"MojoMotors.com" (MojoMotors)
08/27/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: None
14
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"MojoMotors.com" (MojoMotors)
08/27/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: None | 14
| 100 |
Have you ever wondered what the name of your car means or maybe how manufacturers come up with names? After all, we say names like Camry, Miata and Passat without pausing to think if those names have a meaning. Turns out almost every car name has some significance that can be grouped into 12 categories.
Our study looked at 215 models, but there were exclusions. We left out some discontinued models and models with letter-number naming conventions used by BMW, Lexus or Mercedes. A breakdown of the categories and highlight model names are below.
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Location | 21.9% of names
Toyota Venza: Named by combining the word venture with the city Monza, Italy.
Subaru Tribeca: Named after the bustling New York City neighborhood.
Chevrolet Tahoe: Ever heard of Lake Tahoe? Of course.
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Adventure | 19.53% of names
Audi Allroad: Fitting name for the luxury station wagon with AWD, ride height adjustable suspension and a Biturbo V6.
Ford Escape: Cue the Indiana Jones puns.
Honda Odyssey: As a literary term, it means a long journey full of adventures
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Nature | 14.42% of names
Toyota Corolla: Another name for the petals of a flower.
Volkswagen Passat: German trade wind.
Hyundai Equus: Genus of animals that include the zebra, horses and donkeys.
Volkswagen Tiguan: Combine "tiger" and "iguana" and what do you get?
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Cultural | 9.76% of names
Toyota Yaris: Formed by combining the name of the greek god Charis, who symbolizes beauty and elegance, and the German word for affirmation, "Ya."
Volkswagen Touareg: Named after a tribe of nomadic people in Northern Africa. Chosen to represent the strength and adaptability of their new crossover SUV.
Volkswagen Eos: Named after the Greek Titan Eos, goddess of the dawn.
Ford Taurus: Named after the second sign in the astrological zodiac, Taurus. It means "bull-like."
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Transportation | 6.98% of names
Dodge Grand Caravan: A caravan is a vehicle designed to be lived in.
Volkswagen Phaeton: Means light, open horse drawn carriage.
Chrysler PT Cruiser: The PT means "personal transportation."
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Power | 6.02% of names
Jeep Commander: Person in charge, especially in a military application
Nissan Armada: Fleet of warships
Mitsubishi Galant: Derived from the word "Gallant" which describes bravery and heroism
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Futuristic | 5.12% of names
Honda Prelude: The definition of Prelude is, "an action or event leading to something more important." I wonder what Honda was referring to?
Mazda Millenia: Derived from the "Millennium" which means 1,000 years.
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Versatility | 4.19% of names
Nissan Versa: This one's pretty obvious.
Honda Fit: Named because, although its a sub-compact, you'll be surprised what you can "fit" in it.
Saturn VUE: Saturn had a new "VUE" (view) on the SUV.
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Speed | 3.72% of names
Chevrolet Sonic: The word Sonic refers to the speed of sound, but with a 138 horsepower, don't expect to come close to the sound barrier.
Dodge Dart: Think about it. To dodge from something or to dart from something is the same thing. Pretty redundant.
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Musical | 3.26% of names
Kia Forte: When reading music, a Forte instructs the person to play the note loud and strong.
Hyundai Sonata: A musical composition involving a soloist, perhaps accompanied by a piano. Moonlight Sonata, anyone?
Kia Cadenza: An instrumental or vocal solo in a larger piece of music, such as a Sonata.
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Human | 2.77% of names
GMC Jimmy: Jimmy got its name from the sound "GM" makes when spoken, such as how Jeep sounds like "GP." Either way, Jimmy sounds like the type of guy you'd like to have around.
MINI Cooper: Named after the famous car maker John Cooper.
Chevrolet Caprice: Caprice is an Italian name meaning fanciful or "over imaginative and unrealistic."
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Technology | 2.33% of names
Chevrolet Volt: Voltage is the unit of measurement for electromotive force, which is the perfect name for Chevrolet's first electric car.
Saturn Ion: Maybe you recall this from Chemistry 101, an Ion is an atom that is electrically charged due to the loss or gain of an electron(s).
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Mojo Motors is a website where shoppers Follow cars to get alerts when dealers drop prices.
Roundbadge
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 10:54 |
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How is Lucerne not a location?
SamJackson
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 10:55 |
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I wonder if a single person who lives in TriBeCa actually owns a Subaru Tribeca. I'm guessing no...
GhostZ
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 10:55 |
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"Ranger" is considered power, and not adventure? Same with "Galant"?
Still, I find it interesting how many cars are actually just names of locations.
jariten1781
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 10:56 |
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Alphanumeric gibberish is not represented.
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MojoMotors.com
> GhostZ
08/27/2014 at 10:58 |
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Many a debate was had.
