Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2004 17:19:41 +1300
Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Head ON ... bad names
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.58.0403120952480.65010@gull.us>
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>My list of the worst-ever car names (for cars sold in the U.S.):
>
>1. Charade
>2. Gremlin
>3. Citation
>4. Aspire
Other baddies:
Dasher (Passat)
Rabbit (Golf)
Vigor (Honda Accord)
Acura (US name for some Hondas)
Infiniti (ditto for Nissan)
Applause (Daihatsu)
Chariot Thanks (Mitsubishi)
Kluger (Toyota softroader)
Monte Carlo (utterly inappropriate name that insults the racetrack)
Estima (Previa; often mispronounced "es-tee-ma")
Tarago (Aussie name for Previa and the Masterace/Townace small luxovan)
Monaro (pronounced "mon-ar-oh; large Aussie GM coupes, the current
model sold in USA as Pontiac GTO)
Homy (large Nissan van, also sold as Caravan and Urvan)
Urvan
Delica (mitsubishi van, often mispronounced "de-lee-ca")
Celica (as for estima & Delica)
Lotsa other Japanese names...
>id like to add "Toureg" to that list. sounds like "toe rag" and its a
rather stupid name if you ask me..
Actually it's prononced "too-uh-regg".
>Personally I was never fond of the name PROBE
Ah, the Mazda (correctly pronounced "mutts-duh") Capella-based
Frod-badged coupe.
>They sure look like the Porsche Cayenne. About the same size, too.
>http://www3.us.porsche.com/english/usa/cayenne/cayenneturbo/default.htm (fun
>exhaust sounds link)
>http://www.vw.com/touareg/
That's because they ARE the same. Different front styling, drivetrain
and interior. Same shell and doors.\
>And they should definitely get royalties from Toyota for the use of their
>name, IMHO.
Toyota??
>That's VW that is using that name for a Porsche designed SUV they sell [why
>and to whom I don't know]
The "Touarenne" (Cayereg?) was ajoint effort, unlike the Porsche 924,
which Porsche designed for VW for sale as an Audi.
>Definately an odd one. I think the Toyota Masterace deserves special
>mention, too. Named by someone who was either unfamiliar with English or
>unfamiliar with World War II.
MasterAce, meaning ace, not race. An upmarket peoplemover name for the Liteace.
>And then there's the Touaran to go along with Touareg, which I guess is the
>replacement for the Ford/VW joint venture minivan that was the VW Sharan and
>the Ford Galaxie (in Europe, mind you... I don't think the Touran, now and
>all-VW design, is coming to this side of the pond).
Actually the awful Sharan was a VW design, but also sold by Ford.
Just as numerous Mazdas were sold with Ford (or occasionally, in USA,
Mercury) badges.
