undo Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Introduction to this topic I really like the way Rockstar parodies real-life locations, media, vehicles, etc. That's why I am interested in the etymology of the names used in GTA games for those. It's really interesting to find out the reason behind those names. And many times, that reason confirms us which are the real counterparts of the in-game representations. Location names are fairly easy to trace (Liberty City and Vice City speak for themselves; LS, SF e LV are also obvious cases). But the same doesn't happen with vehicles. So, hoping that some other people here share my interest, I'd like to discuss the etymology of GTA IV (and also III-era) car names. What is known, or assumed Some of the etymologies are quite obvious, like the Infernus or the Stallion ones - and they confirm the real-life models those cars were modelled after. But the majority is still a mystery. So let's see which cars have its origin traced. I think there is general consensus about this, but if you have something to say against it, please go ahead. (NOTE: Real-life counterpart cars (RLC) refer to the first appearance of the vehicle in the series - when the name was given for the first time) Club RLC: Volkswagen Golf Etymology: most probably, from 'golf club' Dukes RLC: Dodge Charger Etymology: this is the car featured in the TV series 'the Dukes of Hazzard' Infernus RLC: Lamborghini Diablo* Etymology: Diablo is Spanish for 'the devil'; Infernus is Latin for 'hell' *Beta GTAIII Infernus was called 'Dyablo' and was much more similar to the Lamborghini Diablo than the final version Marbelle RLC: Ford Granada Etymology: Granada is a Spanish city of Andalusia and so is Marbella. The beta name of Marbelle was actually Marbella. Minivan RLC: Dodge Caravan Etymology: the car's a minivan. The name also resembles 'caravan'. Phoenix RLC: Pontiac Firebird Etymology: the Phoenix is a mythic fire-bird Sabre RLC: Oldsmobile Cutlass Etymology: 'cutlass' is a type of sabre Stallion RLC: Ford Mustang Etymology: 'mustang' and 'stallion' are horse-related terms (mustang is a breed of horse; stallion is any unneutered horse) Stinger RLC: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray* Etymology: from 'Stingray' *according to gtwiki. First appearance in GTA 1. Stretch RLC: Lincoln Town Car Etymology: from 'stretch limousine' Washington RLC: Lincoln Continental Etymology: both A. Lincoln and G. Washington are renowned US presidents Of course, no-one's 100% sure of this except for the R* guys who came up with the car names, but it's reasonable to assume these are the etymologies of these cars. Speculation, theories and clues There are some further theories for the etymology of some other cars' names. Some of them are much plausible and most possibly correct, some others are more speculative. For some other cars, there are only loose clues. Admiral RLC: Mercedes-Benz W123 Etymology: anagram of Daimler ("Admirel"), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz cars? Cavalcade RLC: Cadillac Escalade Etymology: 'cavalcade' resembles 'cadillac' and 'escalade'. Can there be more to it? Coquette RLC: Chevrolet Corvette C5 Etymology: play on 'corvette' with witty meaning ('coquette' means "woman who flirts lightheartedly with men") Dilettante RLC: Toyota Prius (apparently not relevant) Etymology: some say 'Karin Dilettante' was named after psychologist and game violence researcher Karen Dill, who has in many times criticised the GTA games. R* would be calling her a 'dilettante', that is, "an amateur who regards herself as a professional" Feltzer RLC: Mercedes-Benz R107 Etymology: gtwiki suggests: "The name of the Feltzer may be a play on the sexual act of "felching" " Feroci RLC: Lexus GS/Nissan Cefiro Etymology: The word is Italian for 'ferocious' (plural). gtwiki suggests: "The name Feroci is an anagram of "Cefiro", possibly a reference to the Nissan Cefiro, whose 1995-1998 and 1999-2003 models share a similar profile with the Feroci" Fortune RLC: Ford Thunderbird Etymology: gtwiki suggests it's from Ford Thunderbird Futo RLC: Toyota Corolla Levin Etymology: gtwiki says: "The name "Futo" is a diminutive of the working file name during production, "Dorifuto", a Japanese loanword for car drifting" Habanero RLC: Lexus RX/Toyota Harrier Etymology: gtwiki suggests it's from Porsche Cayenne ('cayenne' and 'habanero' being two kinds of hot sauce) Hakumai RLC: Honda Accord Etymology: from gtwiki: "The name of the car means "rice" in Japanese. This may be a reference to the term "rice burner", as the Accord is a popular car to modify." Kuruma RLC: Dodge Intrepid/Chrysler Sebring? Etymology: 'kuruma' is Japanese for 'car' or 'vehicle'. But its RLC doesn't seem to be Japanese... Landstalker RLC: Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ? Etymology: from Land Roamer (vehicle of GTA2), which in turn comes from Land Rover. 