10 Horrifically Ironic Car Names

From time to time, car manufacturers give their products names that allude to attributes they really don't have. We asked you guys to nominate the worst offenders, and these are some of the results...
10 Horrifically Ironic Car Names

1. Suzuki Esteem

Suggested by Michael Masin
Suggested by Michael Masin

‘Esteem’? Really?

2. Kia Pride

Suggested by Moogen
Suggested by Moogen

Kias are great cars these days, but this box of misery from the 90s isn’t something you’d take ‘Pride’ in.

3. Suzuki Swift

Suggested by Wheel Nuts
Suggested by Wheel Nuts

Yes, I know there have been fast Suzuki Swifts - you can still buy the Swift Sport, and the older Cultus-related Swifts even had GTI editions - but most are really, really slow. Does 0-60mph in 17.4 seconds sound ‘Swift’ to you?

4. Skoda Rapid

Suggested by CLShifter
Suggested by CLShifter

On a similar theme to the Swift, we have the Rapid from Skoda. And with the post powerful putting out a mere 120bhp from a 1.4-litre engine, ‘rapid’ it ain’t. Then there’s the old Rapid, which manages to puff out just 54bhp from its carbureted 1.3-litre engine.

5. Oldsmobile Achieva

Suggested by CLShifter
Suggested by CLShifter

As so well put by CTzen CLShifter, this car “achieved nothing bar accelerating the death of Oldsmobile.”

6. Daewoo Racer

Suggested by Gonzalo Ortega
Suggested by Gonzalo Ortega

The Daewoo Racer is the ironic gift that keeps on giving. It’s another name occasionally given for the ambitiously titled Daewoo ‘Le Mans’, a car which was sometimes called the ‘Heaven’. If this is what heaven looks like, sign me up to hell right now.

Remote video URL

OK, so this one’s a brand name and not a model, but still: ‘Brilliance’ was not a word that came to mind when watching the BS6 fold like paper during this 2007 crash test.

8. Mitsubishi Carisma

10 Horrifically Ironic Car Names

I genuinely can’t think of a car with less charisma than this.

9. Mini Countryman

10 Horrifically Ironic Car Names

The Mini brand as a whole got a lot of mentions on our original community question, but since the whole supermini sector it’s aiming for has gotten rather bloated (just compare a first-gen Ford Fiesta with the current one and you’ll see what I mean), we aren’t going to call the BMW subsidiary out for its mildly ironic use of the word ‘mini’.

However, where it is stretched too far (figuratively and literally) is when the name Mini is applied to the definitely not mini Countryman. And just look at it. Not exactly an oil painting, is it?

10. Hyundai Excel

Suggested by CLShifter
Suggested by CLShifter

Here’s a car that doesn’t excel at anything. Other than being dull.

Any more you can think of? Get to the comments!

Comments

F1 guy

Ummm I think you forgot the Skoda Superb. It’s seemingly the opposite of superb according to Jezza

09/02/2016 - 11:50 |
32 | 8
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson

In reply to by F1 guy

Superb was mentioned a few times, but they’re great cars - that was just a throwaway line from Clarkson years ago!

09/02/2016 - 11:59 |
56 | 0
Manuel Kunz

In reply to by F1 guy

The new Superb is really a great car in its class.

09/02/2016 - 14:08 |
4 | 0
FLixy Madfox

How ‘bout Ferrari La Ferrari? Which, if you don’t know, translates roughly to,

The Ferrari…

09/02/2016 - 11:50 |
308 | 24

Its only called LaFerrari, not Ferrari LaFerrari

09/02/2016 - 11:57 |
20 | 70

Ironic?
The only thing that the name states is that car is a Ferrari,which is true,and it actually means “THE Ferrari” as to mean this is the definitive Ferrari,which it is,too.
Irony? B*tch where?

09/02/2016 - 12:17 |
96 | 16

For some reason, لا (pronounced as ‘La’) means ‘No’ in Arabic.
So, it means that it’s a ‘Ferrari NoFerrari’. Okay, that’s a horrible pun xP

09/02/2016 - 14:11 |
44 | 12

That’s not the first time they did that.

The FF is another victim.
FF stands for “Ferrari Four”, their 4WD system.

That means the car is actually called Ferrari Ferrari Four.

09/02/2016 - 15:46 |
42 | 0

*The Ferrari The Ferrari

09/02/2016 - 20:56 |
2 | 4

EXCEL DULL?! UWOTM8

09/02/2016 - 12:37 |
4 | 0

They haven’t seen my mighty Excel then

09/02/2016 - 12:38 |
24 | 0

Never thought I would find you here lol (KanoniBrothers) :P

09/03/2016 - 14:50 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

MINI. Current MINIs are anything but MINI.

09/02/2016 - 12:00 |
38 | 2
Jan Berens

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

They should rename themselves to MAXI :D

09/02/2016 - 14:40 |
24 | 0
GunMax

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I don’t know what is the deal with the comments like “MINI is not MINI anymore blah blah blah.” True, MINI has grown a lot since the first Morris Mini came out a long time ago, but you will also find that almost every car, when compared to their equivalent from 50s or 60s, has got their size boost as well. People now days want their cars to be safer, has more high tech and space to fit their family, well guess what, when you cram all the technology and safety features into a car along with extra space that people want, the car naturally got bigger. A current generation Honda CRV is almost as big as a first generation Honda Pilot. Besides MINI is still considered small in its category, it is eighteen inched shorter than a Volkswagen Golf and nine inches shorter than a Honda Fit. I have no idea why you people consider MINI does not deserve its name.

09/03/2016 - 18:50 |
2 | 0
Robi

Number 1 and number 10 are Baleno and Pony in Europe,i don’t know which is worse.

09/02/2016 - 12:06 |
6 | 0
Akashneel

In reply to by Robi

Baleno and Esteem are different cars here. It is really confusing.

09/02/2016 - 12:48 |
2 | 0
Manuel Kunz

The Ferrari 512 BB (Berlinetta Boxer) would come to my mind. It may have the word Boxer in its name to celebrate that it has a 12 cylinder boxer engine under the hood but in reality it hasn’t. That is just a 180° V12.

09/02/2016 - 12:06 |
22 | 0

sooooooo where’s the difference?

09/02/2016 - 14:12 |
8 | 2
SuperSnake7

The nissan sunny? Don’t know about you, but I only saw ones that looked like they just came out of a heavy storm.

09/02/2016 - 12:08 |
110 | 0

The Nissan Gloomy

09/02/2016 - 13:27 |
30 | 0

Nissan Sunny GTi is a great platform for a proper sleeper.

09/02/2016 - 15:14 |
24 | 0

Do not dare to talk about Sunnys before you’ve driven one (Gti)
The older ones (B12/N13) are quite happy and bright looking too… at least for the time they came out

09/02/2016 - 19:47 |
4 | 0

Or a fire storm. ( The one top gear torched with a dragster)

09/05/2016 - 08:29 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

About the 0-60 on the swift: For which generation & engine is the time? Because mine did it in 12ish seconds with the old 8V 1.3.

09/02/2016 - 12:18 |
6 | 0
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

1.0-litre model from the 90s, otherwise known as the second-gen Suzuki Cultus

09/02/2016 - 14:07 |
4 | 2
Anonymous

Ahhh… the Carisma.

For those that have none.

09/02/2016 - 12:53 |
2 | 0
Martins Skulte

Nissan Maxima. cuz why not to call it after most disgusted supermarket franchise who murder and humiliate pepole. (outside Baltic region pepole might not understand irony)

09/02/2016 - 13:04 |
0 | 8

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