Alphabet soup in car names

[trinacriabob]

I am really getting sick of this whole trend. Cadillac has embraced this a little too strongly. We all know what an Escalade is - it quickly brings up imagery. However, STS, CTS, XLR, DTS, did I forget any....nuts. I mean, we all know what they are, but then we're really tuned into this whereas average consumers aren't to the same extent.

Pontiac is doing this G# thing. I sure hope the new Bonneville isn't a G8. Can't they think of something else? How about this -- the Pontiac Angola? J/K.

I voted "Yes...I am sick of it." Between retros and alphanumeric naming of cars, it makes me wonder if designers and marketing people have reached the limits of their creativity.

[Cory Wolfe]

I voted "Yes...I am sick of it."  Between retros and alphanumeric naming of cars, it makes me wonder if designers and marketing people have reached the limits of their creativity.

[Variance]

First, yes, you forgot SRX.

As for the topic, the alphanumeric naming only bothers me when it's done in a stupid way or for no good reason. Case in point, Lincoln's sudden fascination with the "MK" names. Out of the blue, right before the Aviator is to be introduced to the world they decide "nah, forget 'Aviator', let's call it 'MKX' now". And the Zepyhr...instead of naming it "MKZ" from the start, they intro it as "Zeyphr" and then kill the name for "MKZ" not even a year later. Then they don't want to change "Navigator" because the name has too much equity (they'd probably say the same of the Town Car). So they have half their cars with alphanumeric names and half with actual words. So why bother with the alphanumerics at all?

[Flybrian]

Lincoln's switch to alphnumerics is perhaps the valley of the whole movement. Its so contrived and without focus Lincoln themselves don't even get what its all about. Zephyr...no, MKX...no, M(ar)KX...no, wait...

At least Cadillac's had some rhyme and reason.

[Camino LS6]

Hate them - always have.

[Sixty8panther]

I think it works with sme brands, like Audi... it's perfect. Benz has always had a weird naming system too. Infiniti has an okay system butd Acura's names are just retarded.

I'm not thrilled about Cadillac because they have no tradition of it and their names are so valued in the classis car market place and loved by even currnet customers. Coupe Deville, Eldorado, Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance... they're fantastic names for luxury cars.

Pontiac even more so I DO NOT think should use Alpha-numerics. It's lame. Esp. G6. WTF is that? It doesn't even sound kind of exotic like XLR or M45. G6 is a freeking laptop computer. Christ GM, why kill a nameplate as loved as Grand Am? Now that there's a 4-cylinder version of the G6 I really hate the name.

[thegriffon]

Cadillac does have a long tradition of numerical car names, just not the one they're using now. For that matter most of the older car manufacturers started out with alpha/numerical model designations, with few exceptions gradually introducing model names after WWII. Some Chevrolets had numbers into the '50s, Cadillacs into the '70s. Citroen flirted with model names before going back to letter codes, Fiat is going back to numbers but in written form (600, 16 etc.).

[trinacriabob]

First, yes, you forgot SRX.

Right you are. That's the attractive wedgy-shaped wagon, right?