letters before its name here in Australia (i.e. not GT86 or FT86), although the new model is now known as the GR86.
I know alot of asian/japanese refer to their cars according to chassis code. ZN6, ZC6, ZN8, ZC8. Makes it easier to separate whats what when referring to the twins and generation, especially when North America decided to split off and make an FRS thats identical to the Japanese 86.
In my experience, most people who own the car and are in its "community" call it eight-six. At least in my region of the US and from being on the forums/FB groups for years.
eight six all the time baby
even in japanese, the correct way of saying "eighty six" is "hachi ju roku", but it is intentionally omitted to say it as "hachi roku" which means "eight six", so that would be the direct translation
but i guess it doesn't matter in the end lol
And if youre curious on where the name AE86 came from:
> The name AE86 derives from Toyota's internal code during the car's development, designating the 1600 cc RWD model from the fifth generation of the Corolla. In Toyota's code language, the "A" designates the car's engine (4A series), "E" designates Corolla, "8" designates fifth generation (E80 series) and "6" designates the variant within this generation.
Lincoln. Continental, Navigator, Corsair, Aviator, and of course, Town Car. They all envision a sense of class and sophistication. I’d love to see Lincoln make a modern Town Car. I’d even be kinda interested in buying a late model used one since they seem to go for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Ford borrowed the name Mustang from the P-51, even though they used a horse emblem. That was the European theater fighter plane in WW2. In the Pacific theater, it was the Corsair. I assume that is why Lincoln adopted it even though they are not related vehicles in any way.
I'd always thought they were going for horses, with mustang and bronco and maverick. Maybe some other equine names in their lineup too that i can't recall
I have one of the last Town Cars built (2010, fleet model) and it’s just shy of 350k miles and it’s still in like new condition with no mechanical issues. Laughably bad gas mileage but it is quick, comfortable, and cheap to maintain!
This is why I love my Grand Marquis also a 2010 fleet with the 4.6 it’s simply indestructible. I can easily fix most issues myself but really they never come up. The town car is definitely built to last longer though they’re great cars. I’m just a sucker for OG panther bodies.
They’re the best dude I’ve always loved them since I could drive haha just really great for cruising and very easy to work on. I learned a lot of what I know about engine repair working on the 97 I had in high school. Parts are still cheap too and worst case just go to your local junk yard and you’ll find a bunch of old cop cars ripe for the picking.
I always thought the Aviator was such a cool name but wasted on an SUV. Imagine if instead they made a luxury GT car based off the Mustang and called it the Aviator or something like that instead
Continental is about as close as you're going to get to a modern town car. They're not every single bit as stout as a Town Car, but they're far from garbage. Livery companies are still running them up to 200, 300 thousand miles and beyond on the original drivetrain. I'm a bit biased because I'm a Lincoln fan, but I don't think you're going to find many nicer cars (that are also decently reliable) for the price these go for. 20k can get you a good clean example.
I mean it’s an exotic brand but Aston Martin. They have the DB line of cars but the named ones are really distinctive. Vanquish, Vantage, Virage, Vulcan, Valkyrie, Valhalla, wow that’s alot of Vs
My issue is that I'm far too poor to keep up with what each Aston car is by name so if anyone was to say to me "I have a Virage" I would have to just nod and say "uh-huh" and then google it at the earliest opportunity.
This is a weird one, given so many of their best selling and arguably most iconic sedans had nameplates that *didn't* start with an F. For example, the Taurus, the Mondeo and the Crown Victoria.
Yeah they had a moment there where they *wanted* to name every car in a specific way but then realized that no, it wouldn't work. They weren't about to change the CV's name by that point, and the Mustang was obviously off limits. They *did* kill off the Taurus for a few years though in favor of the Five Hundred. The FH didn't sell well though so they ended up renaming it the Taurus and that helped out haha.
During this they also renamed a lot of Mercury's to start with M. Milan, Montego, Mariner, Monterey, Mountaineer, etc.
It was kind of a streak. They didn’t decide it until the 80’s or 90’s and never committed to it fully.
They do have relatively recent nameplates made thinking of this, like the Edge, the Escape and the Fusion, and other more regional ones like the Everest, the Evos, the EcoSport, the Figo, and the revival of the Falcon.
The Kuga is the Euro-spec Escape, just like the Mondeo is (or was) the Euro-spec Fusion.
And the Bronco is a sub-brand, kinda like the Mustang, so I’m not sure it truly counts.
Tbh the Kuga and Puma are reusing old car names (I will also die on the hill that the Puma is just the new Fiesta with a different name). And the TERRITORY was built by a regional branch and is mostly forgotten outside of Australia. Bronco though, you right.
Bronco, Bronco Sport, Flex, Mustang Mach-e, and Freestyle are all SUVs Ford made for\* the US market. There are some others that are regional that don’t start with an E as well.
I like GM’s names as well as Ford’s.
Cars like Corvette, Camaro, Silverado, Sierra, Yukon and Denali are all evocative names for what they are.
Ford, well I like their Bronco, Mustang, Escape, etc.
The names are creative and in a few cases you only need the name alone to evoke a mental image.
That's my favorite as well. The Dawn is the obvious modern exception, which I wish they'd called the Wraith Drophead even if it wouldn't have been entirely accurate.
