I don’t like to start writing from a negative side but, I have to start this time. I have always mentioned that, a car should have a proper and pronounceable name! But the perfectionist car manufacturer McLaren produced the most sophisticated car on earth and name it like MP3 player!
After the McLaren F1, we did not see a road going version of a McLaren until the disaster of SLR McLaren. Technically SLR McLaren was a piece of engineering but this did not help to lost its value in second hand market. Engineers and consumers are thinking in a totally different way.
Engineer, it based on the word engine! And that’s the most important part of the car and made from steel and does not have any emotions at all. Consumer, is based on the word consume. And that means, buy a product, consumer it, and throw it away. When engineer and consumer words intersect on business environment, which is called a car dealer, things may not go that well all the time! Consumers are expecting more than engineering in a car. They want passion, uniqueness, excitement and also a good name. Not something a like a chassis number or MP3 player as a name.
Unfortunately, McLaren’s success in car engineering cannot be observed when they name their cars :( May be Ron Dennis doesn’t like branding. And name their most important not in an appropriate way.
Nowadays; if you are going to reveal a car and planning to make a sensation, please focus on the branding a little bit more. Why? Because, people should remember your car easily, if they are planning to buy one and they should not associate unusual notions! Unfortunately, people might associate McLaren’s new car with something unusual, a MP3 or MP4 players. MP4-12C might sound cool or help engineers to separate it from Formula 1 cars, but it will not help to differentiate itself from its competitors! It is terribly hard to remember MP4-12C! Instead, everyone will call it “new McLaren” or “MP4 something”. They will not have problem to remember MP4, because there are MP4 players currently available on market!
Why I do write these thing on a Saturday night? Because, ideas were so strong in my mind and I could not stop writing it! This car is one of the most smart car on earth and it is not produced in Germany! That’s the important point, if a car is not produced in Germany and offering very sophisticated technology you must keep an eye on it :) I will mention only one feature of this car. There is an on board diagnostics system on this car, it may sound senseless for some of you but it is totally a revolution in car business. This car can detect a problem, identify it and contacts with workshop for preparing necessary part (it will communicate by mobile infrastructure not in a magical way). This kind of technology can be seen in some trucks or in air planes. Usually, in most of the cars there is an orange light or “please visit workshop” message to warn driver for any existing problem with the car. Moreover, it won’t describe the problem and never communicates with workshop.
McLaren is created a new era in automotive industry and ignoring the second most important thing after engineering in automotive industry, branding! Remember the Bugatti Atalante! Excellent engineering, state of art design and a unique name.
My suggestion; name this car as McLaren Aether. Aether is the first-born elemental Greek gods. He is the personification of the upper sky, space, and heaven in Greek Mythology. How long did it take to find this name? Only half an hour of reading a book about mythology :)
