[Obin Robinson]

Other than the Pontiac "GTP", this has actually bugged me for a long time. MOMO makes a seat called the "NASCAR". They have many other seats, and those seats are often used by racers in those series, or at those locations of which they name the seats after.
Nobody in NASCAR's leagues use MOMO seats. All NASCAR teams run aluminum seats built by Kirkey, Richardson, or Butler. The steering wheels in NASCAR are all made by Grant, though a few teams here and there run oddball wheels made by others (not MOMO or Sparco). The shifters in NASCARs are generic polyurethane, aluminum, or other materials selected for weight and heat reasons. No MOMO there.
So if nobody uses MOMO products in NASCAR... and for safety reasons NASCAR teams don't run anything but aluminum seats (which MOMO doesn't make)... so why do they have a lightweight fiberglass sportscar racing seat called the "NASCAR"?

Any other oddball auto product names that don't make sense to you?
obin

 

[alfafan]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

The following cars do not race at the (serious)events in the cities they are named after: Pontiac LeMans,Chevy Monte Carlo,Chevy Monza etc..

 

[garbage]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (alfafan)

"Protege" pisses me off to no end.

 

[David Votoupal]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (garbage)

Basically anyone who uses a great and long-established name but fails to live up to it. Period.

 

[Crazyquik]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (David Votoupal)

Speaking of seats, what type of seats are you going to use in the race car Obin?
J.

 

[Obin Robinson]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Crazyquik)

quote:[HR][/HR]Speaking of seats, what type of seats are you going to use in the race car Obin?
J.[HR][/HR]​

aluminum. haven't decided which manufacturer but i know it will be aluminum. they're rigid, light, and have great lateral support. you can also add head protection to the sides of the aluminum seats. however, there were a few fibreglass and kevlar ones i liked also.
obin

 

[VWteknik]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

Corrolla, Camry, Accord, Protoge, Reatta, Cimarron, Allante blah blah blah.....basically any name that doesn't sound like a real word or most foreign words for a car made in a different country. I know Accord and Protoge are real words, but I still hate 'em.

 

[brownie]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

Ones that confused me...
Festiva - (Is it a party in that box?)
Prelude - (Prelude to what? The S2000?)
Lumina - ???
Taurus - (The car does not look like a bull)
Dynasty - (hahahahh)
Windstar - ???
Mirage - ???
Esteem - ??

 

[GoFastChickenwing]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (brownie)

dodge spirit

that car is anything but spirited, ecxluding the R/T.


[Modified by GoFastChickenwing, 10:35 PM 2-9-2002]

 

[A4Jetta]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

Acura Vigor: This car is pretty un"vigorous" until the current TL arrived.
Honda Inspire: What kinda of inspiration can I get on this car?

Acura RSX: What the hell is R-S-X
Subaru WRX: same as above with W-R on front?
Subaru Legacy B4: What does it appear "BEFORE?"
Ford F-Series: The F means f**k??

 

[Gumby17]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (A4Jetta)

I was also thinking about this the other day...I don't know why Japanese auto makers come up with vague names for their cars. Even VW comes up with some weird names
Honda:
- Civic

(I never got this...another "people's car ?")
- Accord
- Prelude
- CRX
- Del Sol
- CR-V
- Odyssey
Toyota:
- Camry

(Maybe because it's a luxury car and it has to be subtle ?)
- Supra (an image comes to mind of a Japanese guy saying SouPWAH !!!)

- Corolla (The dumbest name for a car I can think of)
VW:
- Touareg

http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif

(Not even going there...)
- Passat
- Polo
- Golf
- Jetta/Vento/Bora
WRX: W and R are "world rally"
The X may be for cross, because that is principally what the WRX is used for...in rally competitions
Who knows who comes up with these names. I'm glad that most of these autos are decent though and aren't some monstrosity like that one called the "AZTEK !!!"

Joe

 

[lip]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Gumby17)

Toureg -however you spell it, is the worst name I have heard. They should just call it Colorado. No brainer really.
Phaeton-sounds like the name of a hearse-
Again, D1 made sense to me. Sounded cool, prestigous, and followes the path set by VAGs upscale friends in this country. I would love to have a shot at some of these names. Heck maybe they would even pay me for it. At least I could try to help.
Either way, if I had a say, there would be no car branded Phaeton in my line-up
My mom had a:
Caddilac Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance-
A French car

It was aqua/teal with a white interior and white vest. That vest was more of a dinner jacket, since it covered the entire roof.
I used to call it the UC

 

[A4Jetta]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (GreenWeenie)

BMW's number designations are not that smart either, or its just too ///marketing oriented.
318 is 1.9L
320 is 2.2L
323 is 2.5L
540 is 4.4L
Mercedes followed BMW by doing the same number designations by minus 2 liters. C240 is 2.6L.
Then came Mercedes's "what the heck" interior trim names. Classic, Elegance, Avantgarde and Ambiente. What's so "classic" about a taxi trim E-Class with hub caps, crack window and velour seats?

[Modified by A4Jetta, 11:27 AM 2-10-2002]

 

[Crazyquik]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

i just noticed watching the Budweiser Shootout today that Dale Jr is partly sponsered by Sparco.

 

[Obelix]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (A4Jetta)

quote:[HR][/HR]Then came Mercedes's "what the heck" interior trim names. Classic, Elegance, Avantgarde and Ambiente. What's so "classic" about a taxi trim E-Class with hub caps, crack window and velour seats?

[HR][/HR]​

Hehe, VW is not far behind on this one. They have Bora Basis, Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Must be a German thing.
The most annoying car names IMO are from Japan and Korea. Miata? Camry? Millenia?? Sephia??? SPORTAGE?!

 

[ClownCar]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Obin Robinson)

I get a chuckle every time I hear Audi 'Frontrak' ... It it is front wheel drive, call it front wheel drive.

 

[Eolair]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (A4Jetta)

quote:[HR][/HR]
Then came Mercedes's "what the heck" interior trim names. Classic, Elegance, Avantgarde and Ambiente. What's so "classic" about a taxi trim E-Class with hub caps, crack window and velour seats?

[HR][/HR]​

Hmm, Stripper doesn´t sound too well

Almost every manufacturer has skipped the letters (like GL or GLX) for names like Elegance.
Toyota´s trim level names are creative: Linea Luna, Linea Terra, Linea Sol.
Phaeton is a silly name: In greek mythology Phaeton, the son of Helios, was the first crash-kid, stealing the sun chariot from his father almost crashing it into earth (and thereby destroying it).
And in recent automotive history, Phaetons were always convertibles.
Touareg, I still don´t think it´s the most silly name for an SUV.

 

[A4Jetta]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (Eolair)

Audi has discontinued its "Atmosphere" concept used from 98-2001. There are no more "Advance", "Ambition" and "Ambiente" when choosing a 2002 A4 interior, you only got color names like Ebony, Blue, Beige and Plantinum.

 

[zero]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (A4Jetta)

How about Golf? You can't even fit a set of golf clubs in the back.

At least not without putting the seat down or fitting them in all crooked.

 

[zero]

Re: Automotive product names that don't make any sense. (GreenWeenie)

quote:[HR][/HR]

mine fit fine sideways. and it's not golf the sport it's gulf, like the gulf stream. but we americans are too stupid to know that.[HR][/HR]​

Well not in a Golf 4. They put this paneling on the inside of the hatch that reduced the width of the space by around 6 inches on each side.
And regardless of the origins of the name, golf still means golf in english. If they wanted it to mean something else, they should have come up with another name for this market. So whether the names comes from streams or butterflies or whatever, you still can't fit golf clubs in a golf. The irony!