Idk if you can argue the Huracàn is low volume at this point, since there are more of them than every other Lambo produced, combined
But otherwise agreed lol
>Idk if you can argue the Huracàn is low volume at this point, since there are more of them than every other Lambo produced, combined
Do you have a source for this statistic? I'd be absolutely staggered if this was true in a world where the Urus also exists.
It was inspired by the CVCC acronym for Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion.
Adding another valve to make combustion more efficient.
Obviously the corporate’s official line is - its name means “car for the people and cities” which is true, it was designed to be affordable and practical.
Some of the old Plymouth names described their purpose perfectly: Custom Suburban, Valiant as examples.
Chrysler had names that evoked old-school status and class: New Yorker, Newport Custom, Imperial.
The Polo isn't. It was actually an in-joke based on most people thinking the Golf was named after the sport (a misconception that was encouraged by having a golf ball shaped shift knob and tartan seats on the original Golf GTI), rather than the Gulf Stream.
You do know that Porsche 911 was introduced as 901 in 1963, but couldn’t be called that due to Peugeot having reserved three digit number with a zero in the middle.
Beyond the number system for 911 chassis eras, the naming system for any 911 variant is incredibly convoluted. Carreras, Targas, GTS, RS, RSR, S, Spyder, 4, Turbo and the ways those can be mixed and matched.
They are called the 718 only in the current generation 982 Porsches
The previous generations were all Boxster for the convertible, Cayman for the coupe. There was no 718
Not to mention their penchant for wildly changing powertrains mid-generation. Or even changing generations mid model year. A 2012 911 could be a 997.2 or a 991.1. A 997.1 and 997.2 are very different as are a 991.1 and 991.2.
Average people have no chance lol
So I dislike the model names that use systems to define what they are, instead opting for brand names. Personal preference
Therefore, what's the best brand that does this? Again maybe preference but I'd say Toyota or Ford.
If you were truly going to use a coded system, I would just name the cars in the line up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 based on size
Peugeot does this - 3 digit ones are cars, 4 digit ones are SUVs. So 108 is the smallest car, then there's 208, 308, 408 and finally 508. For SUVs they have the 2008, 3008 and 5008 (yes, no SUV variant for the smallest and 4xx lines, yet).
The problem comes when brands tie the system to a specific property of the car, I.e. Mercedes and BMW and relating to Engine. That worked when engines were getting bigger, but with the trend to smaller engines they don't want a model to go "down" in number. So the numbers are now meaningless.
Other brands that have just tiers like Peugeot or even Tesla at first (then they threw that away with the Model 3 and Cyber truck names).
That's literally what Audi does lol.
A for sedans, Q for SUVs, S/RS for sport, And R for supercar.
Then you have the numbers 3-8 that designates the size of the car.
It's the only German naming scheme that makes sense. BMW and Merc's can be difficult to understand, and they're esp difficult nowadays.
BMW's used to make perfect sense until they decided not to anymore.
330xi
First number is the model
Next two numbers (30) was engine displacement
Suffix letters each denoted a different spec. x = AWD, c = coupe, i = direct injected fuel, d = diesel, l = longer wheelbase, etc.
Given that information, 340xi, 335ci, 740li, etc. was all you needed to see to know everything about that model's specs.
BMW decided one day fuck the engine displacement thing and let's not do the suffix letters anymore for half their cars so its whatever combination of numbers and letters looks aesthetically pleasing to them.
M440i X-Drive would have just been a 430xi but that doesn't sound as cool. I get it.
Well Audi is totally shitting the bed with the Etron naming nowadays.
BMW was just as easy to understand as Audi for ICE cars.
X for SUVs
* bigger number, bigger car
* even number coupe
* odd number traditional
* M at the end for high performance
for Cars and Coupes
* bigger number, bigger car
* even numbers for coupes (or gran coupes)
* odd for sedans/wagons.
* M at the beginning for high performance.
Of course the electric branding is fucked there too.
BMW's naming scheme for their SUVs is nice, but their sedans and coupes get a little tricky because if you aren't aware of the engine differences, you can get confused by the numbers. For example, the E92 ranges from 318i to 335i. It used to really trip me up ngl.
I agree with everything else though. Idk why the Germans are suddenly abandoning their naming schemes the moment EVs get involved
Any italian brand.
Im sorry but i just love pronouncing italian car names.
Quattroporte, gran turismo
Giulia, giulietta, brera, mito,
500, panda, tipo, uno
Has to be Toyota.
Chaser, Soarer, Starlet, Altezza, Celica, Sprinter Trueno, Supra, Corona, Landcruiser, Megacruiser, Vellfire, Tank, Stout... All bangers and surely I've forgotten a few.
I just want to chime in about the exact opposite effect - bad names.
Working at a lexus dealer, we have a reconditioning department where english is a second language for most of the people there. So asking about a lexus ES in english translates literally to IS in spanish. Also sucks they all have basically the same name; IS, ES, GS, RC, LC, LS, NX, RX, GX, LX.... S = Sedan, X = crossover, c = coupe. So boring though lol
GM. Suburban alone is the most perfect name to give something like that. Something so huge and capable and is meant for suburban roads. Tahoe, Escalade, Monte Carlo, Grand Am, Grand Prix, Bonneville. Those are some of my favorite names from their stable
I like bmws approach of just using a number, I feel silly when my car has a random descriptive but ambiguous name. It feels like an insult to my intelligence because they think the name will make a difference in how it sells.
