The SuperTurboThrust 3000

Cars have fascinated me for years. But what’s also fascinated me are some of the names. And at Grain, I’ve had an insight into the importance of the right name, and the process of selecting one.

I’ve always thought the name of the model has a big role to play in how people perceive the car. The name has to reflect what the car is all about. For example, the Land Rover Defender isn’t going to be a little town car. The names of car models can give life to what is essentially a piece of machinery, a tool to aid our travel. Lamborghini have always won me over with their models names. The Diablo, the Murcielago, the Gallardo, the Aventador. They sound as mad as the cars. The Lamborghini Escort would be a bit of a disappointment.

There are a few that in my opinion should have given the naming of car models a higher priority. McLaren’s latest model the MP4-12C, a fantastic car, technologically incredible and designed to perfection. Really a fantastic feat of engineering. But if you were lucky enough to own one and then asked what you drive, “a McLaren 12C” doesn’t really sound as impressive as the car itself. “A McLaren SuperTurboThrust 3000”…better?

I like cars to have proper names. It helps to evoke the personality of the car. More and more though, cars are named with numbers and codes. The Q3, 5, 7, the 1, 3, 5, 7 Series and so on. For example you might see a car for sale that the advert reads: ‘BMW 320D 2.0 SE’. Even if you understand what it all means, it has no personality.

There have been some great car names, which some current car manufacturers could take note of: the Jenson Interceptor, the Dodge Viper or the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. I’d much rather say, “I drive an Interceptor” rather than an “A8.” Shouldn’t a name be more than just a way of distinguishing one product from another?

Image credit: GPS 56 CC 2.0