Names that WIN and names that FAIL

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AlexGTV

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I would like to focus on real words (i.e. Mondeo, Corolla e.t.c) than acronyms or trivia names (i.e. NSX, SLK, GSX etc.) if you agree.

So, which car names do you find the most pleasing and which the most harsh?

My choises:

WIN:
Impreza, Mustang (badass), Viper, Charger, Skyline, Corvette, MiTo, Giulietta, Escudo/Vitara (both do it for me), Chevelle, Laguna, DeLorean, Escort, Enzo, Testarosa, Griffith (it swits perfecty) Murcielago, Esprit, Insignia, Lacetti, Miata, Supra (it mediates 'super' to the unconscious with sounding better), Focus, Vanquish (vrooom!)

FAIL:
Qashqai , Accent (Accident anyone?), Yaris, Auris, Aygo (Toyota has run out of ideas), Cayman (caveman anyone?), Sunny, Dart Swinger , Ka, Golf, Polo (c'mon what's next, Cricket?!), Picasso, Matiz, (...and Van Gogh? NEXT!), Samurai, Bravo, Roomster, Midget (though honest mind you)
 
Win: Fairlady Z, GTO (Ferrari or Pontiac), Miata, 'Cuda, Thunderbird, Stingray,

Fail: Chevy Nova (translate that into Spanish), AMC Gremlin, and every city car & hybrid only; Smart, Insight, Leaf, you get the idea.
 
Win: Sagaris (Some sort of Weapon), Cerbera(A Mythological Beast), Diablo(Devil), Countach(Like phwor in Italian), Oh and SUPER Turbo :D

Fail: Carlton, Insignia, Vectra, Kitten, Not much to say about these though
 
FAILS: Nissan Cedric, Daihatsu Naked, Volkswagen Bora, Honda Jazz

WINS: Subaru Forester, AC Cobra, TVR Cerbera
 
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the biggest car name fail of them all, the Ford Probe.

My favorite naming win would probably be the Dodge Challenger.
 
Fail:

MR2 (If you live in France this actually sounds like an AUP violating word for "dog poo"!)
Nova (Translates to "Doesn't go" in Spanish!)

AlexGTV
FAIL: Cayman (caveman anyone?)
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Erm... This vicious little bugger is a Cayman:
animal30.gif
 
Smallhorses
Fail:
Nova (Translates to "Doesn't go" in Spanish!)
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I think I should clarify this. Nova would mean "doesn't go" if it had a space inbetween the No and the va, "no va"... but actually, if you read it like it reads, Nova, it means just that, a star. It's not a bad name at all nor has a bad reputation amongst spanish-speaking folk (:
 
Win - Testarossa just for showing how cool the Italian language is. If Ford came out with the "Ford Redhead," everyone would wonder what they were drinking at that meeting.

Other wins - Legend. Really, it takes some guts to name your car "Legend." "Hudson Hornet" is pretty good. "AMC Hornet," not as much.

Both: "Prowler" is also a good name for a car, but it was so poorly done that it now connotes failure.

Fail: PT Cruiser. Any word intentionally misspelled, like the Cruze and Aztek. I couldn't look at that badge everyday. That may even carry over to Infiniti.
 
Sertsa
Other wins - Legend. Really, it takes some guts to name your car "Legend."
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A FAIL in my books. Reminds me of Les Dawson on Blankety Blank (probably only British people will know what I'm talking about).

"Please reveal the leg end!"
 
Win:
Ferrari California. Bad ass car and bad ass state.

Elise. A woman's name. You don't see a lot of cars with that, and I think it fits the car perfectly.

Fail:
Flex
Edge
xD - always reminds me of the "xD" face
Focus

Man, what is it with Fords?
 
WeinerSchnitzel
Win:
Ferrari California. Bad ass car and bad ass state.
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Wait, have you been to California? I wouldn't describe it as badass.
Elise. A woman's name. You don't see a lot of cars with that, and I think it fits the car perfectly.
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An Elise is actually a flower.

While I don't really agree with you on the subject of the Fords you listed, the xD did make me chuckle. I have noticed that before.

Also, another win would be the Ford Explorer. It just sounds cool. And another fail would go to Lexus and Infiniti names. C'mon! Give your cars some real names, not just a combination of letters and numbers.
 
FAIL: Pajero (means wanker in Spanish)
WIN: Commodore, Monaro, Torana, Clubsport, Falcon, Maloo (Aboriginal for Thunder!!), Stingray, about a bazillion other American muscle cars.
 
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Win: Zonda, Exige, RS, GT3/2/1, Sciroco, Carrera, Kombi, D Type, XKR, SLS, SLR, Evora, California, Intergrale, Z, Super Bird, Judge, Mitsuoka.

Fail: Proton Savvy, Ssangyong Stavic (what the other side of the world knows as a Rodius), Gallardo (sounded way cooler without the Italian pronounciation), Great Wall Motors.
 
...Golf, Polo (c'mon what's next, Cricket?!)...
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Plymouth: Been There, Done That

the Plymouth Cricket was a rebadged Hillman Minx (?)!!
 
Sniffs
Plymouth: Been There, Done That

the Plymouth Cricket was a rebadged Hillman Minx (?)!!
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Probably named after the small insect and not the sport, do half of Americans even know what cricket (the sport) is?
 
WIN: Eldorado, Coupe Deville, The Brougham appellation, Continental Mark..., Town Car, Sixteen, Imperial, Fleetwood and muscle cars from the 60's

FAIL: Alphanumeric Names, worst cases are Lexus and BMW (Z4 sdrive35is or whatever they call it today might be different tomorrow.)
 

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