# How in the hell do they come up with these stupid car names?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [November 19, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759 "2005-11-19T03:03:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/1 "2005-11-19T03:03:33Z")
Toyota has a new car called the “Yaris.”
What the fuck is wrong with these people? Some car names make sense; aggressive animals (Jaguar, Mustang, Cobra) names that imply you’re a rich bastard (Regal, De Ville) or names that suggest the vehicle has a utilitarian purpose (Outback, Wrangler, Expedition.)
But “Yaris”? What the fuck is a “Yaris”? I cannot find any language in which “Yaris” is a word. Do you really think that prior to the introduction of this vehicle, anyone in the world was thinking “You know, if I were to buy a super compact commuter car, I’d really like it to have a name that sounds like a bachelor uncle from Norway.”
And while we’re on the subject, why the fuck is the Honda Civic called that? Was there a burgeoning demand for a car named after a boring high school course? Will be next see the Mitsubishi Chemisty?
And what the fuck’s an “Elantra”?
---
### Author:  [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/2 "2005-11-19T03:05:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> And what the fuck’s an “Elantra”?
Some sort of contraceptive, I’d say, if I didn’t know it was a car.
---
### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/3 "2005-11-19T03:06:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> And while we’re on the subject, why the fuck is the Honda Civic called that?
Don’t you dare, don’t you DARE trash talk my Civic! It’s a lovely little car getting 36-37 mph. Power windows and locks, Jensen audio system, AC. It’s doing its “Civic” duty! 😉
---
### Author:  [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/4 "2005-11-19T03:14:31Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> Don’t you dare, don’t you DARE trash talk my Civic! It’s a lovely little car getting **36-37 mph**. Power windows and locks, Jensen audio system, AC. It’s doing its “Civic” duty! 😉
If that’s its speed, obviously you couldn’t take it onto the highway. So, city driving only; hence, “Civic” 😉
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/5 "2005-11-19T03:15:43Z")
My favorite is the Mitsubishi _Pajero_, marketed as the _Montero_ in any place with a significant Spanish speaking population. _Pajero_ means “jerk-off” in Spanish.
---
### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/6 "2005-11-19T03:18:02Z")
> [@Manduck](#):
>
> If that’s its speed, obviously you couldn’t take it onto the highway. So, city driving only; hence, “Civic” 😉
:smack:
mp **G**.
There, smartypants.
---
### Author:  [@VegemiteMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegemiteMoose)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/7 "2005-11-19T03:24:56Z")
Call it the “PeopleFuckinMover 3000” for all I care but don’t, **do not** give birth to a series of shit-mercials like the " ‘Uncle Yaris’ pieces-o-crap, waste of time, irritating, ‘I was so mad I was gonna find out what they were trying to advertise _just_ so I could boycott it’ "
---
### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/8 "2005-11-19T03:55:32Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Toyota has a new car called the “Yaris.”
>
> What the fuck is wrong with these people? Some car names make sense; aggressive animals (Jaguar, Mustang, Cobra) names that imply you’re a rich bastard (Regal, De Ville) or names that suggest the vehicle has a utilitarian purpose (Outback, Wrangler, Expedition.)
>
> But “Yaris”? What the fuck is a “Yaris”? I cannot find any language in which “Yaris” is a word.
My theory is that the automakers do massive multilingual dictionary searches against their proposed names in otder to find the ones that do _not_ match anything in an existing language… precisely to avoid the embarrasing problem **Colibri** mentions in eir post. And if it’s unique and new, it’s trademarkable, too!
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> And while we’re on the subject, why the fuck is the Honda Civic called that? Was there a burgeoning demand for a car named after a boring high school course? Will be next see the Mitsubishi Chemisty?
The original '73 Civic was very much a subcompact car, almost a city micro car, much closer in spirit to the Smart Fortwo than the current Civic.
IMHO, the Civic has been getting larger and moving upmarket in each generation, especially lately. With the abandonment of hatchback models in Canada (except for the Si-R for the tuners), it is now very much a compact or even intermediate sedan, bigger then the Accord used to be.
I understand that Honda is bringing in the Fit subcompact next year to go where the original Civic did…
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/9 "2005-11-19T04:21:06Z")
The Yaris has been around for years. It’s just now being imported into the US to replace the Echo.
---
### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/10 "2005-11-19T04:32:46Z")
Isn’t _yaris_ the term for the yellowish discharge that accompanies gonorrhea?
---
### Author:  [@VegemiteMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegemiteMoose)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/11 "2005-11-19T04:39:03Z")
If it isn’t, it should be.
---
### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/12 "2005-11-19T06:59:45Z")
I’ve seen some little tin can of a vehicle arund ehre and there, tiny little thing, cheap as hell, you end up amazed it can be on the road at all.
I don’t knowwho the maker is, but it’s called the “Aspire”…and I instantly thought “Of course…because it aspires to be a real car someday…”
---
### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/13 "2005-11-19T07:18:42Z")
> [@Stoid](#):
>
> I don’t knowwho the maker is, but it’s called the “Aspire”…
Ford. Two of my friends have them.
---
### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/14 "2005-11-19T07:26:31Z")
> [@VegemiteMoose](#):
>
> If it isn’t, it should be.
Seconded.
And that is a 2/3 majority. I think we have a new definition of Yaris.
---
### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/15 "2005-11-19T07:42:49Z")
Thinking of Yiddish names for cars and their operators-none would make an ad campaign, though. 😃
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/16 "2005-11-19T07:51:29Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Thinking of Yiddish names for cars and their operators-none would make an ad campaign, though. 😃
“Did you take your Tuchis in for the emission test, dear?”
---
### Author:  [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/17 "2005-11-19T07:51:31Z")
Cecil’s column on the subject: [Why do car makers come up with so many meaningless car names?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_189.html) (I usually link to relevant Cecil columns in GQ as opposed to the Pit but hey, this is just too relevant.)
---
### Author:  [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/18 "2005-11-19T08:06:04Z")
[Yaris is leather art.](http://www.fao.lv/yaris/)
(Among other things, mostly last names as far as I can determine.)
---
### Author:  [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/19 "2005-11-19T08:19:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> And while we’re on the subject, why the fuck is the Honda Civic called that?
Honda’s website hints it’s because it is a car “[for](http://world.honda.com/investors/annualreport/2005/07.html) the [people](http://world.honda.com/CIVIC/history/01/02.html)”.
---
### Author:  [@J.Gelert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J.Gelert)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2005, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759/20 "2005-11-19T08:50:44Z")
Well, Toyota’s used some rather odd car names in the past:
Corolla
Tercel
Cressida
Supra
Camry (what the hell is a camry, anyway? Does it mean anything?)
Vitz (JDM only, as I believe it was called the Echo here. Vaguely cool name, though.)
Yaris sounds pretty normal by this point.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-hell-do-they-come-up-with-these-stupid-car-names/331759.md?page=2)