Do You Know the Nicknames of These Cars?
Written by Adam Markowitz
Last updated · 9 min play time
Every car gets an official name, but some earn a nickname - for better or for worse. This quiz will test your knowledge of automotive nicknames.
From concept to completion - every car gets a name. What may start as letters and numbers can transform into colorful names meant to entice to the public. But then the public gets chance to give the car another name - its nickname.
This nickname quiz tests your knowledge of automobiles' AKAs. These nicknames get earned for a car's appearance, its handling, or some unique defining feature that may or may have not been intended by the manufacturers.
See if you know all of the car nicknames in the circuit with this quiz!
Quiz written by
Adam MarkowitzCar Nicknames Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 192 Plays · No comments
Question 1
You might be surprised to learn that this nickname for the Volkswagen Type 1 is not the car’s official real name.
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AGolf
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BJetta
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CRabbit
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DBeetle
Beetle
According to one story, the VW was given the Beetle nickname by the son of the first person to import them into the UK due its buglike appearance. The name stuck and soon got switched to “Bug” when they crossed the pond and landed in the USA.
Question 2
Replaced by the Blobeye in 2003, the 2001 Subaru Impreza was given what nickname due its large round headlights?
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ADry eye
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BBugeye
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CPopeye
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DEye yai yai
Bugeye
Few people saw eye to eye with the Bugeye model and it was quickly replaced by the Blobeye, which only lasted a until 2006 when it was replaced by the Hawkeye. And if the eyes don’t have it, you can just call any of them a Scooby.
Question 3
Like a machine from the future coming back to destroy the competition, the supercharged Ford SVT Mustang Cobra earned what nickname?
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ATerminator
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BUltron
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CWall-E
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DMcFly
Terminator
There is much debate on why the nickname was Terminator. Some say it’s because of the movie, Ford fans say it’s because it terminated the competition, while others say it is because of the grueling testing regiment the 4.6l engine had to pass, and it terminated all of it. Any way you cut it, the name killed.
Question 4
Macho and muscular, the Lamborghini LM002 off-road truck has what Stallone-inspired nickname?
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ARambo Lambo
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BRocky Roadster
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CTango & Crash
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DCreed for Speed
Rambo Lambo
The LM stands for Lamborghini Militaria - a series of off-road utility trucks produced by Lamborghini. Like the Hummer, it was originally a military vehicle, but the LM found greater success a luxury sports SUV.
Question 5
When GM owned Saab and a portion of Subaru, they created the Saab 9-2X, which promptly received what nickname?
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ASubaraab
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BSaabaru
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CSusan
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DThe Bru
Saabaru
The 9-2X was built in Japan and used the platform and powertrains of the Subaru Impreza wagon but with restyled front and rear fascias to keep the Saab family resemblance going. That ultimately pleased very few people - only 10,000 were sold while GM owned its stake in Subaru.
Question 6
Among cars, is it the greatest of all time? Who knows? Just like no one knows exactly where the Pontiac GTO got what nickname?
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AToga
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BGoat
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CGo To
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DraGTOp
Goat
The GTO hit the scene in 1964 as a performance option for the Pontiac Tempest. John DeLorean is credited with taking the acronym GTO from the Ferrari 250 GTO. It stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, describing a car suitable for racing in multiple events.
Question 7
What nickname did designers give the Corvette ZR-1 because they were aiming to create the best corvette of all time, not to honor a cartoon?
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AThe Simpson
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BFamily Guy
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CArcher
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DKing of the Hill
King of the Hill
With a Lotus-designed engine, the ZR-1 earned its King of the Hill reputation and launched Corvette into the realm of supercars.
Question 8
Wheels Magazine introduced the Nissan GT-R as what Japanese monster in 1989 and the nickname has stuck ever since?
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AGodzilla
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BKing Kong
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CMothra
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DRodan
Godzilla
According to Wheels, the GT-R was a monster from Japan looking to slay the Sierra. The car earned its “Godzilla” nickname by utterly annihilating competitors on the race track.
Question 9
The Volvo 200 Series cars earned this nickname not for their appearance, but for their durability.
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AAsphalt
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BBrick
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CRebar
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DFabio
Brick
The Volvo 200 series was built to last. For its appearance, the Volvo 200 series also goes by “kyrpä” in Swedish, but we’ll leave you to look that up on a search engine.
Question 10
A favorite of hot-rodders, the 1932 Ford Model 18 was given what name in reference to its release year?
