The six best car names we just can't get enough of
Cars mean a lot of things to a lot of different people but one thing we can all agree on is that a car with a good name always makes it a great car*.Naming conventions of vehicles are held in high regard for manufacturers and for good reason. For a lot of people, a car is more than just four wheels to get you from A to B. It’s the look and feel, the lines and curves, the shine and the metal, the sound and the smell. The name a brand gives to its product is therefore very important.
To be fair, you wouldn’t want a V8 tough-truck named the 'Daffodil' nor would you want your small city hatchback named the 'Dragon Slayer' (Ed. To be honest if Toyota rebranded the Corolla to Dragon Slayer we wouldn’t be complaining).
Some people believe in love at first sight, while I believe in love at first listen and here were some of the cars I instantly fell in love with when I first heard their names!
*Disclaimer a great name doesn’t automatically lead to a great car.
Foton Big General
The Big General is commonly a nickname that is reserved for a particular type of person who is incredibly imposing! It’s the sort of name you give to your man-mountain mate, or that big angry full-forward that is putting fear into the eyes of the opposition team. Funnily enough, this 'Big General' seems like it’s the Big Copy-Cat as it’s basically a Chinese replica of the popular Ford F-150. But still, you’re going to get a lot of street cred when your colleagues on the building site ask what you’re driving. Move over Wildtrak and Rogue X, the Big General is in town.
Land Rover Defender
When you think of a defender you generally think of someone that is strong and brave; which works for Land Rover’s go-anywhere 4x4! The name also calls back to the car’s origins as a wartime vehicle during World War II as the Land-Rover which evolved into the vehicle we know today. The Defender name didn’t appear on the vehicle it represents until 1990 when the ‘Series’ naming conventions made way for names.
Lamborghini Diablo
You would have to be pretty confident in your product to name it after the devil but that’s exactly what Lamborghini did with the Diablo. Lamborghini does have some beautiful sounding cars with the Diablo’s successor, the Murcielago (translates to the bat) and ironically enough the Diablo’s predecessor, the Lamborghini Countach (translates to plague or contagion). Everything seems to sound better in another language especially when they’re quite ominous. The Lamborghini Diablo is an iconic ‘90s sports-car which has embraced its name, and if you’re as much of a fan of it as I am and have a bigger wallet, you can currently pick one up on carsales for a casual $429,990.
Ferrari 812 Superfast
Ferraris aren't really known for their practicality but for the very unpractical price you'll pay for one, why should that matter? Now the practical thing would be to give a car a numerical name in a series or a name that reflects a place. Ferrari thought why not add a bit of mystique into the naming of our cars on top of numbers. While Ferrari La Ferrari is super original (translates to Ferrari the Ferrari), we’ve gone for the Ferrari 812 Superfast as our favourite. Now that’s a name that tells you exactly what you’re getting. SuperFast by name, SuperFaster(er) by nature.
Ford Ranger Raptor
If another Jurassic Park movie gets made, Ford would be crazy not to tee up some sort of product integration with a Ranger Raptor or F-150 Raptor into the film. The name sells itself, doesn’t it? Think about it, if you were driving away from dinosaurs wouldn’t you want an all-terrain, tough raptor helping you get to safety? I sure would! It’s no secret that Aussies love the Ranger Raptor and while there’s a lot more to them than a sweet name, it certainly helps! The power and strength of the ute wouldn’t quite be the same if it was named the Ford Ranger Diplodocus, even if it was the exact same vehicle.
Dodge Viper GTS
There’s just something about name Dodge Viper that speaks to me on another level. Even when I say the word Viper I put on an incredible amount of emphasis on it. Try it, you can’t possibly say the word Viper without it sounding like you’re saying “Viii-p-eerrrrr”. As far as ‘90s sports cars go, the Viper stood out for all the right reasons with its speed stripes, long bonnet with air intakes and the bright colours. The name's origin is said to be a tribute to the AC Cobra sports car in which it was inspired. The Dodge Viper is certainly a car, I can’t get enough of. As a kid I couldn’t stop playing Gran Turismo and I bet you can guess what car I always chose. Yep, the Dodge “Viii-p-eerrrrr”.
Find your own Dodge Viper GTS here on carsales.
These are some of my favourite car names, but what do I know about names? I named my dog after a Tarantino movie…
Related: How these famous car brands got their names
Related: Our top tips for giving your car a suitable name on Name Your Car Day
Related: The cars you might need for when the apocalypse comes
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