Nine of the Coolest Car Nicknames Ever: Automotive History Has Its Share of Legends

Cars have a long tradition of picking up unofficial names. “Banana,” “Brick,” “Hammer,” and many more. We’ve rounded up nine of the most well-known car nicknames from around the world.

There’s no shortage of automotive icons that have stood the test of time. But alongside them are equally famous nicknames—beloved by car geeks everywhere—used to show off deep, encyclopedic knowledge. We decided to put together a top nine list so you, too (even if you’re not a hardcore enthusiast yet), can learn them, remember them, and casually drop them into conversation when the moment is right.

BMW Z3 M Coupe — “Clown Shoe”

Objectively speaking, the BMW Z3 M Coupe isn’t exactly a looker. Its unusually long hood and swollen rear end look downright odd, which is precisely how it earned the nickname “Clown Shoe.” And yet, we love it. Rumor has it the car was something of a skunkworks project inside BMW, one that engineers had to sell to upper management.

Pontiac Firebird Trans Am — “Screaming Chicken”

No, not the squeaky dog toy. The “Screaming Chicken” refers to the massive hood decal found on the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. It became so popular that other manufacturers tried their own oversized hood graphics to cash in on the trend.

Mercedes-Benz 300E 5.6 AMG — “Hammer”

With a name as long as Mercedes-Benz 300E 5.6 AMG, it was almost inevitable that this pre-merger AMG monster would get a nickname. “The Hammer” perfectly captured the brutal acceleration delivered by its AMG-built 5.6-liter V8, originally derived from the larger 560 SEC.

Porsche 911 GT2 (993) — “Widowmaker”

To create the 993-generation 911 GT2, Porsche took the Turbo, widened the fenders, put it on a serious diet, cranked up the boost—and then ditched all-wheel drive. The result was a car that demanded respect and punished mistakes, earning it the ominous nickname “Widowmaker.”

Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 — “Godzilla”

The all-wheel-drive R32 Skyline GT-R picked up its infamous nickname from the Australian automotive press after it utterly dominated touring car racing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “Godzilla” stuck, although officials eventually banned turbocharging and all-wheel drive in the series to restore balance.

BMW 3.0 CSL — “Batmobile”

BMW says fans themselves coined the nickname “Batmobile” thanks to the car’s outrageously aggressive aerodynamic add-ons. Those aero parts even appeared on the final 167 road-going homologation models, although the massive rear wing wasn’t street-legal and had to be shipped in the trunk for owners to install themselves.

Volvo 240 Turbo — “Flying Brick”

Do we really need to explain this one? Just look at the Volvo 240 Turbo’s boxy shape. Despite its looks, the race cars flew to victories, capturing ETCC and DTM titles in 1985. The nickname later carried over to the iconic Volvo 850 wagon in the 1990s.

Fiat S76 — “Beast of Turin”

Ever been to the Goodwood Festival of Speed? The Fiat S76 is a crowd favorite on the hillclimb, thanks largely to its monstrous 28.4-liter four-cylinder engine that spits flames. “Beast of Turin” is an understatement. The car was originally built in 1910 as a land-speed-record machine.

Porsche 935/78 — “Moby Dick”

One look at the long-nose, long-tail Porsche 935/78 in its iconic Martini livery makes the nickname obvious. Like Herman Melville’s legendary white whale, it was massive, powerful, and unforgettable. Built to win Le Mans with up to 850 horsepower sent to the rear wheels, it ultimately finished eighth due to reliability issues—but its legend lives on.