What Foreign Car Name Would you Rebadge?

"AthomSfere" (AthomSfere) 03/08/2014 at 12:37 • Filed to: Nissan, Datsun, Z, z car, names, fairlady, marketing

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The name of a car, in theory should mean nothing to ownership. If Chevy renamed the Corvette The Wendy it would still be a great car, and should sell great. If we ever get another Toyota Supra, it will probably disappoint half the Supra fans for being too Toyota, too evolved, too... not Supra. And regardless of how great a twin turbo, AWD, inline 7 engine (novel!), brown wagon that runs low 11s for $15k new would be... name it Pinto or Yugo and not one unit would be sold.

Even with new brands and badges, there is calculation and marketing on how to sell a car, and a lot of this has to do with names. In America, there is a reason cars get the names they do, and finding a name that meets the demographic is important.

I think this is sad, and I think there have been some monstrous misses. The Integra becoming the RSX is one example. And I think there have been some good wins. The Honda CVCC was a good name, but transforming that acronym to the Civic was great!

One name, I wish we got just once is the Fairlady.

Old or new:

Just once would be enough. Datsun or Nissan Z cars are cool enough, but a couple numbers and a letters is soul-less. I think it is a disappointment in ourselves that we should feel, knowing we lost the inspiration of the play "My Fair Lady" to get stuck with something like the 370z, 300SX, 123abc...

So what about you Oppo? What other names should we have received instead of what we got? Specifically cars that were just rebadged and / or renamed to be sold here.

Frosted > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 12:42

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As long as the Supra doesn't get badged as a Scion, people will still probably flock to it.

I wish every Japanese car in America got its Japanese name (Toyota Aristo, Nissan Cima, Nissan Skyline (G35 version) Mazda Atenza etc etc.)

DollaMoneyAve > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 12:43

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You mean old and not as old. This would be new:

My mechanic has one in matte black.

Casper > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 12:52

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Can we please work as a group to forget the 350Z was a thing.

AthomSfere > DollaMoneyAve 03/08/2014 at 12:52

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That is really just a refresh with a .2 displacement bump... but sure.

AthomSfere > Casper 03/08/2014 at 12:56

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Wait, why? Beautiful car, great performance... And it seems to have been one the first great cars coming out a long lull in the USA, when it did.

KnowsAboutCars > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 12:58

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Instead of the boring names Infiniti uses they could use same names as their Nissan counterparts. For example wouldn't Maxima have sounded much more interesting than I30.

AthomSfere > Frosted 03/08/2014 at 12:58

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I'd rather see it badged a Scion than anything else. Toyota has no soul nor a vein of interesting driving dynamics. Lexus is 99% rebadged Camry's with a few exceptions, but a luxury brand regardless.

Scion would make sense as the enthusiast brand. Not that it is that now, but it would make sense.

AthomSfere > KnowsAboutCars 03/08/2014 at 12:59

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Yes, but then wouldn't be a trim instead of a good tactic to scam badge snobs who actually know nothing about the cars?

Maybe a play on it, The Infiniti Maximus...

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Casper 03/08/2014 at 13:00

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It wasn't as bad as some cars Oppo loves dear, so no.

carcrasher88 > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:06

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Toyota Prius C —-> Toyota Aqua (JDM)

In comparison to the other Prii, I actually find the Prius C to be a rather likeable car.

It doesn't share too much of the typical Prius look, in fact, it looks simply like Toyota's take on a Honda Fit.

The only problem is the stigma of being called a Prius. In the car's home country, they don't use the Prius C name, instead calling it Aqua.

Especially when you consider this color being available:

...it sounds like a rather fitting name.

Casper > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:08

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I didn't see any of those things in it and I'm a big Z fan. It was heavy, slow, not particularly attractive, and felt cheap. It also had some significant performance flaws for being a performance car.

Frosted > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:08

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Scion used to be an enthusiast brand. Now it's Scions way of seeing how cheap they can build a car. Most Scions can't manage lengthy drives without breaking down and that's not the reputation a Supra deserves. I'd rather see Toyota get its soul and reputation back and just kill off Scion silly cheapness.

Bad Idea Hat > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:08

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The Suzuki Cappuccino

Becomes the new Crosley Hotshot/Super Sport in North America

I would change the original 3 cylinder 600cc turbo to a 4 cylinder 750cc engine. Maybe keep the turbo, or a NA engine if it's possible to get good enough power out of it.

I would pick this car up the first day it was out, finances be damned.

AthomSfere > carcrasher88 03/08/2014 at 13:09

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Not a car I honestly ever cared to look into, but a compelling argument for the name and the argument.

Casper > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 03/08/2014 at 13:10

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Just not being terrible shouldn't be good enough for a car with a lineage like a Z.

AthomSfere > Bad Idea Hat 03/08/2014 at 13:11

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You and 4 other people! But I love it.

AthomSfere > Casper 03/08/2014 at 13:17

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Heavy, sure. But everything is getting heavy. And from the 300xx it looked like a pretty natural progression.

As for performance, with price and performance I think it was just about right.

It could keep up with a Mustang Shelby GT, but had gallons more style. And I think it is sexy, better looking than the 370z at the very least, and better than any mustang of the last 30 years.

The sound of the exhaust is great, and on cheapness... As long as it doesn't feel like it is going to fall off (Looking at Toyota of about the same time) I don't care.

AthomSfere > Frosted 03/08/2014 at 13:18

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I'd be OK with that too. But that won't happen. Enthusiast brands don't become the largest brands, which is what Toyota wants to keep doing / working for.

GhostZ > Casper 03/08/2014 at 13:30

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The 350Z has a more successful racing career than the 300ZX (Z31 and Z32) and the 280ZX, so there's that.

It was a champion in Super GT, is still all over Formula Drift (where it was actually preferred over other Zs because of its tighter chassis and longer wheelbase) and competes in FIA GT4 and IMSA.

jkm7680 > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:31

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I'd rename the 200sx, the Silvia. So it fits the car better.

DollaMoneyAve > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:35

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No... it's an entirely new model.

DollaMoneyAve > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 13:39

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"Almost every piece and component of the 370Z has been redesigned from the previous model" - Wiki

"It's better than its predecessor in every regard. Output is up 26 hp and 2 lb-ft of torque, with more of everything throughout the entire rev range; curb weight is down by 61 pounds. The 370 is 0.6 inches lower, 2.6 inches shorter, 1.3 inches wider, has a tighter turning radius, yet has more leg-, hip-, head- and shoulder room than the 350. Fuel efficiency has increased; NVH has decreased. Chassis rigidity has drastically improved, steering is much more responsive, and turn-in is better. And then there's the SynchroRev Match feature" -Import Tuner

Shall I go on?

AthomSfere > jkm7680 03/08/2014 at 13:51

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Same vein of reasoning really, and almost the same car / naming issues.

AthomSfere > DollaMoneyAve 03/08/2014 at 13:55

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Yes, please!

Actually, aesthetically I am disappointed. I thought there was less done all around and it was just the refresh! Lazy me.

DollaMoneyAve > AthomSfere 03/08/2014 at 14:05

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Nope, it was a new car back in '08, and they just did a refresh in 2012

@rbalch1 > AthomSfere 03/09/2014 at 05:50

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Ford C-Max something like the focus
maybe the ford rodeo

Dsscats > AthomSfere 07/02/2014 at 02:49

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300ZX*