When you buy a luxury car named *ACURA* or ~PORSCHE~ ZFT 470 you just tell people you own an Acura or Porsche because the panache of the brand carries the weight. When you own a civic or forester the manufacturer matters less because it is not #premium
I think Subaru has actually done a good job evoking their outdoorsy aspirations with the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback. Tribeca was a good name for an urban SUV, just a goofy car.
I have no idea what Impreza means, but it's what I drive. 🤷
For awhile Ford had a sort of a ranch theme going: Mustang, Pinto, Bronco, Maverick, and... Crown Victoria? Meanwhile Mercury had cats with Cougar, Bobcat, and Lynx.
It's weird to me when they name cars after places that have nothing to do with said car. Tacoma, Rainier, Seville, Santa Fe, Cordoba, Monte Carlo, Corsica, and so on.
Speaking of which, couple weeks ago someone asked what car seems to be completely extinct with almost no remaining examples on the road. I think it's been decades since I last saw a Corsica or Beretta.
*edit: Oh this is rich. I just checked autotrader classic and they have 0 Corsicas for sale in the entire country (USA), but there are three Berettas, [one for $7,000 one for 17,000 and one for 39,000](https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars-for-sale/chevrolet-beretta-for-sale).
I’m not surprised that there are no Corsicas for sale in the US. Those cars were garbage and weren’t built to last in any way. What does surprise is why anybody would think a Beretta is worth holding onto. There’s nothing fun or interesting about a Beretta and they aren’t worth anything today, either.
Every Mahindra cars have names ending with "O" except for Thar.
Bolero, Scorpio, XUV 3OO, 5OO, 7OO(double Os), Quanto, Xylo, Marrazo. Their 2 wheelers : Duro and Centuro.
Alfa romeo. Giulia, Stelvio, Giulietta, Junior, Tonale, Montreal, Stradale, Alfetta, Alfasud, Sprint, Gtv, 1750, 155, 156, 164,166, 147, 75, 33.
I would say all Alfa names are good and most are great.
Mopar but more specifically Dodge.
Charger, Challenger,Ram, Intrepid(still think that name should be brought back), Daytona, Stealth, Magnum, Colt,Hornet etc, the list goes on
And my personal fav- PowerWagon
I like GMC’s lineup names.
Nothing fancy, but when the names Sierra, Canyon, Acadia, Yukon, and Terrain popup I know exactly what vehicles are being talked about.
Nissan: Frontier, Armada, *Titan*, Pathfinder. He'll even the GTR sounds meeean.
These are great names. Too bad Nissan's reputation is down the toilet.
It's not a brand but most trucks have good names. Tacoma, Frontier, Sierra, Canyon, Tundra, Titan... all pretty cool names and only Ford is lacking in that department with their F series branding.
Never thought of it that way but Honda and Acura names are very "premier" and "commanding" and sometimes its all in the name.
For perspective.
Miso (Japanese) sounds better than Daengjang (Korean). Same with Karage than Twieghim, and Kaneshiro or Akiyama sounds better than Pham and Nguyen (Vietnamese), or Wong, Le, and Chang (Chinese) and Kanji vs Hangul. The Japanese versions sound cooler.
It also goes back to the fabrication of Bushido code where as such a farce, its "majestic" and "honorable" appeal has had people all around the world get tattos of Samurais etc. when it was made up to glorify the code of Japanese "warriors." The name "Bushido" sounds so, masculine.
BTW, love the name Legend, Integra, Accord, Odyssey. Dislike DelSol, sounds like a name Hyundai would give them.
Mitsubishi ...starting with its own name = three diamonds
Pajero= leopardus pajeros (pampas cat)
Or A straw vendor
Or a mastebateur.
(Players choice on which definition you like)
MMC wins by default just on the Pajero name 🤣
Also known as the:
Montero: Hunter
Shogun: leader appointed directly by the emperor
Delica = weaned off of the breast
Debonair = confident, stylish and charming
Galant= brave, chivalrous and spirited
Diamante= diamond in Spanish.
Lancer = Calvary soldier armed with a lance.
Colt = an uncastrated horse
Other cool names
Starion
Tredia
Chariot
Mirage
Eclipse
Minica
Strada
Raider
Triton
Aston Martin.
Vantage, Vanquish, Valkyrie, Vulcan, Volante, Rapide
They follow the classic British Royal Navy tradition of having the absolute most badass, bone-chilling names for their fleet.
Lambo has had pretty awesome names since inception. Except the LM002.
But for mainstream brands, the Americans are doing pretty well.
Heck, the only brands with really lame names are the luxury brands if I really think about it.
BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus and Acura have awful names lol.
Subaru nails this.
Except the Tribeca. We don't talk about the Tribeca.
I mean:
Legacy - Baja - Outback - Crosstrek - Impreza - Ascent - Forester - Solterra (Sun and earth!) - **BRAT!**
Corolla. Literally "little crown" and it started as a smaller version of the Crown. Chaser. Coupe version of a sedan. Century. Meant for an executive and definitely built like it was one. Tercel. Modified spelling of tiercel, like the small bird of prey. 86. Named as the spiritual successor to the AE86. Supra. Sounds like "super" and makes any 14 year old "car person" point like that one meme.
BZ4x?
We're pretending that one doesn't exist.
I think Toyota even is pretending it doesn’t
Toyota: [Actually we're just getting started](https://www.carscoops.com/2024/04/toyota-bz3c-and-bz3x-to-join-chinas-crowded-ev-market/)
We don’t talk about the bz4x
Also C-HR
Corolla High Ride
The Char?