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MojoMotors.com
> Roundbadge
08/27/2014 at 10:59 |
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You've never met a Lucerne?
MIATAAAA
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:02 |
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"PETALS" of a flower.
Jeez.
Cé hé sin
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:02 |
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I see gaps. Toyota Avensis? Renault Twingo? Renault Clio? Toyota Auris? Maybe we need a "sundry" category.
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MojoMotors.com
> MIATAAAA
08/27/2014 at 11:04 |
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What are you talking about? ;)
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MIATAAAA
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:05 |
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Oh I could just about slap you for that sneakiness. :p
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:05 |
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Where would the Land Rover Series I fall in? I know the model line got retroactively named "Defender", but I think there are other instances in which a car just has a model number or line as a name. The Land Rover is an interesting case, because "Land Rover" was *sort of* a model name and sort of a line.
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MojoMotors.com
> MIATAAAA
08/27/2014 at 11:06 |
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Thanks for the look.
wkiernan
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:08 |
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I guess those lame German car names, or I should say car numbers, are so boring that the author of that piece couldn't even consider them. Sure they put a lot of effort into designing the cars so they are great, but they even can't be bothered to come up with any kind of word at all, so you end up with meaningless nonsense like "E350" and "540i." And it's spreading to other countries! Mazda, who used to make cars called "Miata" and "Bongo" - "Bongo" for crying out loud! I'd buy a car called "Bongo" without even knowing what it was! - currently calls their otherwise excellent sedans "3" and "6." Even Alfa Romeo, who used to make a "Duetto," a "Giulia" and a "Giulietta" calls their cars things like "156."
Just say NO to beige car names! Come on you manufacturers, hire a poet - surely "Utopian Turtletop" is better than "328."
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Roundbadge
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:09 |
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Well....um....
...no.
BigBlock440
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:12 |
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Magnum being technology? I'd have figured it would be power, like for magnum bullets (.357 mag, .44 mag, 7mm-mag, etc.) being more powerful than a non-magnum variant of the same caliber. Also, I'd have thought Liberty would fall under adventure, having the liberty to travel where you want. Though I can also see the argument for cultural, being introduced around 2001-2002.
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MojoMotors.com
> BigBlock440
08/27/2014 at 11:14 |
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Definitely some strong points there.
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SamJackson
> GhostZ
08/27/2014 at 11:15 |
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Because Power Rangers
MK6GTI-now with added Miata
> GhostZ
08/27/2014 at 11:28 |
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I was wondering the same thing about TrailBlazer being a "speed" thing
Brian, The Life of
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:30 |
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Huh. I always thought PT stood for Panel Truck for the PT Cruiser.
Brian Silvestro
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 11:46 |
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Where would Fiesta go?
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BigBlock440
> Brian, The Life of
08/27/2014 at 11:50 |
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I don't think anybody actually knows what PT stands for. I think it's actually the platform designation and doesn't actually mean anything.
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MojoMotors.com
> Brian Silvestro
08/27/2014 at 11:52 |
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Culture.
yamahog
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 12:27 |
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Dawww, Miata and Cherokee in the same category, just like in our driveway.
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Roundbadge
> Brian, The Life of
08/27/2014 at 12:28 |
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Pretty sure it's "Personal Transportation", from my recollection. Wikipedia page appears to agree with this, also citing the original "Pronto Cruiser" concept.
I won't back away from the idea that some forward-thinking individual saw the bad in the vehicle, and saw the eventual "Pity Cruiser" thing coming years in advance.
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Brian, The Life of
> Roundbadge
08/27/2014 at 12:32 |
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"Pity Cruiser" ... LULZ! That's even better than PT Loser.
T5Killer
> SamJackson
08/27/2014 at 12:51 |
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I know of tons of folks who live in Santa Fe that drive hyundai Santa Fes.
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T5Killer
> BigBlock440
08/27/2014 at 12:53 |
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Plus they have Caliber under Power since its a firearm term as well.
claramag, Mustaco Master
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 13:02 |
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Yeah but what's a Camaro?
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MojoMotors.com
> claramag, Mustaco Master
08/27/2014 at 14:14 |
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Animal. It is "a small vicious animal that eats Mustangs."
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SamJackson
> jariten1781
08/27/2014 at 14:22 |
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Go to Germany if you want alphanumeric gibberish. They've got über-loads of it.
feather-throttle-not-hair
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:45 |
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Aww man. Stupid alphanumeric soup names.
Infiniti wins the biggest middle finger for this BTW.
ghost650
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:48 |
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Pretty sure a Dodge "Magnum" is in reference to power.
Jerk Dently
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:49 |
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I think Dart should go under Power because I don't believe the car is named for the verb (to dart) but for the noun (projectile).
