China Has Nicknames for Cars, and They’re Quite Funny
To most enthusiasts, it’s normal to bestow an affectionate nickname to a car. In China, it’s no different.Â
Whether it’s intended or not, it’s human nature to show affection toward people who make you happy with a nickname. Some are unique, some are catchy, and some are outright embarrassing. For cars, it’s appearing to follow the same principle. It’s not unheard of for people to name their beloved automotive sidekicks a name (like, Julie, Betty, Penelope – you get the idea). Printed in an article for Quartzy by Echo Huang, China takes pet names a step further. With nicknames like “Gangster in a Suit” or “Spicy Buns,” there’s either some disguised hatred mixed in there, or some undercover love. Let’s break down the popular ones.
A personal favorite is the nickname they have for the Bugatti Veyron: “Fat Dragon (肥龙(féi lóng).” This one is fairly conceivable, especially since the Veyron is more round around the edges and fairly wide in comparison to most super cars on the market. Additionally, the Veyron is insanely quick and sometimes the exhaust pops flames upon hard acceleration, so it makes sense. According to Huang, “ron” at the end of Veyron sounds a lot like the Chinese word for dragon, “long.”
To circle back to the names mentioned earlier, the title “Gangster in a Suit” belongs to all models of the RS series by Audi. Clearly going off of appearances, the sleek look of the RS Audi’s are well deserving of the name. The exterior is curvy, sleek, and don’t appear to be a car that packs a seriously quick punch at first glance. Though, they are. The RS series have some models that are astonishingly fast, so the name seems to fit the model just fine.
The name “Spicy Buns” belongs to a VolkswagenLamando. Huang says that it’s due to “Lamando” sounding very similar to the delicious food. Upon that realization, it’s not difficult to see why people would decide to call it by the food as opposed to the actual model name. After all, “Spicy Buns” does sounds a lot cooler than “Lamando” any day of the week. It’s not a demeaning name, or particularly affectionate, but it’s unique nonetheless!
Akin to the nickname donned by the VW Lamando, both the name Porsche and the model Panamera have an alternate meaning in China based on similar pronunciations. Porsches, are called “Broken Shoes.” The name isn’t one that would give anyone the warm and fuzzies, but it’s hysterical to imagine people referring to their expensive sports cars as “Broken Shoes” Granted, it’s not a name bred from malice, it’s just a fun way to dance around the pronunciation – same with the model mentioned. For Panamera, we get one that warrants a solid chuckle: “Touch All the Unwanted Places.” Picture it: “Hey, wanna take a ride in my Broken Shoes Touch All the Unwanted Places? It’s actually pretty fast!”
These were four out of a long list of hilarious and sometimes very fitting nicknames for cars sold and driven in China. What are some nicknames you have for cars and their makes?
