Your Acronym and You.

Recently, I have noticed that acronyms can be a bad thing if care is not used in selecting one. Here's an example. I was reading an article about a conversion which can be done to an everyday Ford Focus wherein the engine, transmission, much of the suspension and a few pieces of the floor are torn out and replaced by a nice big V8, a rear-wheel-drive drivetrain and all of the miscellaneous bits that go along with such a major modification. Anyone can buy the parts. They're made by a company called Kugel Komponents (yes, with a "K"), but the whole project was initiated by a part of Ford which is responsible for motorsports activities, known simply as Ford Racing Team. Sure, it's a fine name, but one that should not be made into an acronym. It's almost as though they aim to poke fun at the "import tuner" crowd by selling FRT Cans for the exhausts of their cars.

Another case in point which comes to mind also happens to be a motorsports division of a major automaker. I'm referring to Toyota Racing Development. You can see where I'm going with this. I guess Toyota deserves a bit more slack, since they are a Japanese company, but I still can't help thinking "TuRD" every time I see a car with this unfortunate acronym emblazoned on its body panels in bright vinyl letters.

If you listen closely on a still summer night, you just might hear the sound of a TuRD Corolla engaged in an all out drag race with a FaRT exhaust equipped Focus in the distance.