Fogun
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:51 |
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Did you mean "Ja" as the German word for affirmation? It's pronounced like "Ya" but not spelled like "Ya."
Admiral Asskicker
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:52 |
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Needs a "Near meaningless garble of numbers" category (which will then take up 50% of the graph)
GreenN_Gold
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:52 |
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Equus is actually a location inspired name, too. A customer in Enumclaw won the naming contest.
orakle44
> Brian Silvestro
08/27/2014 at 14:52 |
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The porn section?
Johnnyma45
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:52 |
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Altima seems like a figurative and literal outlier in the "Power" category.
sammyjay
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:52 |
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I find your lack of Oldsmobile...Intriguing.
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Brian Silvestro
> orakle44
08/27/2014 at 14:53 |
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Mitch
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:54 |
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Nitro means............. technology?
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GreenN_Gold
> Brian, The Life of
08/27/2014 at 14:55 |
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The official corporate spin is Personal Transportation, however there's rumor that the original inspiration was Plymouth Truck. Then Plymouth got axed and the PT was launched as a Chrysler branded product.
twotimeuse
> wkiernan
08/27/2014 at 14:57 |
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BMW and Mercedes nomenclature is not meaningless at all—just descriptive and uncreative.
Stephen
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:57 |
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You left out BMW and Mercedes because their model numbers have no actual meaning anymore!
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StewMM
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:57 |
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This should be expanded for a more wider, over-seas view.
dr861
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:59 |
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Caprice = "...over imaginative and unrealistic."
Yea. That's accurate.
Bigjack
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 14:59 |
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I drive a Plymouth Satellite
Smiley Cyrus-Poo
> BigBlock440
08/27/2014 at 15:03 |
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Yeah, Magnum should be in Power. Or maybe Adventure- as in Magnum condoms.
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GreenN_Gold
> Roundbadge
08/27/2014 at 15:03 |
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It sent me looking for a food category.
oldirtybootz
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:04 |
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You could also be Dodging a throwing Dart. Not so redundant now, is it punk?
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GreenN_Gold
> Bigjack
08/27/2014 at 15:06 |
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We'll put you in the technology category. I think that's where my old Neon would get shoehorned, too.
Smultron
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:07 |
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Honda Prelude: The definition of Prelude is, "an action or event leading to something more important." I wonder what Honda was referring to?
Actually, Honda released the Mk1 Prelude as "Prelude", thus pre-play for the succeding generation of Hondas, the term "Prelude" is used in classic music for just that, a pre-play.
wleehendrick
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:08 |
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Some are mis-categorized IMHO. For example, I think Trailblazer clearly belongs in Adventure, not Speed.
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GreenN_Gold
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:08 |
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"Nissan Versa: This one's pretty obvious"
True, but the Versa Note starts to complicate things. You would think a car with that name would have to come standard with a kick ass stereo system.
Cadi-Lackadaisical
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:08 |
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"Caprice" is also a French word meaning "tantrum"..
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Roundbadge
> GreenN_Gold
08/27/2014 at 15:10 |
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Their reply to my question was cheeky, but the more I look at this, the more I think they're actually serious. I've been looking it up on Google to see what I'm missing, and I can't find anything.
The Scorpion King
> Brian Silvestro
08/27/2014 at 15:12 |
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Glad I'm not the only dude who thinks of that immediately when I hear "Fiesta" hahaha
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The Scorpion King
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:12 |
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Where's that Crown Vic doe
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Brian Silvestro
> The Scorpion King
08/27/2014 at 15:12 |
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404 - User No Longer Available
> claramag, Mustaco Master
08/27/2014 at 15:13 |
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I read somewhere that Camaro was supposed to be derived from the French word for "Friend", i.e. camarade.
lehan
> The Scorpion King
08/27/2014 at 15:14 |
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Beside the Buick Regal, Grand Marquis and other royalty themed car-names.
SickRango
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:15 |
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Did I miss the Durango? I saw the Dakota but not Durango and I know it should be in the same place
TomMetcalf
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:15 |
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Where would you categorize the Ford Probe? Could be a piece of technology... could be quite the adventure if some alien was trying to probe you... I certainly would speed the hell away if someone was trying to probe me...Probes have to end up in some location... Also, could have been named after William "Will" Probe.
And that's all I got there.
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404 - User No Longer Available
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:16 |
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They have the Sky but not the Solstice...
And they have the Cobalt as "Future" which I'm pretty sure it's an element.
ranwhenparked
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:17 |
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Corolla might be a floral term, but it has an older meaning that is more relevant for why Toyota chose it. Its a Latin-based term for a coronet or small crown, which fits the theme for a few of Toyota's other sedans - Corona (Latin for crown), Camry (Japanese for crown), Crown, and Crown Comfort.
