What Does the Acronym Cars Stand for

3
/
28

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. isn’t without its typical Italian quirks. On every new Alfa Romeo model, the letters D, N, and A are displayed prominently somewhere near the gear lever. Apart from a nod to the obvious biological acronym, the iii messages represent a range of operation options inside the vehicle.

• A.L.F.A: [Società] Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (Translation: Lombard Auto Factory Company (until 1920))
• Deoxyribonucleic acid: Dynamic, Natural, and All Weather Modes

iv
/
28

BMW

5
/
28

Cadillac

Despite what Cadillac’southward marketing department tells you, the “Five” in CTS-V and ATS-V doesn’t actually stand up for “Velocity.” The badge was introduced to signify the American automaker’s focus on V8 and outgoing V16 engines. The phrase “V for Velocity” was used later in life to market the high-performance models… just somehow it stuck. CTS and DTS, meanwhile, borrow a few classic nameplates.

• CTS: Catera Touring Sedan
• DTS: DeVille Touring Sedan
• V: V8 and V16 Engines

6
/
28

Chevrolet

Chevrolet has many acronyms to classify its famed Camaro sports coupe. The new ZL1 1LE is an example of an acronym within an acronym (neither of which stand for anything specific). Only what do they all mean? Three of the near notable trims, LS, RS, and SS, each have a range of performance credentials and options that separate i from the other.

• LS: Luxury Sport
• RS: Rally Sport
• SS: Super Sport

7
/
28

Dodge

Await past the barrage of Hellcat badges, and the Dodge lineup is filled with a few acronyms to signify its sporty implications. The R/T badge, for instance, was start introduced in 1967 on the Coronet. Presently after came the SRT badge to signify fifty-fifty more ability, and within the mix of it all, the 392 badge represented the amount of cubic inches under the hood.

• R/T: Route/Track
• SRT: Street & Racing Applied science
• 392: Cubic Inches of 6.four-liter V8

8
/
28

DS

Citroen’s luxury spin-off, DS Automobiles, arrived just a few years ago, just already the French marque is making waves with new arrivals like the DS 3 Crossback. While the name has historic ties to the Citroen DS, the two letters have their own pregnant here.

• DS:
  Unlike Spirit / Distinctive Serial

9
/
28

Ferrari

Ferrari borrows its most pop acronym from its F1 cars. The KERS hybrid system constitute on the LaFerrari is the first of its kind on a road-going Prancing Horse, and made its debut in motorsports as early on as 2008. Simply 1 of the newest letter in the Ferrari alphabet, ‘T,’ is also the oldest. Information technology’southward used to signify the turbocharged engine in the California convertible and GTC4Lusso, and the transversely mounted gearbox in the 312T.

• T: Turbocharged / Transverse
• M: Modificato (Translation: Modification)
• KERS: Kinetic Energy Recovery System

x
/
28

Ford

Ford has a history of iconic acronyms and initialisms, most of them are reserved exclusively for high-performance machines similar the Mustang and the GT supercar. Merely even the lowly Focus, Taurus, and Edge benefit with monikers like RS, SVT, ST, and others.

• SHO: Super High Output
• SVT: Special Vehicle Team
• ST: Sport Technologies
• RS: Rally Sport

11
/
28

Fiat

Though not normally written as an acronym, the word ‘Fiat’ is actually iv letters that combine to create a single phrase. The phrase, “Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino” loosely translates to mean “Italian automobile factory, Torino.”

• FIAT: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Translation: Italian Automobile Factory, Torino)

12
/
28

GMC

In 1909, General Motors bought the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and rebranded it as the GM Truck and Omnibus Division. It would later be shortened to GMC, and would somewhen be responsible for trucks, SUVs, and as information technology know information technology today, crossovers like the Acadia and Terrain.

• GMC: General Motors Company

13
/
28

Hennessey

Hennessey is in a category all its own: information technology’s both a legendary tuner – and every bit of late – a total-blown express manufacturer. Whatever the case, the Texas-based visitor uses a lot of acronyms and initialisms for its vehicles.

• HPE:
  Hennessey Performance Applied science
• F5: F5 Tornado, The Strongest Storm On The Fujita Scale

14
/
28

Honda

Two of the automotive world’due south most recognizable acronyms can exist establish on the backside of Honda’south finest performance models, specifically the Civic. The Si and Type R monikers are typically associated with loftier horsepower and enough of torque steer. Of class, information technology’s all powered with the aid of VTEC, bro.

• Si: Sport Injected
• Blazon R: Racing
• VTEC: Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control

fifteen
/
28

Infiniti

In 2010, Infiniti slapped an IPL badge and some go-fast $.25 on its G37 coupe giving information technology 348 horsepower (259 kilowatts). At the same time, the visitor added all-wheel drive to its lineup, signified past a single ‘X,’ available on both the sedan and coupe to counter that newfound performance.

