Super-secret car name decoder story
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Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 750
Likes: 24
From: USA
Super-secret car name decoder story
Super-secret car name decoder story
You know what 'Mustang' means. How about 525i, TL, STS, ES300, 9-2X...
September 9, 2004: 11:04 AM EDT
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Remember when cars had names? Evocative, sometimes powerful, sometimes way off the mark, like Mustang, New Yorker, Bonneville and Capri. They meant something, or at least were easy to remember.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/a...oder/index.htm
You know what 'Mustang' means. How about 525i, TL, STS, ES300, 9-2X...
September 9, 2004: 11:04 AM EDT
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Remember when cars had names? Evocative, sometimes powerful, sometimes way off the mark, like Mustang, New Yorker, Bonneville and Capri. They meant something, or at least were easy to remember.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/a...oder/index.htm
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,475
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Re: Super-secret car name decoder story
Originally posted by Gekko
Super-secret car name decoder story
You know what 'Mustang' means. How about 525i, TL, STS, ES300, 9-2X...
September 9, 2004: 11:04 AM EDT
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Remember when cars had names? Evocative, sometimes powerful, sometimes way off the mark, like Mustang, New Yorker, Bonneville and Capri. They meant something, or at least were easy to remember.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/a...oder/index.htm
Super-secret car name decoder story
You know what 'Mustang' means. How about 525i, TL, STS, ES300, 9-2X...
September 9, 2004: 11:04 AM EDT
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Remember when cars had names? Evocative, sometimes powerful, sometimes way off the mark, like Mustang, New Yorker, Bonneville and Capri. They meant something, or at least were easy to remember.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/a...oder/index.htm
5 for BMW mid-sized "5" series.
2.5 for 2.5 liter engine displacement.
i for fuel-injected.
TL
T for Acura sedan series (vs. coupe)
L ........?
STS......Cadillac lingo for Standard Touring Sedan
ES300
ES......?
300 for 3.0 liter engine displacement.
9-2X
9-2 for Saab entry-level series
X for All-Wheel-Drive (infiniti uses the same "X" code for the AWD G35X)
Driver
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma
Too bad they missed Lexus.... My sc400 is definately not a convertible...
Let's take, for example, the Lexus LS 430. The second letter in any Lexus car's name indicates the body style. An S is a sedan, an X is a sport/utility vehicle and a C is a convertible. The 3-digit number is based on the engine size in liters. So the LS 430 has a 4.3 liter engine, and a GS 300 has a 3.0 liter engine.
But other than that, they are close.... Kinda.
Let's take, for example, the Lexus LS 430. The second letter in any Lexus car's name indicates the body style. An S is a sedan, an X is a sport/utility vehicle and a C is a convertible. The 3-digit number is based on the engine size in liters. So the LS 430 has a 4.3 liter engine, and a GS 300 has a 3.0 liter engine.
But other than that, they are close.... Kinda.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 21
From: California
Re: Re: Super-secret car name decoder story
STS actually stands for Seville Touring Sedan.
This name had already been created back in the 80s, when the boxy Sevilles were around. The letters STS were imprinted on the aluminum rims.
The STS name did not become this model's sole designation until the early-mid. 90s.
Jon
This name had already been created back in the 80s, when the boxy Sevilles were around. The letters STS were imprinted on the aluminum rims.
The STS name did not become this model's sole designation until the early-mid. 90s.
Jon
Originally posted by mmarshall
525i....
5 for BMW mid-sized "5" series.
2.5 for 2.5 liter engine displacement.
i for fuel-injected.
TL
T for Acura sedan series (vs. coupe)
L ........?
STS......Cadillac lingo for Standard Touring Sedan
ES300
ES......?
300 for 3.0 liter engine displacement.
9-2X
9-2 for Saab entry-level series
X for All-Wheel-Drive (infiniti uses the same "X" code for the AWD G35X)
525i....
5 for BMW mid-sized "5" series.
2.5 for 2.5 liter engine displacement.
i for fuel-injected.
TL
T for Acura sedan series (vs. coupe)
L ........?
STS......Cadillac lingo for Standard Touring Sedan
ES300
ES......?
300 for 3.0 liter engine displacement.
9-2X
9-2 for Saab entry-level series
X for All-Wheel-Drive (infiniti uses the same "X" code for the AWD G35X)
Pole Position
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: California
Originally posted by TeeDub
Too bad they missed Lexus.... My sc400 is definately not a convertible...
Let's take, for example, the Lexus LS 430. The second letter in any Lexus car's name indicates the body style. An S is a sedan, an X is a sport/utility vehicle and a C is a convertible. The 3-digit number is based on the engine size in liters. So the LS 430 has a 4.3 liter engine, and a GS 300 has a 3.0 liter engine.
But other than that, they are close.... Kinda.
Too bad they missed Lexus.... My sc400 is definately not a convertible...
Let's take, for example, the Lexus LS 430. The second letter in any Lexus car's name indicates the body style. An S is a sedan, an X is a sport/utility vehicle and a C is a convertible. The 3-digit number is based on the engine size in liters. So the LS 430 has a 4.3 liter engine, and a GS 300 has a 3.0 liter engine.