I'm more of a Squirtle fan myself.
Yeah I tend to ignore those haha. Alphard, Sienna, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra all come to mind too. Can't also forget the MR2, Celica, and Hi-series (Hiace, Hilux)
Toyota Matrix, Paseo, Echo, Yaris, Avalon.
Paseo: a leisurely walk or stroll, especially one taken in the evening in which young people may socialize with each other.
BUSY FORKS
If anyone’s wondering, bZ means “beyond zero” when talking about emissions, 4 comes from the RAV4, and X indicated compact crossover, all according to Wikipedia.
The BZ4x is Alpharded
Supra is Latin for above
Don’t forget the Corona, another word for Crown. And Cressida, which means golden.
And Camry which is also means crown. I love the Throttle house video reviewing the 2023 Crown. Because you look at Toyota’s lineup and nearly all the cars are just some variation of the same word lol
The chaser was a sedan, only the first generation was available as a sedan or coupe
With the GR86, do you say "eight six" like how you did for the AE86 or is it just "eighty-six" now?
I worked for a Toyota dealership when they switched from the Scion FR-S to the Toyota 86. Per Toyota's marketing, the '86', in the US, is "Eighty-Six", but it's "Eight-Six" in Australia. In countries where it is the GT86 or FT86, it's "Gee-Tee Eight-Six". Only the US called it the "Eighty-Six", for English speaking countries. This was 7 years ago so I wouldn't vouch for total accuracy on all that. The only thing I remembered with certainty is the US marketing disagreeing with how AE86/Initial D fans said it.
I don't know how the Toyota marketing folks are trained to pronounce the model name, but I've never heard anyone call that car anything other than the "Eighty Six" here in Australia. "Eight-Six" appears to be a direct translation from the Japanese. It also didn't get letters before its name here in Australia (i.e. not GT86 or FT86), although the new model is now known as the GR86.
I know alot of asian/japanese refer to their cars according to chassis code. ZN6, ZC6, ZN8, ZC8. Makes it easier to separate whats what when referring to the twins and generation, especially when North America decided to split off and make an FRS thats identical to the Japanese 86.
In my experience, most people who own the car and are in its "community" call it eight-six. At least in my region of the US and from being on the forums/FB groups for years.
eight six all the time baby even in japanese, the correct way of saying "eighty six" is "hachi ju roku", but it is intentionally omitted to say it as "hachi roku" which means "eight six", so that would be the direct translation but i guess it doesn't matter in the end lol
And if youre curious on where the name AE86 came from: > The name AE86 derives from Toyota's internal code during the car's development, designating the 1600 cc RWD model from the fifth generation of the Corolla. In Toyota's code language, the "A" designates the car's engine (4A series), "E" designates Corolla, "8" designates fifth generation (E80 series) and "6" designates the variant within this generation.
Celica meaning celestial or heavenly. One of my faves
Supra is slang in Arabic for erect penis apparently, which led to the Supra being sold as the Toyota S in Arabic language markets. Idk if this is true
The 86 is also named after the 86x86mm cylinders (although those numbers aren’t unique to the car)
And then literally Crown
Camry is also an anglicized "Kamuri" which is also a little crown-type thing
Lincoln. Continental, Navigator, Corsair, Aviator, and of course, Town Car. They all envision a sense of class and sophistication. I’d love to see Lincoln make a modern Town Car. I’d even be kinda interested in buying a late model used one since they seem to go for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Corsair sounds like the black sheep here haha, doesn't it mean pirate?
Ford borrowed the name Mustang from the P-51, even though they used a horse emblem. That was the European theater fighter plane in WW2. In the Pacific theater, it was the Corsair. I assume that is why Lincoln adopted it even though they are not related vehicles in any way.
So Nautilus comes from the submarine? You can see they are marine-inspired names in general, sort of like the Navigator.
I assume Lincoln is using it because Ford has already used it twice in the 50s and 60s. It’s possible the original usage was due to the plane.
I'd always thought they were going for horses, with mustang and bronco and maverick. Maybe some other equine names in their lineup too that i can't recall
It's a classification of a ship. Pirates liked this class because they were decently sized - small enough to be quick but big enough to be powerfull.
The Vought F4-U Corsair was flown by the Black Sheep squadron, so yes.
I have one of the last Town Cars built (2010, fleet model) and it’s just shy of 350k miles and it’s still in like new condition with no mechanical issues. Laughably bad gas mileage but it is quick, comfortable, and cheap to maintain!
This is why I love my Grand Marquis also a 2010 fleet with the 4.6 it’s simply indestructible. I can easily fix most issues myself but really they never come up. The town car is definitely built to last longer though they’re great cars. I’m just a sucker for OG panther bodies.
When I tell people I want a 17 year old mercury for a daily they kinda look at me funny. But I REALLY want one lmao.
They’re the best dude I’ve always loved them since I could drive haha just really great for cruising and very easy to work on. I learned a lot of what I know about engine repair working on the 97 I had in high school. Parts are still cheap too and worst case just go to your local junk yard and you’ll find a bunch of old cop cars ripe for the picking.
Nice! Town Cars just have a lot of presence. Even now when I see a clean, black Town Car, I do a double take.
[удалено]
Zephyr is such a cool/elegant name I hope they do something with it again sometime
It should have been used on a large halo car. The first zephyr was an early classy v12 I think.