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ADirty Thirty Sedan
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BTwenty Three Skidoo
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CTrey Trap
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DDeuce Coupe
Deuce Coupe
The yellow Deuce Coupe featured in George Lucas’ <i>American Graffiti</i> is credited with reigniting a multi-billion dollar hot rod industry.
Question 11
What nickname for the Model T is thought to have originated from a 1922 race in Pikes Peak where it was unfavorably compared to an old can?
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AMessy Bessy
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BTin Lizzie
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CLilly the Filly
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DSloppy Jalopy
Tin Lizzie
During a 1922 race at Pikes Peak, Colorado, participant Noel Bullock named his Model T “Old Liz,” but its unkempt state made people compare it to a tin can, earning it the nickname Tin Lizzie. And the name stuck.
Question 12
Tentoumushi in Japanese, what cute moniker did the Subaru 360 get when fans wanted one to rival ‘Beetle’?
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AButterfly
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BSlug
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CLadybug
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DMosquito
Ladybug
One of the most popular cars in Japan, it’s resemblance to a Beetle earned its nickname and a devoted following that continues to this day.
Question 13
What mocking nickname did the Pontiac Fiero earn for its less than appealing construction materials?
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AIron Curtain
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BSteel Seal
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CAluminum Falcon
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DPlastic Fantastic
Plastic Fantastic
Pontiac designed the Fiero with bolted-on ‘Enduraflex’ plastic panels so that its entire body could be removed and replaced in just five hours. Which it turns out, made the vehicle an astonishingly attractive option for kit car companies looking to transform it into a knock-off version of '80s Italian exotica.
Question 14
The Toyota MR2 spelled out its configuration: Mid-engine, runabout, 2-seater – and also gave it what formal sounding nickname?
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AEmery
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BMartoon
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CTwo Arm
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DMister Two
Mister Two
Today, the Toyota’s much-loved mid-engine sports car has a strong following, despite the fact that in France "MR2" is pronounced "emmerdeuse," - which unfortunately means "crappy".
Question 15
Looking like something Ronald McDonald would step into, what was the BMW Z3 Coupe nicknamed?
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AClown Shoe
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BCircus Tent
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CClown Car
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DFun House
Clown Shoe
Resembling a clown’s shoe with its fixed roof, the Z3 Coupe may have been ugly but its steering, chassis balance, suspension tuning, and wonderful, free-revving inline-six all combined to make it an incredible driver’s car.
Question 16
What nickname did the President of GM North America give to the 2015 Corvette C7 Z06 when he introduced it to the North American International Auto Show?
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ABig Tasty
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BBig Bang
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CBig Nasty
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DBig Ben
Big Nasty
The nickname stuck and proved to be true as the 2015 Corvette Z06 with its 625-horsepower supercharged V8 and aero tweaks is indeed a nasty competitor to supercars costing three times as much.
Question 17
Delivering racing victories instead of baked goods, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB was stuck with what nickname due to its shape?
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AThe Toaster
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BMuffintop
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CBreadvan
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DLadyfinger
Breadvan
The SWB was built to compete against the new 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO at Le Mans and other FIA GT races. The nickname 'Breadvan' was first used by the English press who probably were not very optimistic about the car's strange appearance with its very low pointed nose, long flat roofline and square rear end. That is, of course, until it won.
Question 18
What nickname did the Porsche 911 earn because the engine mounted behind the rear wheels caused you to abruptly change directions when cornering?
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AWidowmaker
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BOld Drifty
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CRed Devil
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DCornholer
Widowmaker
The early 911 Turbos that were also notorious for turbo lag, so if you managed to keep it straight going into the corner, the sudden power boost mid-corner could still kill you.
Question 19
Thanks in large part to its gigantic hood decal, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am earned what nickname?
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AFirefeathers
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BPeyote Penguin
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CScreaming Chicken
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DAngry Eagle
Screaming Chicken
Talking about the origin of the hood decal, Muscle Machines magazine said, “Gas prices rising? Insurance companies out to eliminate youthful exuberance? Disco? Is it any wonder the shape of the Screaming Chicken pretty much boils down to two outstretched middle fingers?”
Question 20
In a nod to its length, what nickname was given to the Buick Electra 225?
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AStretch
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BElectra Assassin
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CDeuce and a Quarter
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DLong John Silver
Deuce and a Quarter
The 225 in the name referred to 225 inches, the length of the Electra. Deuce is 2 and Quarter is 25. Big cars get even bigger nicknames.
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