Car names can seem a bit enigmatic sometimes. Have you ever stopped to think about what the names Prius and Camry stand for? It's not so obvious, is it? Well, now you can stop guessing because we've got details about the etymology of five popular past and present Toyota models.
Corolla
In the botany field, a Corolla is the inner ring of pedals around the central part of a flower. By naming one of its staple cars Corolla, Toyota was alluding to something beautifully designed, like its popular family sedan.
Celica
Even after it stopped production in 2006, Celica's popularity lingered on because of factors like its linear power delivery and smooth drivetrain. It's fitting then that Toyota chose a name which stands for "celestial" in Spanish, referring to the car's sublime performance.
Prius
Prior to the debut of the Toyota Prius, there had never been another mass-produced hybrid. To represent this, Toyota named its first-ever hybrid Prius, the Latin word for "previous" or "prior."
Camry
It's been the best-selling car in the states for 12 years straight, but Toyota knew it was something special right from the start, naming it after a word that means "crown" in Japanese. Perhaps dubbing it Camry, an English version of the word "kanmuri," foreshadowed the car's future winning streak and reign over the midsize sedan segment.
Supra
Guessing that Supra stands for super is logical, and we think it was super back in its glory days, and it even remains popular today. However, in actuality Supra is a Latin word meaning "above." Considering that the car is known for once ranking above the Aston Martin DB7 and Porsche 911 Turbo in a road test, we think Toyota's name choice was an apt one.