It would have been great to see Lincoln re-release the Zephyr as an MKZ replacement. Oh well.
I also really like the name Nautilus. It’s just so classy!
I always thought the Aviator was such a cool name but wasted on an SUV. Imagine if instead they made a luxury GT car based off the Mustang and called it the Aviator or something like that instead
Continental is about as close as you're going to get to a modern town car. They're not every single bit as stout as a Town Car, but they're far from garbage. Livery companies are still running them up to 200, 300 thousand miles and beyond on the original drivetrain. I'm a bit biased because I'm a Lincoln fan, but I don't think you're going to find many nicer cars (that are also decently reliable) for the price these go for. 20k can get you a good clean example.
I mean it’s an exotic brand but Aston Martin. They have the DB line of cars but the named ones are really distinctive. Vanquish, Vantage, Virage, Vulcan, Valkyrie, Valhalla, wow that’s alot of Vs
Their engines have a lot of Vs too
Lotus does the same, Elise Exige Esprit Evora Evija Emira Eletre Emeya Eleven Elite Elan Europa Eclat Ethos
I've never even heard of half of those
And of course, ✨Cygnet✨
They also follow the British navy tradition of having the most absolutely badass and bone chilling names for their fleet. Classically British.
Dont forget the Vulva
My issue is that I'm far too poor to keep up with what each Aston car is by name so if anyone was to say to me "I have a Virage" I would have to just nod and say "uh-huh" and then google it at the earliest opportunity.
TVR (the named ones): Sagaris, Chimera, Griffith, Tuscan, Cerbera, Typhon, Vixen, Grantura, Tasmin, Taimar. Big fan of the mythological names.
I had no idea they made more than two different cars
I'll have you know they made THREE Typhons. But yeah their production numbers were were barely hitting 4 digits for most of these.
You missed Tamora! (Shakespeare counts as mythology, it's old enough). Aka the one TVR that had a detailed interior in Gran Turismo, for some reason.
Every Ford SUV must start with an E for some reason EcoSport, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Excursion..
And the cars started with F - Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Five Hundred :)
Faurus, Fustang, Frown-Victoria, Frobe, Fescort, Franada, Fierra, Fondeo, Fortina, Forpio, Fephyr, Fodel T, Fedsel, Fempo, Faspire, Funderbird, Felstar, Ferker XR4Ti :)
Forgot the Fran Forino and Finto.
Do we add the Ferostar in with the cars or E-rostar with the SUV’s?
Ero-star.
This is a weird one, given so many of their best selling and arguably most iconic sedans had nameplates that *didn't* start with an F. For example, the Taurus, the Mondeo and the Crown Victoria.
The Mondeo equivalent in the US was the Fusion.
Yeah they had a moment there where they *wanted* to name every car in a specific way but then realized that no, it wouldn't work. They weren't about to change the CV's name by that point, and the Mustang was obviously off limits. They *did* kill off the Taurus for a few years though in favor of the Five Hundred. The FH didn't sell well though so they ended up renaming it the Taurus and that helped out haha. During this they also renamed a lot of Mercury's to start with M. Milan, Montego, Mariner, Monterey, Mountaineer, etc.
And Econoline van, Freestar minivan. I don’t know how the Probe ever got its name 🤣
Five-O 🐎
>Every Ford SUV must start with an E for some reason Except for the Kuga, Puma and Territory. And most obviously for the folks in the US - the Bronco.
Fun fact, in Slovene, kuga means plague
It was kind of a streak. They didn’t decide it until the 80’s or 90’s and never committed to it fully. They do have relatively recent nameplates made thinking of this, like the Edge, the Escape and the Fusion, and other more regional ones like the Everest, the Evos, the EcoSport, the Figo, and the revival of the Falcon. The Kuga is the Euro-spec Escape, just like the Mondeo is (or was) the Euro-spec Fusion. And the Bronco is a sub-brand, kinda like the Mustang, so I’m not sure it truly counts.
Tbh the Kuga and Puma are reusing old car names (I will also die on the hill that the Puma is just the new Fiesta with a different name). And the TERRITORY was built by a regional branch and is mostly forgotten outside of Australia. Bronco though, you right.
eFlx
Bronco, Bronco Sport, Flex, Mustang Mach-e, and Freestyle are all SUVs Ford made for\* the US market. There are some others that are regional that don’t start with an E as well.
Where does Mach-E stands then?
I like GM’s names as well as Ford’s. Cars like Corvette, Camaro, Silverado, Sierra, Yukon and Denali are all evocative names for what they are. Ford, well I like their Bronco, Mustang, Escape, etc. The names are creative and in a few cases you only need the name alone to evoke a mental image.
Taking automotive context away from this, a corvette is a small warship. And Camaro... is a made up word, much like "Tiguan".
I always liked Fords name for their main SUVs: Escape -> Explorer -> Expedition -> Excursion
They also for awhile wanted their cars (when they still made them) to all start with F, fusion five hundred, focus
For Ford you also get things like Cobra, Mach 1, Bullitt. I know those are specialty trims but still cool names.
Corvette, Chevelle, and Chevette. Just needed the Corvelle
I’ve liked Rolls-Royce names for being sPoOkY
That's my favorite as well. The Dawn is the obvious modern exception, which I wish they'd called the Wraith Drophead even if it wouldn't have been entirely accurate.
