5 Porsches With The Funniest Nicknames In The Company's History

Apr. 07, 2021 2:00 PM ET by Karl Furlong Video / 2 Comments

Say hello to Moby Dick and the Pink Pig.

From the Nissan "Mallfinder" to the BMW Z3 M Coupe "Clown Shoe", automotive nicknames are a fun way to remember certain cars, although some automakers would rather forget them completely. In a new YouTube video, Porsche has shown its sense of self-depreciating humor and named five of the funniest nicknames given to various Porsche models through the decades. The list starts with the Triangular Scraper, a name given to the decidedly quirky Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GT, a 1963 design that was conceived for GT racing. It earns its name from its appearance.

Next is the Porsche 935/78 which affectionately came to be known as Moby Dick. Based on a Porsche 911, it's an 845-horsepower racer and its long tail was part of what inspired its name. The Porsche 904/8 was nicknamed Kangaroo, although in this case, that name wasn't a compliment. This racer was described as having an unstable and jumpy demeanor, a consequence of the powertrain and chassis not being particularly well-balanced. It conjures up memories of the Porsche Widowmaker, an early 911 Turbo that was notoriously dangerous if you didn't have your wits about you. The same can't be said of a modern 911, which has morphed into a no less thrilling but much more controllable beast.

The Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder was nicknamed Grandmother as a reference to its unusually long life in the racing realm. And the final oddly named Porsche is none other than the Pink Pig. Describing the aerodynamic but unattractive Porsche 917/20, the Pink Pig race car had an enlarged chassis. Its audacious body was finished in pink thanks to designer Anatole Lapine, with its various parts separated by butcher's markings. Sadly, this car crashed out of the 1971 edition of Le Mans. Decades later it continues to be remembered; as recently as 2018, a 911 in unique Pink Pig livery scored a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Tags: #Porsche News #Sports Cars #Video

Karl Furlong

Senior Editor

Contact Karl @FuelAffection

Back

To Top