Car Initials/letters

CaptainK · 02-19-2002, 08:01 AM

Hi All,
Just a curious question.
Some cars have different letters after their names like GT, GTO, RX..... and so on. I was wondering if those letters actually mean anything, or stand for something, or if they are just there to make the car model sound better.

Thanks,
CaptK

**Ninong** · 02-19-2002, 09:12 AM

They are supposed to mean something. GT = Grand Touring; GTO = Gran Turismo Omologato--it's Italian for Homologated Grand Touring; Mazda uses RX to designate cars with rotary engines.

Ninong

Penguin · 02-19-2002, 12:28 PM

LX=least expensive

**drlowz** · 02-19-2002, 03:01 PM

I've got the Toyota Camry LE.....

jlazo · 02-20-2002, 12:44 AM

Lexus uses the lettering to name the cars in their line, no meaning, just a different way of naming.

Honda and Toyota use the lettering to denote trim levels.

jwtrojan44 · 02-20-2002, 08:31 AM

On the old Ford LTD, it stood for Luxury Trim Decor. My grandfather wouldn't drive anything else so he knew all about them (I guess).

icemark · 02-20-2002, 12:00 PM

DX = Deluxe (read cheapy base model)
LX = Luxury
EX = Extended Luxury
LE = Luxury Edition
CE = Cheap Edition (read cheapy base model)
SE = Sport Edition
SE = Special Edition
ES = Euro Sport
GT = Grand Turing
GTU = Grand Turing Under 3.0 liters
GTUs = Grand Turing Under 3.0 liters Sport
GTO = Grand Turning Over 3.0 Liters
GTO = Gran Turismo Omologato
GTI = Grand Turing Injection
GL = Grand Luxury
GXL = Grand Xtra luxury
GS = Grand Sport
ST = Sport Turing
RX-7 = Rotary powered eXperimental model # 7
RS = Rally Sport
Z = Zigma (last letter of the alphabet, therefore the last = the best)
ZX = Zigma times 10 (X being the roman numeral for ten)
Si = Sport Injection
SL = Sport Luxury (also a Large German convertible)
S = Sedan
S = Sport
SC = Super Charged
SC = Sport Coupe
LS = Luxury Sedan/ Luxury Sport
GS = Gt Sedan
IS = Import Sedan
SLK = Sport Luxury Kompactt (compact)
I = Injection
C = Convertible
C = Coupe
C = Compact
CXi = Coupe with 4wheel drive and Injection
AWD = All the time, all Wheel Drive
4WD = Part time 4 wheel drive

SomeHairyOldGuy · 02-20-2002, 12:40 PM

My truck is a LS. LS = Luxury Sedan/ Luxury Sport right. Think this still applies to a truck. What is LT then?
SHOG

**Ninong** · 02-20-2002, 01:20 PM

SHOG,

LS can mean Luxury Sedan or Luxury Sport. LT usually means Luxury Touring.

The list that Mark posted is very complete but there are exceptions to some of the definitions on that list. For example, his list gives a definition of Euro Sport for ES and Import Sedan for IS; however, in the case of BMW, iS never means Sedan. BMW uses iS to indicate injection sport (coupe) and eS to indicate eta (economy engine) sport (coupe). So, a 325eS is a sport coupe with an eta engine and a 325iS is a sport coupe with an i engine. This can be confusing because both engines are injection. So, a 325i is a 4-dr 3 series BMW and a 325iS is a 2-dr 3 series BMW. BMW does use X to indicate all-wheel drive, so a 330Xi is a 4-dr 3 series with a 3.0 liter 6-cyl engine and all-wheel drive. The first number indicates the series (3-series, 5-series, 7-series, 8-series, Z-series, M-series (MotorSport), etc.) and the next two numbers are supposed to indicate the engine size in liters. So a 318Ti is supposed to have a 1.8 liter engine, as it did in 1995, but when it went to a 1.9 liter engine in 1996, they kept the designation 318Ti. The same thing is true for the 540i and 740i. Both of them now have 4.4 liter engines but they kept the 540 and 740 designations. BMW has corrected this, sorta, for 2002 by calling the all new 7-series car the 745Li (still has a 4.4 liter engine). Also, BMW does not use the letter L to indicate Luxury, it uses it to designate Long wheel base. So a 750iL is a few inches longer than a 750i; same with a 735i and 735iL.