'Rover', 'Roamer' and 'Stalker' are similar words in meaning. Lokus RLC: Lexus GS Etymology: play on 'Lexus' with witty meaning ('lokus' is German for toilet) Manana RLC: Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant Etymology: 'Mañana' is Spanish for 'morning'... reference unknown... Moonbeam RLC: Chevrolet Astro Etymology: both 'astro' and 'moonbeam' are astronomy-related terms ('astro' is Spanish for any heavenly body). Oracle RLC: BMW 7 series Etymology: from BMW Oracle Racing? Pinnacle RLC: Nissan Maxima Etymology: 'Pinnacle' as synonym of 'Maximum'? Pony RLC: Dodge Ram van Etymology: both 'ram' and 'pony' are quadruped animals...? Regina RLC: Chevrolet Caprice? Etymology: 'Regina' is Italian for 'queen'... Schafter RLC: Mercedes-Benz W220 Etymology: possibly related to 'shafting' (slang for 'having sexual intercourse')? Both Schafter and Feltzer are modelled after Mercedes-Benz models, and both are presumed to refer to sexual practises - can this be a clue of some sort? Or maybe they just chose German sounding dirty words and there's nothing more to it. Sentinel RLC: Chrysler Sebring?* Etymology: *"Sentinal" was the beta name of Kuruma, which is based on a Chrysler Sebring. The name was later used for the BMW-like final-version Sentinel, but the etymology is most probably related to the Kuruma. Turismo RLC: Ferrari F40 Etymology: 'Carro de Turismo' is Portuguese (and possibly Spanish?) for 'Touring Car' (as in 'touring car racing') Voodoo RLC: Chevrolet Impala Etymology: car used by Haitians. Voodoo is a religion from Haiti Many other cars have obscure etymologies. To name a few (or almost all of them): Alpha,Banshee,Blista Compact,Bobcat,Buccaneer,Bullet,Cadrona,Chavos,Cheetah,Cognoscenti,Comet,Contender,Elegant,Emperor,Esperanto,Faction,Glendale,Greenwood,Idaho,Ingot,Intruder,Merit,Mesa Grande,Oceanic,Perennial,Premier,Presidente,Primo,Rancher.Rebla,Ruiner,Solair,Stafford,Stratum,Sultan,Tampa,Vincent,Willard,Windsor... and others. ________________ What is your opinion of this subject? Do you agree with the existing theories? Do you have proposals for new ones? Or maybe you don't give a f*ck about etymology? Please share your points of view! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidamelo Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Great topic, friend! But I think Stallion looks more like a Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Sabre looks more like a Monte Carlo (in GTA IV). Bobcat is the funniest name for me, I always laugh when I read it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Spock Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I'm pretty sure the Landstalker is based on the Toyota Landcruiser. More to do with the look, but also I'd say that the Sentinel is based on the bmw m-series cars. With the Sultan Rs, it's supposed to be based on the suburu impreza and mitsubishi evo, and those cars are popular with young guys who like to mad and pimp out their cars. In the UK, particularly among dudes of a south asia/mid east origin -- therefore Sultan.... ? Interesting topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uNi Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Pretty interesting thread undo, you left a 'e'(and) slide there btw, up on "Location names are fairly easy to trace...". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feral Slug Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 The Stallion is in NO WAY a Mustang! the Sultan RS is in NO WAY an Impreza! You people have no brains... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Notorious MOB Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Many other cars have obscure etymologies. To name a few (or almost all of them): Alpha,Banshee,Blista Compact,Bobcat,Buccaneer,Bullet,Cadrona,Chavos,Cheetah,Cognoscenti,Comet,Contender,Elegant,Emperor,Esperanto,Faction,Glendale,Greenwood,Idaho,Ingot,Intruder,Merit,Mesa Grande,Oceanic,Perennial,Premier,Presidente,Primo,Rancher.Rebla,Ruiner,Solair,Stafford,Stratum,Sultan,Tampa,Vincent,Willard,Windsor... and others. Alpha - From the Mitsubishi GTO. It could be that it was one of the first Misubishi/Japanese cars to sell quite well in the US, hence Alpha meaning first. Banshee - The noise given off by fast cars (in this case the Dodge Viper) as they whizz by, similar in sound to a Banshee. Blista Compact - A compact version of the Blista featured in GTA 3.. other than that I don't know. Bobcat - Named after the desert dwelling animal - a reference to the the trucks offroad capabilities Buccaneer - A pirate - maybe it just sounded like a cool name for a car?? Bullet - A reference to the speed of the vehicle (same applies to comet, cheetah etc.) Elegant - Refers to the