• Ten: All-Wheel Drive
• IPL: Infiniti Performance Line

16
/
28

Jaguar

In an effort to make meaner some of its most potent offerings, Jaguar introduced the SVR acronym in 2016 to its F-Type sports car post-obit the Range Rover with the same proper name. The two cars represented the top of operation, all courtesy of Jaguar’s newly-formed Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division.

• SVR: Special Vehicle Racing
• SVO: Special Vehicle Operations

17
/
28

Lamborghini

The Lamborghini SV acronym made its debut on the iconic Miura in 1972 and hasn’t looked back. Information technology has since been worn past the Diablo, Murcielago, Aventador, and others, and signifies the highest in performance throughout the range.

• SV: SuperVeloce
• SVJ: SuperVeloce ‘Jota’

eighteen
/
28

Lexus

Lexus uses a single letter of the alphabet to place its top-trim models: F. The sixth letter in the alphabet non but represents the “flagship” models within the brand, but is besides a nod to the automaker’s domicile track, Fuji Speedway in Japan. According to Lexus, the models themselves also have unique names.

• F: Flagship / Fuji Speedway
• GS: Grand Sedan
• IS: Intelligent Sports
• LC:
  Luxury Coupe
• LS: Luxury Sedan
• NX:
  Nimble Crossover
• RC: Radical Coupe
• RX:
  Radiant Crossover
• UX:
  Urban Crossover

nineteen
/
28

McLaren

Britain’s favorite supercar maker has a ton of acronyms, initialisms, and numerals in its naming scheme. Information technology kicked off with the MP4-12C, and continues on with cars like the 570S and 720S. Its MSO department, too, is an initialism.

• LT:
  Long Tail
• MSO:
  McLaren Special Operations
• MP4-12C:
  McLaren Project 4, Vehicle Performance Index (12), Carbon

20
/
28

Mercedes-Benz

Today, most know the AMG badge by its performance credentials. Just the 3-alphabetic character acronym really contains the name of two of its founders: Hans Werner Aufrecht, and Erhard Melcher, and Aufrecht’southward birthplace of Großaspach in Germany. The more yous know.

• AMG: Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach

21
/
28

Nissan

Like the heralded GT-R sports automobile, Nissan’s Nismo performance arm is actually an acronym in itself. The original motorsports team made its debut in 1984 under the name Nissan Motorsport International Limited.

• NISMO: Nissan Motorsport International Express
• GT-R: Gran Turismo Racer

22
/
28

Porsche

Betwixt Porsche’south sporty S models and its high-horsepower turbo models, the GTS acronym splits the lineup and sits on the back of everything from the 718 Boxster to the Panamera to the new 911. And don’t forget the range-topping GT models – from GT2 and GT3 on the 911, to GT4 on the Cayman.

• GTS: Grand Turismo Sport
• GT2:
  Built To Meet GT2 Homologation Standards
• GT3:Built To Come across GT3 Homologation Standards
• GT4: Built To Meet GT4 Homologation Standards
• RS:
  Rennsport

23
/
28

Renault

The Renault Megane comes to us from France, with love. And with information technology, the sporty R.Southward. designation that signifies its sporty intentions. The latest model comes with upwards to 296 horsepower (220 kilowatts).

• R.S.:
  Renault Sport

24
/
28

Subaru

The WRX and STI monikers accept been around, in some grade or another, since the early ‘90s. Originally using the Impreza equally their base, the acronyms have taken on a life of their own in contempo years.

• WRX: World Rally Experimental / World Rally Cross
• STI: Subaru Tecnica International

25
/
28

Suzuki

Suzuki shelved U.S. operations in 2012. But oversees, the Japanese manufacturer withal has a stronghold in sure markets. With updated products like the Jimny, and behave-overs like the SX4, the company has enough of acronyms and initialisms across its range.

• SX4:
  Sports Ten Over iv All Seasons
• APV:
  All-Purpose Vehicle

26
/
28

Toyota

Post-obit the success of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team on the track, the Japanese automaker decided to prefer the aforementioned designation for the street. Oversees, the Yaris and 86 both have GR and GRMN badging to signify their sporty intentions.

• GR:
  Gazoo Racing
• GRMN:
  Gazoo Racing Masters Of Nurburgring

27
/
28

Volkswagen

The debate rages on equally to the true identity of the GTI moniker, just well-nigh concur that it stands for M Touring Injection to signify the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine under the hood. The hotted-upwards Golf game R, meanwhile, borrows its moniker from the racing squad, while the lower-level TSI and TDI engines give clues as to their inner workings.

• GTI: Grand Touring Injection
• R: Racing
• TDI: Turbocharged Direct Injection
• TSI: Turbocharged Stratified Injection

Newest slideshows

28
/
28