The various manufacturers have different meanings for the same letters.

Ninong

jlazo · 02-20-2002, 01:37 PM

My old 1995 Chevy Blazer LT-

LT= Lots of Trouble.

Sold it! Lexus GS300

GS= God Sent, I will it was a BS as I am buddhist and all. But hey, it is a great car!

Firefish · 02-22-2002, 06:31 PM

LT, can also mean light truck, SC, ( Ford Thunder Bird) means Super Coupe / Super Charged.

MEC · 02-23-2002, 12:51 PM

Dodge CS = Carol Shelby. A grett little car the Daytona CS. 4 cylinder turbo with the 5 speed. Couldn't keep tires on it.

...Mike

Bojinx · 02-24-2002, 01:13 PM

R/T
Road and Track ...

DODGE - 'Grab Life By The Horns'

and the soon to be released line of SRT's
Street, Road, and Track. These are going to be some wicked Dodges, so remember... Your heard it hear first (well, most of you anyways)

Rin · 02-25-2002, 04:52 PM

Speaking of Carol Shelby:

'68 GT 500 KR Shelby Cobra.

--KR stands for "King of the Road" and it was definitely that.

icemark · 02-26-2002, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ninong
The list that Mark posted is very complete but there are exceptions to some of the definitions on that list.

Thanks for updating my info, I am not that strong on the German cars (Japanese are much more my specialty) and I will have to make notes on your additions.

Thanks

02-19-2002, 08:01 AM	#1
CaptainK Mayor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: MA. Posts: 534	Car Initials/letters Hi All, Just a curious question. Some cars have different letters after their names like GT, GTO, RX..... and so on. I was wondering if those letters actually mean anything, or stand for something, or if they are just there to make the car model sound better. Thanks, CaptK

02-19-2002, 12:28 PM	#3
Penguin Polymath Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 526	LX=least expensive __________________ As a nation, you're faced with the choice of taking over the world or offering good eats at reasonable prices.

02-19-2002, 03:01 PM	#4
drlowz Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Bardstown, Ky. Posts: 481	I've got the Toyota Camry LE..... __________________ Are you interested in lowriders or cars in general? UnitedRidaZ.org your automotive forums.

02-20-2002, 08:31 AM	#6
jwtrojan44 Citizen Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: pa. Posts: 140	On the old Ford LTD, it stood for Luxury Trim Decor. My grandfather wouldn't drive anything else so he knew all about them (I guess). __________________ It aint' pretty being easy.

02-20-2002, 12:00 PM	#7
icemark Governor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Rohnert Park, CA, USA Posts: 1,102	DX = Deluxe (read cheapy base model) LX = Luxury EX = Extended Luxury LE = Luxury Edition CE = Cheap Edition (read cheapy base model) SE = Sport Edition SE = Special Edition ES = Euro Sport GT = Grand Turing GTU = Grand Turing Under 3.0 liters GTUs = Grand Turing Under 3.0 liters Sport GTO = Grand Turning Over 3.0 Liters GTO = Gran Turismo Omologato GTI = Grand Turing Injection GL = Grand Luxury GXL = Grand Xtra luxury GS = Grand Sport ST = Sport Turing RX-7 = Rotary powered eXperimental model # 7 RS = Rally Sport Z = Zigma (last letter of the alphabet, therefore the last = the best) ZX = Zigma times 10 (X being the roman numeral for ten) Si = Sport Injection SL = Sport Luxury (also a Large German convertible) S = Sedan S = Sport SC = Super Charged SC = Sport Coupe LS = Luxury Sedan/ Luxury Sport GS = Gt Sedan IS = Import Sedan SLK = Sport Luxury Kompactt (compact) I = Injection C = Convertible C = Coupe C = Compact CXi = Coupe with 4wheel drive and Injection AWD = All the time, all Wheel Drive 4WD = Part time 4 wheel drive __________________ Play well Mark www.mazdamark.com Last edited by icemark; 02-20-2002 at 12:23 PM.