luxury of the car. Same goes for Emperor, Presidente, Windsor (Windsor Castle) etc. Mesa Grande - Named after the Mesa Grande ruins in Arizona. Again a reference to the car's off road capabilities Rancher - Another rural/off road reference. It's also a vehicle that would be commonly driven in texas and other places where Ranches appear. Ruiner - All I got for this is the cars slogan on the liscence plate which reads: "Ruining Imports since '67" Possibly refering to how people believe that Japanese cars are ruined by American companies when they are effectively cloned by them. For the rest I aint got a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokrie Dela Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 The Stallion is in NO WAY a Mustang! the Sultan RS is in NO WAY an Impreza! You people have no brains... The Sabre GT/Turbo is closer to the mustang then the stallion. I always though the stallion was a Pontiac.... Im not too smart on cars though, all i know is the Sabre GT is a NICE Looking car haha Incidently, the Sentinel means "guard" and Perrenial means ever-lasting - the latter has been in all GTA's since 3. Not sure the sentinel was in VC or SA..... The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Click here to view my Poetry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTA 1911 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I believe the Sultan is based on the Toyota Altezza and the Evo 5. As for the Sabre GT that's definitely a Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blingy Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Alright some clarification needs to be here real quick. These cars are only in GTAIV cannon though so please don't get bent out of shape if the Stallion is a Mustang in GTASA and in this it's an Olds. Sultan - 2004 Toyota Altezza with the drivetrain of a Subaru Imprezza. Stallion - 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Landstalker - 2008 Ford Expedition Esperanto - 1982 Cadillac Seville Rhapsody - 1975 AMC Pacer (Based off of the first scene from Waynes World when they sing "Bohemian Rhapsody. Best movie ever.) Ruiner - 1986's Chevrolet Camaro (Based off of the fact that the Camaro was one of the cars that won the SCCA races, beating all of the imports that were said to win I guess, and the fact that Camaro's were first produced in 1967 and they have been destroying Imports in drag racing and road racing since then?) Contender - 2006 Ford F-150 (Based off of the fact that the Ford F-Series truck is contending to be the best sold truck in the United States?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTA 1911 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Rhapsody - 1975 AMC Pacer (Based off of the first scene from Waynes World when they sing "Bohemian Rhapsody. Best movie ever.) Ahh good find and very clever of Rockstar to think of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undo Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Thank you for the comments. Overall, the Stallion doesn't strongly resemble a Ford Mustang, but I think the III-era Stallion clearly draws inspiration from it. (Starting by the name...) Bullet - A reference to the speed of the vehicle (same applies to comet, cheetah etc.) Elegant - Refers to the luxury of the car. Same goes for Emperor, Presidente, Windsor (Windsor Castle) etc. It does make sense that "comet" and "cheetah" are references to the car's speed, but I'd be a bit disappointed if there's really nothing more to it. I'm always expecting clever/witty references behind the vehicle names... Oh well. Sultan - 2004 Toyota Altezza with the drivetrain of a Subaru Imprezza. That could be a clue. 'Altezza' is Italian for 'Highness' (as in 'your royal highness'). Rhapsody - 1975 AMC Pacer (Based off of the first scene from Waynes World when they sing "Bohemian Rhapsody. Best movie ever.) I didn't know this Rhapsody car - I've checked it out now. The reference seems clear. It's a good find indeed. Ruiner - All I got for this is the cars slogan on the liscence plate which reads: "Ruining Imports since '67" Ruiner - 1986's Chevrolet Camaro (Based off of the fact that the Camaro was one of the cars that won the SCCA races, beating all of the imports that were said to win I guess, and the fact that Camaro's were first produced in 1967 and they have been destroying Imports in drag racing and road racing since then?) It makes sense... I don't know anything about this car, so I just have to trust your knowledge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Scratch Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Aries is the first sun sign in the Zodiac in Greek Tradition so it has something to do with the Manana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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