Top 5 crazy names for cars
We’ve already covered weird names for cars and the motoring world just keeps on giving.
We know a lot of research goes into naming vehicles, but sometimes you have to think that the marketing team was having an off day. It also explains why some car brands stick to numbers (looking at your Peugeot) or keep it simple (BMW and Mercedes take a bow with your Series and Class).
Here are more crazy names for vehicles, thanks to Hot Cars.
5. Ferrari La Ferrari
Project F150 arrived in 2013 with Ferrari restricting production to 500 coupes, later adding 210 Aperta or Spider models. With no plans to release another V12 mid-engined supercar, the F150 represented the ultimate Ferrari road car. Boasting 700kW from a combined 6.5-litre engine and electric motor configuration delivering a top speed of 350km/h. Dropping the internal F150 project name in favour of LaFerrari for launch didn’t make a lot of sense; Ferrari LaFerrari simply means Ferrari The Ferrari. (FYI: Two Ferrari The Ferrari's live in Auckland.)
4. Austin Princess/Ambassador
Wedge styling being the norm in the late 1970s resulted in Austin’s 1975 Princess model and would go on to become the uglier facelifted Ambassador (above) model from 1982. Cheap corporate parts-bin interiors were shared with the company's Allegro models, reducing any possible hint of luxury or class implied by the model's name. Combined production exceeded 250,000 examples were produced with just a handful remaining registered for road use today.
3. Trabant 601 Limousine
Even when new Trabant 601's were outdated with pre-war mechanicals hiding under cheap duraplast bodies, incredibly this didn't stop nearly three million Trabbies being built in the former East Germany. Unrefined 2-cylinder two-stroke engines rated at 18kW remained the sole engine option throughout production lasting 26 years. Designed to provide cheap motoring to the masses, Trabants achieved that, even if performance, ride, and passenger comforts were not high on the priority list. Even standard models hinted at luxury with "limousine" and later "deluxe" branding despite the lack of luxuries.
2. Great Wall Wingle
Not to be mistaken with The Wiggles, the Chinese ute, Wingle 5, was set to be a hi thanks to it’s 2-litre diesel developing 105kW, all-wheel drive, and a twin cab configuration to boot. Borrowing heavily from rivals older models shows poor on-road handling and performance. Lacking modern refinement to match its rivals shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, with a twin cab pickup costing so little Great Wall's Wingle line-up should serve as an early warning to other carmakers. Like so many other Chinese manufactured goods, first comes value followed by quality later. With luck, any updates will not include the unfortunate Wingle name.
1 Kia K9
Boasting luxury, quality, performance, and even borrowing styling cues from market leaders Mercedes, Kia unveiled their K9 model in 2012 aiming to capture sales at lower prices. Adequate quality aside, Kia delivers when it comes to performance, 2020 models ship with 3.3-litre V6 engines delivering 272kW promising 100km in 5 seconds. Last-minute market research before launching in the important US markets revealed "K9" another term for a dog could have proved disastrous for the brand, fortunately, Kia US realised the potential issue with the car re-designated K900.