02-19-2002, 09:12 AM	#2
Ninong Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Louisiana Posts: 19,677	They are supposed to mean something. GT = Grand Touring; GTO = Gran Turismo Omologato--it's Italian for Homologated Grand Touring; Mazda uses RX to designate cars with rotary engines. Ninong

02-20-2002, 12:44 AM	#5
jlazo Citizen Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA Posts: 203	Lexus uses the lettering to name the cars in their line, no meaning, just a different way of naming. Honda and Toyota use the lettering to denote trim levels.

02-20-2002, 12:40 PM	#8
SomeHairyOldGuy Mayor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: OU Posts: 732	My truck is a LS. LS = Luxury Sedan/ Luxury Sport right. Think this still applies to a truck. What is LT then? SHOG __________________ BOOMER SOONER!!!!

02-20-2002, 01:20 PM	#9
Ninong Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Louisiana Posts: 19,677	SHOG, LS can mean Luxury Sedan or Luxury Sport. LT usually means Luxury Touring. The list that Mark posted is very complete but there are exceptions to some of the definitions on that list. For example, his list gives a definition of Euro Sport for ES and Import Sedan for IS; however, in the case of BMW, iS never means Sedan. BMW uses iS to indicate injection sport (coupe) and eS to indicate eta (economy engine) sport (coupe). So, a 325eS is a sport coupe with an eta engine and a 325iS is a sport coupe with an i engine. This can be confusing because both engines are injection. So, a 325i is a 4-dr 3 series BMW and a 325iS is a 2-dr 3 series BMW. BMW does use X to indicate all-wheel drive, so a 330Xi is a 4-dr 3 series with a 3.0 liter 6-cyl engine and all-wheel drive. The first number indicates the series (3-series, 5-series, 7-series, 8-series, Z-series, M-series (MotorSport), etc.) and the next two numbers are supposed to indicate the engine size in liters. So a 318Ti is supposed to have a 1.8 liter engine, as it did in 1995, but when it went to a 1.9 liter engine in 1996, they kept the designation 318Ti. The same thing is true for the 540i and 740i. Both of them now have 4.4 liter engines but they kept the 540 and 740 designations. BMW has corrected this, sorta, for 2002 by calling the all new 7-series car the 745Li (still has a 4.4 liter engine). Also, BMW does not use the letter L to indicate Luxury, it uses it to designate Long wheel base. So a 750iL is a few inches longer than a 750i; same with a 735i and 735iL. The various manufacturers have different meanings for the same letters. Ninong

02-20-2002, 01:37 PM	#10
jlazo Citizen Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA Posts: 203	My old 1995 Chevy Blazer LT- LT= Lots of Trouble. Sold it! Lexus GS300 GS= God Sent, I will it was a BS as I am buddhist and all. But hey, it is a great car!

02-22-2002, 06:31 PM	#11
Firefish Mayor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Douglas, Ma Posts: 775	LT, can also mean light truck, SC, ( Ford Thunder Bird) means Super Coupe / Super Charged. __________________ In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. -- Thomas Jefferson

02-23-2002, 12:51 PM	#12
MEC Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Columbus Ohio USA Posts: 303	Dodge CS = Carol Shelby. A grett little car the Daytona CS. 4 cylinder turbo with the 5 speed. Couldn't keep tires on it. ...Mike

02-24-2002, 01:13 PM	#13
Bojinx Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galena, Maryland Posts: 913	You guys left out a great one R/T Road and Track ... DODGE - 'Grab Life By The Horns' and the soon to be released line of SRT's Street, Road, and Track. These are going to be some wicked Dodges, so remember... Your heard it hear first (well, most of you anyways) __________________ jImMy "Watching fate as it flows down the path we have chose" "...Never thought to question 'Why'?" "Everything's so Blurry and Everyone's so fake" pAz LeNcHaNtIn... oh how i wish...

02-25-2002, 04:52 PM	#14
Rin Mayor Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Leesburg, GA Posts: 774	Speaking of Carol Shelby: '68 GT 500 KR Shelby Cobra. --KR stands for "King of the Road" and it was definitely that. __________________ -Todd

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