{"id":12006,"date":"2019-02-19T14:12:50","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T22:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=12006"},"modified":"2025-04-01T00:57:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T07:57:59","slug":"the-best-and-worst-car-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/gearheads\/the-best-and-worst-car-names\/","title":{"rendered":"The best and worst car names"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The good, the bad, and the ugly
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What makes a car\u2019s essence, its being? Design, features, and performance each contribute to its value and desirability. All that aside, there\u2019s one thing that makes a car, that tells its story, without knowing anything else about it: its name.
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In practical terms, a car\u2019s name doesn\u2019t matter. It won\u2019t change how it drives or what it can do. Still, it\u2019s a critical element of how it\u2019s perceived. Name affects a car\u2019s spirit, how we feel about it, and the legend that surrounds it. So what makes a good or bad car name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good names<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best car names are those that tell its story and hint at its purpose. Evocative words that spark imagination are often successful as car names.
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Wrangler
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Consider the Jeep Wrangler. The Wrangler is one of the most iconic and recognizable vehicles out there, known for its off-road toughness and capability. Therefore Wrangler is a fitting title; it implies the ability to grab whatever challenge is thrown at it and wrestle it into submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hurac\u00e1n
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Lamborghinis are renowned for their wild performance, and Hurac\u00e1n is among their most successful car names ever. A tempestuous storm is an accurate way to describe its ripping performance, a sharp-edged experience complemented by a screaming V10 exhaust note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenger
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Dodge\u2019s Challenger could hardly have a more fitting name. Positioned to compete against the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, Challenger is ready to, well, challenge other muscle cars, whether on the drag strip or dealership lots. Dubbing its ultra-powerful variants Hellcat and Demon drive the point home \u2014 with over 700 horsepower, they\u2019re cars to be legitimately scared of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSX<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Great car names aren\u2019t always words. Sometimes the suggestive power of alphanumerics work to create positive conclusions. NSX might be an acronym for some term Acura\u2019s marketing team thought up, but it doesn\u2019t really matter. The letters carry their own suggestions of extreme style and sportiness, and help solidify the car\u2019s legendary status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad names<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The worst car names say nothing about the purpose of the vehicle they\u2019re applied to. Names fail when they simply convey data, needlessly confuse, or are just a made up word that tries to sound real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MP4-12C<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image: McLaren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

McLaren\u2019s first mass-produced vehicle was the MP4-12C, a car as excellent as it was poorly named. A complex jumble of characters, MP4-12C doesn\u2019t outwardly relate to anything; only die-hard McLaren geeks might realize its connection to racing cars of old. McLaren eventually caught on and renamed the car to 12C, making it a lot easier to remember and say.
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Model 3
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Tesla seemed confused when they named their fourth vehicle Model 3. With the Roadster, Model S, and Model X before it, shouldn\u2019t it have been the Model 4? Regardless, it\u2019s a boring name that doesn\u2019t celebrate any of the car\u2019s great features. It\u2019s about as dry and literal as possible. Imagine meeting someone named \u201cChild 3.\u201d Where might they stack up in their parents\u2019 product hierarchy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gran Coupe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n

From a design perspective, BMW has been successful in creating sleek \u201cfour door coupe\u201d variants of their two door models like the 4- and 6-Series. Arguing whether cars with four doors are still coupes is another topic, but the name they\u2019ve given these vehicles \u2014 Gran Coupe \u2014 misses the mark. It sounds contrived, a forced way to ask drivers to believe, please just believe, that it\u2019s not a sedan. Mix that in with BMW\u2019s wholly confounding naming structure and titles become excessively long. BMW 440i xDrive Gran Coupe M Sport \u2014 yes, that\u2019s an actual car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macan
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Porsche has a history of giving their cars sensible but uninspired number-based names. Titles like 911 or 968 at least relate to product codes that can be traced down a line of predecessors. That\u2019s why it was confusing when they invented the word Macan as a name for their small SUV. According to Porsche, \u201cthe name Macan is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger.\u201d That\u2019s an association approximately zero people will make, and instead their hot-selling, hot-driving crossover sounds like something that should be treated with antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an intrinsic and immediately recognizable value to each car\u2019s name. Simply by hearing what it\u2019s called, you know if it makes you want to jump in and drive, or feel like it\u2019s another piece of metal you just use to get around. When it comes down to it speed, technology, or equipment matter more to the actual driving experience. But the best car names add the magic it takes to create a true automotive icon.
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The good, the bad, and the ugly What makes a car\u2019s essence, its being? Design, features, and performance each contribute to its value and desirability. All that aside, there\u2019s one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":12009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gearheads"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t