But other than that, they are close.... Kinda.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 750
Likes: 24
From: USA
I thought:
Lexus
ES = Executive Sedan
LS = Luxury Sedan
SC = Sports Coupe
IS = ? Sedan OR International Sport?
GS = ? Sedan OR Grand Sport?
RX = ? SUV
LX = ? SUV
GX = ? SUV
Acura
TL = Total Luxury
RL = Real Luxury
CL = ?
MDX = ? SUV
Lexus
ES = Executive Sedan
LS = Luxury Sedan
SC = Sports Coupe
IS = ? Sedan OR International Sport?
GS = ? Sedan OR Grand Sport?
RX = ? SUV
LX = ? SUV
GX = ? SUV
Acura
TL = Total Luxury
RL = Real Luxury
CL = ?
MDX = ? SUV
Last edited by Gekko; Sep 9, 2004 at 01:09 PM.
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 4
From: Ohio, USA
Originally posted by Gekko
I thought:
Lexus
ES = Executive Sedan
LS = Luxury Sedan
SC = Sports Coupe
IS = ? Sedan OR International Sport?
GS = ? Sedan OR Grand Sport?
RX = ? SUV
LX = ? SUV
GX = ? SUV
Acura
TL = Total Luxury
RL = Real Luxury
CL = ?
MDX = ? SUV
I thought:
Lexus
ES = Executive Sedan
LS = Luxury Sedan
SC = Sports Coupe
IS = ? Sedan OR International Sport?
GS = ? Sedan OR Grand Sport?
RX = ? SUV
LX = ? SUV
GX = ? SUV
Acura
TL = Total Luxury
RL = Real Luxury
CL = ?
MDX = ? SUV
GS= Grand Sedan
Lexus claims the SUV' designations don't stand for anything, though people have hypothesized the "X" denotes "cross-terrain" or "4x4" and the first letters may stand for "Refined" "Grand" and "Luxury"
Not too familiar with Acura, thought I've heard people claim RL stood for "Replacement Legend"
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,475
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Re: Re: Re: Super-secret car name decoder story
Originally posted by Baby ///M3
STS actually stands for Seville Touring Sedan.
This name had already been created back in the 80s, when the boxy Sevilles were around. The letters STS were imprinted on the aluminum rims.
The STS name did not become this model's sole designation until the early-mid. 90s.
Jon
STS actually stands for Seville Touring Sedan.
This name had already been created back in the 80s, when the boxy Sevilles were around. The letters STS were imprinted on the aluminum rims.
The STS name did not become this model's sole designation until the early-mid. 90s.
Jon
Lexus Champion
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,175
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
Mercedes
The letters in front of Mercedes car names, like E320, indicate the "class." Sedans are C, for the least expensive, E or S, for the most expensive. SUVs are M or the more exclusive G. Convertibles are, in order of expense, the SLK, CLK and SL.
The letters in front of Mercedes car names, like E320, indicate the "class." Sedans are C, for the least expensive, E or S, for the most expensive. SUVs are M or the more exclusive G. Convertibles are, in order of expense, the SLK, CLK and SL.
Looks like they forgot the CL.
Lexus
The first letter in a Lexus name indicates the relative size and cost of the car. The higher in the alphabet the letter is, the higher the price. For some reason -- a Toyota spokesman wasn't sure why -- the R SUVs are an exception to this particular rule. They are actually the least expensive Lexus SUVs.
The first letter in a Lexus name indicates the relative size and cost of the car. The higher in the alphabet the letter is, the higher the price. For some reason -- a Toyota spokesman wasn't sure why -- the R SUVs are an exception to this particular rule. They are actually the least expensive Lexus SUVs.
The last time I checked the letter "E" comes before "I"
So according to the descrambler the ES should be smaller and less expensive than the IS - neither of which happen to be the case.
The IS starts at least a thousand dollars below the ES which is a larger car in all respects.
___________________________
It is my opinion that any one of us on this forum probably could have authored a better article on the matter.
M.
Last edited by whipimpin; Sep 10, 2004 at 08:50 AM.
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Posts: n/a
Acura
Acura's two- and three-letter combinations mean absolutely nothing. They're just completely made-up combinations of letters.
One exception that rule -- or lack of one -- predates Acura's overall move to letters. When the Acura NSX sports car was in development in the 1980s that name stood for New Sports Experimental.
Acura's two- and three-letter combinations mean absolutely nothing. They're just completely made-up combinations of letters.
One exception that rule -- or lack of one -- predates Acura's overall move to letters. When the Acura NSX sports car was in development in the 1980s that name stood for New Sports Experimental.
Last edited by LexFather; Sep 10, 2004 at 12:18 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 3
From: OHIO
Originally posted by squarehat
IS= International Sedan
GS= Grand Sedan
Lexus claims the SUV' designations don't stand for anything, though people have hypothesized the "X" denotes "cross-terrain" or "4x4" and the first letters may stand for "Refined" "Grand" and "Luxury"
Not too familiar with Acura, thought I've heard people claim RL stood for "Replacement Legend"
IS= International Sedan
GS= Grand Sedan
Lexus claims the SUV' designations don't stand for anything, though people have hypothesized the "X" denotes "cross-terrain" or "4x4" and the first letters may stand for "Refined" "Grand" and "Luxury"
Not too familiar with Acura, thought I've heard people claim RL stood for "Replacement Legend"
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exdakine
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