This just came up in our office chat, and we thought we'd move it over here because it's a fun discussion:
Our general consensus is that car names sound cooler than alphabet soup. We currently have an Infiniti QX55 as a press loaner, and we were discussing that we really didn't know how their current lineup of QX50, QX55, QX60 and QX80 differentiated themselves from a naming perspective. Thunderbird, Camaro, Grand Prix. Those are all cool names.
Some campanies have made both formats work—Ferrari comes to mind with Daytonas and 308s both having iconic presence.
So what's your favorite car name that's a number or an alpha-jumble.
Sadly it is gone but the best was when BMW had series for the first number and then engine size as the last two numbers. The letters that followed made some sense too with i= injected and s= sport and e= economy
I've always enjoyed Ferrari, like the 355 GTB, and the Datsun 240Z. Lamborghini is fun because it's power and driven wheels (LP550-4).
Jaguar is the dumbest right now because they just keep adding the same letters over and over (XKR-SR) but Infiniti is close.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:
The berkeleying Zero.
More votes for this thing. So weird, and a really good name if you can look past the World War II era connection
RX-7 has always appealed to me.
John Welsh said:
Sadly it is gone but the best was when BMW had series for the first number and then engine size as the last two numbers. The letters that followed made some sense too with i= injected and s= sport and e= economy
Like the 1.8l 320i in the late 70s? Or the 745i that was really a turbocharged 3.5l (might have been 3 liters)? (trollface.jpg)
No numbers, but I always liked saying MGB GT.
Oldsmobile 442
Originally stood for 4 barrel, 4-speed, dual exhaust. Changed the second year to 400 cubic inches, 4 barrel, dual exhaust.
Tom1200
SuperDork
7/22/21 2:27 p.m.
DeadSkunk (Warren) said:
510
A 510 is also known as a Bluebird whereas a 1200 is a Sunny........."lights up the day"
Tom1200
SuperDork
7/22/21 2:29 p.m.
In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :
That's a tough one to beat.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
John Welsh said:
Sadly it is gone but the best was when BMW had series for the first number and then engine size as the last two numbers. The letters that followed made some sense too with i= injected and s= sport and e= economy
Like the 1.8l 320i in the late 70s? Or the 745i that was really a turbocharged 3.5l (might have been 3 liters)? (trollface.jpg)
Sometimes I wonder how that system came to be. Like, did it start out as randomly assigned numbers, then sometime in the late 80s someone in the marketing department went "hey...we could line up the model numbers with the engine displacement!" and then they did that for a few years until turbos became a thing and that screwed everything up?
There were a few odd models along the way that didn't conform too, like how the whole Z3 range lined up except the first 2.5L model was called the 2.3 for some reason.
Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:
Oldsmobile 442
Originally stood for 4 barrel, 4-speed, dual exhaust. Changed the second year to 400 cubic inches, 4 barrel, dual exhaust.
Was 442 its own model, or was it a Cutlass trim level?
I always thought Mach I, Coronet 440, Chrysler 300 and Charger 500 were great names.
It's hard to make a number sound exciting, although "Zero" is far more daring than most. For alphanumerics, a Z can kind of help - BMW Z3, or the Nissan 240Z or 300ZX. Though "ZX" may be trying to cram too many Xtremely Kool LetterZ in there.
JG Pasterjak said:
Was 442 its own model, or was it a Cutlass trim level?
Started out as a trim level, then became its own model. Similar to the Pontiac GTO.
John Welsh said:
Sadly it is gone but the best was when BMW had series for the first number and then engine size as the last two numbers. The letters that followed made some sense too with i= injected and s= sport and e= economy
Don't forget the M1, M3, M5, and M6. 
(there were also the oddball variants here and there, like my M535i - the only external badging on it is a single ///M on the grille and on the trunk.)
Gzwg
New Reader
7/22/21 2:52 p.m.
A name that is a number? Fiat Cinquecento and Seicento are the only ones that come to mind that really look like names.
Some iconic numbers like 911, 917, 427 Cobra as well, but these are "just" numbers..
Have we mentioned the 6000 SUX yet?
Chrysler 300 - named after its power output back when a Plymouth came with a 97-horsepower engine