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MojoMotors.com
> 404 - User No Longer Available
08/27/2014 at 15:17 |
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Cobalt probably should have been culture. Sort of an icon now after that recall madness.
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MojoMotors.com
> ranwhenparked
08/27/2014 at 15:18 |
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That's interesting. In a lot of cases we went on face-value.
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MojoMotors.com
> SickRango
08/27/2014 at 15:19 |
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Durango was left out. Hard to keep track of models sometimes!
salmon
> dr861
08/27/2014 at 15:19 |
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Now that's a badass-looking caprice.
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The Scorpion King
> lehan
08/27/2014 at 15:23 |
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Odd. Can't find it. Oh well.
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The Scorpion King
> Brian Silvestro
08/27/2014 at 15:24 |
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Maxaxle
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:25 |
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Location names everywhere, and the Chevy Suburban isn't noted as being the most realistic location-named vehicle?
Der Sportwagoner
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:25 |
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It's not on the list, so I wonder if the word "Legacy" has any known meaning in English??
472CID
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:26 |
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I always thought LeSabre meant 'the sabre' and any association between a Pontiac Sunfire and culture amuses me
DMCVegas
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:27 |
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Whar is Focus? WHAR?!?
Bizz'n
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:27 |
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What is the link btw Camaro and Nature?? All we could ever figure out was it means friendship in French...which is admittedly a little ghey.
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SNL-LOL
> wkiernan
08/27/2014 at 15:30 |
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What part of "550i Gran Turismo X-Drive ///M Sport" don't you understand?
jedi4life
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:32 |
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galant = power?
RX
> Brian, The Life of
08/27/2014 at 15:33 |
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Nothing is better than PT Loser
mdensch
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:33 |
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I think you made most of those up.
hismiths
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:34 |
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Oi mate, 'Outback' s a location innit?
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Also_Ran
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:36 |
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I've always considered the Honda Prelude to be a musical name, alongside the Concerto, Ballade and (on a different stroke) Jazz. I even see the Accord, Vigor and Odyssey fit the idea.
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MojoMotors.com
> Bizz'n
08/27/2014 at 15:37 |
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Chevrolet called the Camaro an animal that eats Mustangs.
dmcspeedy
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:42 |
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Pretty sure Prelude should go in the music section, alongside Honda's other music-inspired names like Ballade, Concerto, Quintet, Jazz, Beat, Aria ...
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M54B30
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 15:43 |
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the Yaris doesn't sound quite right...
BREADwagon
> DMCVegas
08/27/2014 at 15:45 |
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Came here to say that. This list is stupid.
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dmcspeedy
> BigBlock440
08/27/2014 at 15:46 |
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Magnum really just means big, or great. As in 1.5L bottles of champagne, or oversized firearm cartridges.
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dmcspeedy
> wkiernan
08/27/2014 at 15:48 |
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Alfa are back giving their cars proper names now, like Brera and Mito and Giulietta. And, umm ... 4C.
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dmcspeedy
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/27/2014 at 15:49 |
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And a manufacturer ...
SgtHop
> MK6GTI-now with added Miata
08/27/2014 at 15:50 |
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To blaze a trail does not mean to go quickly down it, it means to make a new one. Definitely an exploration/adventure thing.
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dmcspeedy
> Smultron
08/27/2014 at 15:51 |
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Honda had a bunch of other musical names around then, too - Ballade and Concerto for example.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> dmcspeedy
08/27/2014 at 15:51 |
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Well, at the time, it was just Rover, with a model line that was the Land-Rover, which had a general model descriptor (Series IIa) with other dull and boring model indicators based on wheelbase or trim level. "88", "Station Wagon", etc.
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dr861
> salmon
08/27/2014 at 15:53 |
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It was John Wayne Gacy's.
TheCrudMan
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 16:01 |
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"The Bronco's been discontinued. We're trying to shed that whole fugitive on the run thing. This is the Escape."
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dmcspeedy
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/27/2014 at 16:02 |
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Good point. I suppose it was only after they became Land Rover Ltd that distinctive model names became a necessity - otherwise you'd be driving a Land Rover Land Rover.
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Smultron
> dmcspeedy
08/27/2014 at 16:04 |
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Yeah, I remember the Concerto well. But still, "Prelude" was the best fitting in the range, in my opinion, though.
tr6rtiger
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 16:06 |
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I don't have the best eye sight, but I don't think I saw GMC Sierra on there anywhere.
RazorGP
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 16:10 |
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All but one of these is actually a sporty themed vehicle. the rest are people or junk haulers. Odd isnt it.
Louis Subearth
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 16:11 |
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If I hear the name Caprice, either they're discussing the Chevy or they're discussing porn.Too many Caprice around the adult film industry.
MoFinWiley
> MojoMotors.com
08/27/2014 at 16:16 |
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Corvette? No vessel category?