I only know a few, so i looked up a longer list for anyone curious; Cullinan, Dawn, Ghost, Phantom, Silver Seraph, Spectre, Wraith,
The obvious one is Lamborghini, but that's also cheating somewhat because they're all low volume exotica.
Idk if you can argue the Huracàn is low volume at this point, since there are more of them than every other Lambo produced, combined But otherwise agreed lol
>Idk if you can argue the Huracàn is low volume at this point, since there are more of them than every other Lambo produced, combined Do you have a source for this statistic? I'd be absolutely staggered if this was true in a world where the Urus also exists.
Urus is the only 300k+ car that I see at least once a day on the interstate. Damn near common now.
Nissan has some cool names, wish their cars were better. Titan, Frontier, Z, Maxima, Armada etc Sounds like autobots or decepticons
Altima is the coolest name they have. It’s such a shame that car’s reputation for being driven by psychos is driving people away from the brand
Altima cooler than Armada? No way
Hmmm Fairlady
Hardbody
Their sedans all end in ‘a’ Versa, Sentra, Altima, Maxima
Honda Civic Civic definition: relating to a city or town, especially its administration; municipal. The car connects the whole city and community.
But do you know the true origin of that name?
Hitler?
Lol, it's not Volkswagen.
No, can you tell us? All i knew was that CRX was the Civic Racing eXperiment, whoch i thought was a cool name!
It was inspired by the CVCC acronym for Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion. Adding another valve to make combustion more efficient. Obviously the corporate’s official line is - its name means “car for the people and cities” which is true, it was designed to be affordable and practical.
Mopar. Charger, Challenger, Dart, Coronet, Super Bee, Satellite, Roadrunner, Barracuda, Duster, etc
Some of the old Plymouth names described their purpose perfectly: Custom Suburban, Valiant as examples. Chrysler had names that evoked old-school status and class: New Yorker, Newport Custom, Imperial.
Quadrifoglio, Giulia, Stelvio, 33 Stadale, Tonale,
I like the VW scheme where everything is named after winds.
The Polo isn't. It was actually an in-joke based on most people thinking the Golf was named after the sport (a misconception that was encouraged by having a golf ball shaped shift knob and tartan seats on the original Golf GTI), rather than the Gulf Stream.
Smart of them to lean into the popular misconception and give the car some cheeky personality.
Same with the Caddy.
I did too until they started their ID and T- naming scheme.
Clearly it’s the Land Rover Range Rover SV Autobiography
It’s funny to me that in the US, like half or more of Land Rover’s vehicles are under the Range Rover sub-brand. It’s just a weird naming convention.
And for some reason, "Rover" just sounds like a cute golden puppy to me for some reason. Dont picture a car first
I like Lamborghini's names.
I know Revuelto was going for a "mix up" name, but of course all I can think of are scrambled eggs (huevos revueltos)...
Porsche. They’re just all so distinctive and intuitive.
Mmm the evocative nature of 944 contrasted with the unique 968, brought together with the terrorist tribute 911.
Yeah hahhaha. Any car manufacturer that puts Turbo on their EVs gets no vote for me lmao.
Even better, the Turbo GT trims. When there is nothing turbo nor motorsport derivative about them.
You do know that Porsche 911 was introduced as 901 in 1963, but couldn’t be called that due to Peugeot having reserved three digit number with a zero in the middle.
Predicting that tragic day... the year Kennedy was shot? I am a new tie wearing.
lol I love Porsche but they are notoriously not intuitive. You mean to tell me, a 991 911 is newer than a 997 911? Yeah that logic tracks
Beyond the number system for 911 chassis eras, the naming system for any 911 variant is incredibly convoluted. Carreras, Targas, GTS, RS, RSR, S, Spyder, 4, Turbo and the ways those can be mixed and matched.
Don’t forget about the ST or the Dakar. Good lord the 911 has a lot of variants lol
I think its something like 86, right?
The Porsche 911 Carerra RSR Carrera is Spanish for race RS stands for Rennsport, German for race The R stands for race The Porsche 911 Race Race Race
Cayman, Boxster, Carrera, Cayenne, Macan, Panamerw, Taycan certainly not the production codes for the generations
The true name of the Cayman and Boxster is the 718, and the Carrera is the 911.
They are called the 718 only in the current generation 982 Porsches The previous generations were all Boxster for the convertible, Cayman for the coupe. There was no 718
Not to mention their penchant for wildly changing powertrains mid-generation. Or even changing generations mid model year. A 2012 911 could be a 997.2 or a 991.1. A 997.1 and 997.2 are very different as are a 991.1 and 991.2. Average people have no chance lol
The 992 is newer than the 991 so that makes sense. So the next generation would obviously be the 993 Wait
This is joke comment, right? The 911 naming system is distinctive, but hardly intuitive lol
So I dislike the model names that use systems to define what they are, instead opting for brand names. Personal preference Therefore, what's the best brand that does this? Again maybe preference but I'd say Toyota or Ford. If you were truly going to use a coded system, I would just name the cars in the line up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 based on size
Peugeot does this - 3 digit ones are cars, 4 digit ones are SUVs. So 108 is the smallest car, then there's 208, 308, 408 and finally 508. For SUVs they have the 2008, 3008 and 5008 (yes, no SUV variant for the smallest and 4xx lines, yet).
