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Metropolis.co.jp Friends

Past Issues

752: Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon
A reborn classic earns a (near) perfect 10
748: Nissan GT-R
It’s fast, sexy and a bargain. So what’s the catch?
744: Jaguar XF
The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving
736: Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages
732: Dualis & X-Trail
Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough
728: Toyota Vanguard
Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need
724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe
716: Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan
712: Licensed to Drive
We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle
708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance
Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi
704: Car Knows Best
Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many
700: Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces
696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby”
692: BMW R1200GS Adventure
The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece
688: Lexus LS460
The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable
684: Alfa Romeo Spider
We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip
680: Ford Mustang
The American classic goes back to its roots
676: Citroën C6
The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries
672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch
668: Jaguar XK
Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export
664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy
652: Premium wheels
Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year
648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century
644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud
640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down
636: Name dropping
What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments
632: BMW Mini Cooper S
All hail the mighty Mini!
628: Mazda Roadster
Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts
624: Hyundai Sonata
A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan
621: Lexus IS350
Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally
616: Volvo XC90 V8
A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety
612: Chrysler 300C
This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring
608: The Big Ideas
Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza
604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow
597: Three brothers
We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces
593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada
The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage
589: Mazda Demio Sport
A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country
585: BMW K1200S
The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove
581: Chrysler’s Cruisers
The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful
577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX
If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again
573: Cadillac STS 4x4
America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory
569: Tour de Force
Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price
565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream
560: Driving the Future
The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles
556: Deja vu
Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom
552: Sports sensation
Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class
548: Lean machine
Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS
544: Kings for a day
The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys
539: Rules of the road
New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns.
537: Open roadster
William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible.
535: Extreme makeover
Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees.
533: Sporting chance
Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin.
531: Street smarts
Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros.
529: Speed zone
Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over.
527: Italian Stallion
The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away.
525: Hot wheels
A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride.
523: Mean Machine
William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT.
521: Show stealers
Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports.
519: Mighty mouse
Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering.
517: Trail blazer
Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes
515: Up to speed
The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments.
513: Good save
Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering.
512: The road ahead
Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup.
509/10: Top of the class
Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives.
507: Mom-mobiles
Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars.
505: Cubic's rube
Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling.
503: Globe trotters
Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo.
501: Back to the future
Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide.

ISSUES 499-
ISSUES 449-
ISSUES 399-
ISSUES 349-
ISSUES 299-
Cars&Bikes
By Chris Betros

Name dropping

What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments

Mitsubishi Pajero
Courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors

They say a car tells you a lot about its owner. In that case, what sort of personality, taste and self-image would you associate with someone who drives a Ractis, Vitz, Cube, Fit, Note, Pajero, Belta, Wish, Sylphy, Voxy or Spike. How automakers choose the names for their new models can be a mystery to those outside the industry, especially in Japan, where English names can sometimes elicit a chuckle.

Whereas European automakers favor letters and numbers for their most popular models (Jaguar XK, Audi A3, BMW 5, Mercedes-Benz CL Class, Volvo C70), US carmakers frequently opt for animals and places (Ford Mustang, GM Yukon, Chrysler Aspen). Japanese automakers, on the other hand, have a different challenge. They turn out far more models each year than their foreign counterparts and have to come up with a dazzling array of names—Toyota, for one, has more than 60 listed models on its website.

“Toyota selects the most suitable name from among a number of candidates proposed by our domestic sales planning division, taking into consideration the concept behind the vehicle model and who are to be the target users,” explained Paul Nolasco, assistant manager in the public affairs division of Toyota’s corporate communications department. “Names are decided about 16 months before the market launch of a completely new model. The selected name is approved up to the executive vice-president level.”

Naming a car requires input from various divisions, said Simon Sproule, corporate
vice-president of global communications at Nissan. “Our model naming committee meets monthly and is chaired by the chief operating officer. Attendees are executives from all major functions such as engineering, design, product planning, communications and marketing, as well as senior marketing people from North America, Europe, Japan and the rest of the world.”

Sproule says that there’s a lot to consider. “The process starts with a selection of names that is narrowed down to three for the committee to decide or reject. This process is typically done up to two years before a launch, although we recently did one name eight months in advance. Checks are done by the legal department (to make sure no one has already registered the name) and also on language to make sure the name fits in all intended markets and does not mean something obscene or offensive in another language or culture. The process is very open, and we freely discuss pros and cons before coming to a consensus.”

The question of how a model name sounds in another language has long been the butt of jokes concerning Mitsubishi Motors’ Pajero. As any Spanish speaker will affirm, one meaning for “pajero” is “wanker.” Perhaps mindful of such jokes, Mitsubishi posted an explanation of the name on its Japanese website. The moniker is derived from gato pajero, the Spanish term for a wildcat native to the grasslands of South America. There are several species of this cat, one of them scientifically classified as felis pajeros. From this came the name Pajeros—and the wildcat emblem was featured on the early Pajero SUVs.

Toyota Ractis
Courtesy of Toyota

Toyota’s Ractis is another name that could be misread at a glance. “The Ractis is sold only in Japan, hence the lack of need to consider its name from a global aspect,” said Nolasco. “The model was conceived as an ‘active space runner’ (in somewhat Japanese English), which led to ‘Runner with Activity and Space’ (a little Japanese English there, too), from which letters were chosen to create the name Ractis.”

Nissan’s Sproule said things can get very interesting when discussion turns to how a model should be named for overseas release. “We recently held a meeting where a US product was discussed. All members contributed to the discussion. This is one of the most interesting meetings I attend and, sure, sometimes we see some quirky stuff. But it is all part of being a global company,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the US, scientists seem to have taken over the marketing meetings, giving us the Pontiac Solstice, Honda Element and Chevrolet’s Equinox and Cobalt, for example. But what exactly were Porsche’s marketing people thinking of when they decided to call their SUV the Cayenne—a pepper? Things could be worse. When Ford was preparing to market its much-maligned Edsel nearly 50 years ago, it asked poet Marianne Moore for some possibilities for its name. Among her suggestions were Resilient Bullet, Ford Silver Sword, Mongoose Civique, Varsity Stroke, Pastelogram and Andante con Moto.

Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp .

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