Car names have been carefully selected to sell you a concept of yourself or your life. In the spirit of living up to expectations, this list of the top ten car names has been compiled with style and performance equally in mind.
Murciélago (Spanish for "bat") was a Spanish fighting bull whose survival rallied the crowd to call for the matador to spare him. Gifted to the Miura Ranch, it became one of the bulls that inspired Ferruccio Lamborghini to adopt the animal as the symbol of his enterprise. The Lamborghini Murciélago was the stunning successor to the formerly reigning Diablo, with an even lower-slung chassis and scissor doors, the first generation clocked 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
From first roll out, the Dodge Viper was a muscle car. Its power was undeniable; excelling in speed tests it clocked a quarter of a mile in 12.6 seconds powered by a 711 lb engine from Dodge trucks. The Viper also received high style marks despite the questionable decision to omit side or rear windows, contradictorily lowering the potential expense of auto glass repair while increasing the likely expense of indoor parking.
Taking its name more from the form of the stingray's body than its element of danger, the Chevy Corvette Sting Ray is sleek and graceful. Since 1963, excluding the squared-off 80s models, the design inspiration for the Sting Ray has been evident in way the lines emulate a ray in motion.
Named after driver Pierre Veyron, the 1939 24 Hours of LeMans winner, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is hailed as being one the few exotic car lines whose style and price is matched by performance. The Pur Sang (French for thoroughbred) boasts a sleek carbon and aluminium design and with 1001 hp it can attain speeds of up to 400 km/h.
Meaning "the road" in Spanish, the name "El Camino" conjures images from Spaghetti Westerns. Following no rulebook, the Chevrolet El Camino "utility coupe" debuted in 1959. Among its notable features, the first edition was loaded with a 348 V-8 mated to a four-speed and clocked 0 - 100 km/h in 7 seconds, setting the bar high both in and out of its class.
Taking its name from the International Race of Champions all-star competition, the Chevy Camaro IROC-Z was introduced in 1985 and immediately racked up accolades including Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list of the year. Performance driven due to its racecar origins, the car's name suits its image.
Titans were a ruling race of deities in Greek mythology. Several Titan vehicles have capitalized on the legends: The Nissan Titan, an award-winning full-sized pickup truck offering only King or Crew Cab models; the Volkwagen Titan, a champion commercial tractor trailer that dominates at competition; and the Leyland Titan, an English double-decker that suffered the same fate as its namesake, being rendered obsolete by its successor, the Olympian.
Though the name tops many lists, the quintessential Mustang is the star of the movie Bullitt. In one of the most famous car chases in cinema, Steve McQueen races through the streets of San Francisco in a 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 CID Fastback.
Since 1911, the company eventually known as Alfa Romeo has been a dominant force in specialised and luxury cars, and a champion on racing circuits. Innovators in body design, aerodynamics and leaders in engine development, Alfa Romeo couldn't sound more steeped in testosterone, yet it's branded vehicles that don't contain numbers have distinctly female names.