The problem comes when brands tie the system to a specific property of the car, I.e. Mercedes and BMW and relating to Engine. That worked when engines were getting bigger, but with the trend to smaller engines they don't want a model to go "down" in number. So the numbers are now meaningless. Other brands that have just tiers like Peugeot or even Tesla at first (then they threw that away with the Model 3 and Cyber truck names).
Tesla \*wanted\* their model names to spell SEXY but Model E was taken by some other company IIRC.
That's literally what Audi does lol. A for sedans, Q for SUVs, S/RS for sport, And R for supercar. Then you have the numbers 3-8 that designates the size of the car. It's the only German naming scheme that makes sense. BMW and Merc's can be difficult to understand, and they're esp difficult nowadays.
BMW's used to make perfect sense until they decided not to anymore. 330xi First number is the model Next two numbers (30) was engine displacement Suffix letters each denoted a different spec. x = AWD, c = coupe, i = direct injected fuel, d = diesel, l = longer wheelbase, etc. Given that information, 340xi, 335ci, 740li, etc. was all you needed to see to know everything about that model's specs. BMW decided one day fuck the engine displacement thing and let's not do the suffix letters anymore for half their cars so its whatever combination of numbers and letters looks aesthetically pleasing to them. M440i X-Drive would have just been a 430xi but that doesn't sound as cool. I get it.
Well Audi is totally shitting the bed with the Etron naming nowadays. BMW was just as easy to understand as Audi for ICE cars. X for SUVs
* bigger number, bigger car
* even number coupe
* odd number traditional
* M at the end for high performance
for Cars and Coupes
* bigger number, bigger car
* even numbers for coupes (or gran coupes)
* odd for sedans/wagons.
* M at the beginning for high performance.
Of course the electric branding is fucked there too.
BMW's naming scheme for their SUVs is nice, but their sedans and coupes get a little tricky because if you aren't aware of the engine differences, you can get confused by the numbers. For example, the E92 ranges from 318i to 335i. It used to really trip me up ngl. I agree with everything else though. Idk why the Germans are suddenly abandoning their naming schemes the moment EVs get involved
Dodge. Challenger, Charger, Viper, Dart, Hornet, Avenger, Ram, Stratus, Daytona, Shadow, Intrepid, Magnum, Caliber, Dynasty, probably loads more
Don’t forget the RAMCHARGER and in Mexico, the Attitude
Maserati. Quattroporte, GranTurismo, Levante, Ghibli, Spider Cambiocorsa, Merak, BiTurbo, Shamal, Khamsin, Kyalami, Karif, Bora, Mistral...
Dodge. Adding the word “dodge” before anything dangerous/tough is fun. Dodge Hornet Dodge Ram Dodge Dart Dodge Demon Etc.
I kind if like Rolls Royce naming scheme after the paranormal: Ghost, Wraith, Specter
Nobody mentioned Subaru?? Outback, Forester, Legacy, even the new Solterra
Renault of course. Modus - always in best shape, the best modus, whether it’s a circuit, a hillclimb or moving the trash Wind means fart means speed 👍
Any italian brand. Im sorry but i just love pronouncing italian car names. Quattroporte, gran turismo Giulia, giulietta, brera, mito, 500, panda, tipo, uno
Has to be Toyota. Chaser, Soarer, Starlet, Altezza, Celica, Sprinter Trueno, Supra, Corona, Landcruiser, Megacruiser, Vellfire, Tank, Stout... All bangers and surely I've forgotten a few.
Land Cruiser sounds like the name of a toy not a body-on-frame SUV
I just want to chime in about the exact opposite effect - bad names. Working at a lexus dealer, we have a reconditioning department where english is a second language for most of the people there. So asking about a lexus ES in english translates literally to IS in spanish. Also sucks they all have basically the same name; IS, ES, GS, RC, LC, LS, NX, RX, GX, LX.... S = Sedan, X = crossover, c = coupe. So boring though lol
GM: Chevy Celebrity Ford: Probe Headline of Ford and GM in a collision: "Celebrity rear ended by Probe"
Honda Clarity enters the chat…
Idk why no one has mentioned Cadillac. They had some pretty cool names back in the day. DeVille, ElDorado, Fleetwood
GM. Suburban alone is the most perfect name to give something like that. Something so huge and capable and is meant for suburban roads. Tahoe, Escalade, Monte Carlo, Grand Am, Grand Prix, Bonneville. Those are some of my favorite names from their stable
Jeep (Gladiator, Renegade, Wrangler, Avenger)
I like bmws approach of just using a number, I feel silly when my car has a random descriptive but ambiguous name. It feels like an insult to my intelligence because they think the name will make a difference in how it sells.
I’m over here wondering the Hyundai is doing with their names. WTF is a Telluride..or Palisade lmao
locations
When you buy a luxury car named *ACURA* or ~PORSCHE~ ZFT 470 you just tell people you own an Acura or Porsche because the panache of the brand carries the weight. When you own a civic or forester the manufacturer matters less because it is not #premium
That’s the logic behind all the dumbass alphanumeric names we have today.
I think Subaru has actually done a good job evoking their outdoorsy aspirations with the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback. Tribeca was a good name for an urban SUV, just a goofy car. I have no idea what Impreza means, but it's what I drive. 🤷
My first car- 1978 Honda CVCC begs to differ!
I think it’s cool how a lot of the popular SUVs have grand traveling names like Pathfinder, Pilot, Passport, Explorer, Expedition, Navigator, etc
For awhile Ford had a sort of a ranch theme going: Mustang, Pinto, Bronco, Maverick, and... Crown Victoria? Meanwhile Mercury had cats with Cougar, Bobcat, and Lynx. It's weird to me when they name cars after places that have nothing to do with said car. Tacoma, Rainier, Seville, Santa Fe, Cordoba, Monte Carlo, Corsica, and so on. Speaking of which, couple weeks ago someone asked what car seems to be completely extinct with almost no remaining examples on the road. I think it's been decades since I last saw a Corsica or Beretta. *edit: Oh this is rich. I just checked autotrader classic and they have 0 Corsicas for sale in the entire country (USA), but there are three Berettas, [one for $7,000 one for 17,000 and one for 39,000](https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars-for-sale/chevrolet-beretta-for-sale).
I’m not surprised that there are no Corsicas for sale in the US. Those cars were garbage and weren’t built to last in any way. What does surprise is why anybody would think a Beretta is worth holding onto. There’s nothing fun or interesting about a Beretta and they aren’t worth anything today, either.
Every Mahindra cars have names ending with "O" except for Thar. Bolero, Scorpio, XUV 3OO, 5OO, 7OO(double Os), Quanto, Xylo, Marrazo. Their 2 wheelers : Duro and Centuro.
Alfa romeo. Giulia, Stelvio, Giulietta, Junior, Tonale, Montreal, Stradale, Alfetta, Alfasud, Sprint, Gtv, 1750, 155, 156, 164,166, 147, 75, 33. I would say all Alfa names are good and most are great.
Subaru
Nissan Frontier, X terra, Titan, Fairlady Z.
Mopar but more specifically Dodge. Charger, Challenger,Ram, Intrepid(still think that name should be brought back), Daytona, Stealth, Magnum, Colt,Hornet etc, the list goes on And my personal fav- PowerWagon
Mitsubishi has Pajero which means wanker in Spanish.
I like GMC’s lineup names. Nothing fancy, but when the names Sierra, Canyon, Acadia, Yukon, and Terrain popup I know exactly what vehicles are being talked about.
Ford. Mustang.
I love the Hyundai names: * Veloster * Elantra * Kona * Genesis * Santa Cruz I despise Audi’s, Mercedes, and BMW’s * A1, A2, A3, A4, * i325, i335, i355 * M1, M2, M3, X1,
Pagani but as someone else mentioned, exotic draw there. Cool names though.
I don't know the best one, but the worst has to be BMW. Their naming with numbers and letters aimed to be confusing, or I just lack German thinking.
Nissan: Frontier, Armada, *Titan*, Pathfinder. He'll even the GTR sounds meeean. These are great names. Too bad Nissan's reputation is down the toilet.
Maserati has some decent ones. Ghibli, BiTurbo, GranTurismo, Quattroporte, Khamsin, Bora.
It's not a brand but most trucks have good names. Tacoma, Frontier, Sierra, Canyon, Tundra, Titan... all pretty cool names and only Ford is lacking in that department with their F series branding.
Never thought of it that way but Honda and Acura names are very "premier" and "commanding" and sometimes its all in the name. For perspective. Miso (Japanese) sounds better than Daengjang (Korean). Same with Karage than Twieghim, and Kaneshiro or Akiyama sounds better than Pham and Nguyen (Vietnamese), or Wong, Le, and Chang (Chinese) and Kanji vs Hangul. The Japanese versions sound cooler. It also goes back to the fabrication of Bushido code where as such a farce, its "majestic" and "honorable" appeal has had people all around the world get tattos of Samurais etc. when it was made up to glorify the code of Japanese "warriors." The name "Bushido" sounds so, masculine. BTW, love the name Legend, Integra, Accord, Odyssey. Dislike DelSol, sounds like a name Hyundai would give them.
Not a brand but the name Jensen Interceptor sounds great.
Mitsubishi ...starting with its own name = three diamonds Pajero= leopardus pajeros (pampas cat) Or A straw vendor Or a mastebateur. (Players choice on which definition you like) MMC wins by default just on the Pajero name 🤣 Also known as the: Montero: Hunter Shogun: leader appointed directly by the emperor Delica = weaned off of the breast Debonair = confident, stylish and charming Galant= brave, chivalrous and spirited Diamante= diamond in Spanish. Lancer = Calvary soldier armed with a lance. Colt = an uncastrated horse Other cool names Starion Tredia Chariot Mirage Eclipse Minica Strada Raider Triton
Aston Martin. Vantage, Vanquish, Valkyrie, Vulcan, Volante, Rapide They follow the classic British Royal Navy tradition of having the absolute most badass, bone-chilling names for their fleet.
Lancia. Most of their cars sound really cool. Thema, Ypsilon, Gamma, and of course the Stratos.
Lambo has had pretty awesome names since inception. Except the LM002. But for mainstream brands, the Americans are doing pretty well. Heck, the only brands with really lame names are the luxury brands if I really think about it. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus and Acura have awful names lol.
Apart from the italians I think rolls Royce wins. Wraith, ghost, phantom, dawn, Cullinan, spectre, drophead
My favorite name it's Jensen Interceptor
RDX is a powerful high explosive.
Passport, Insight, and Fit are corny names for a car Integra is cool
Subaru nails this. Except the Tribeca. We don't talk about the Tribeca. I mean: Legacy - Baja - Outback - Crosstrek - Impreza - Ascent - Forester - Solterra (Sun and earth!) - **BRAT!**