Relax. The BLANK awards will continue exactly as planned. Same nomination process (now closed), same writers’ comments, same press release, same no-holds-barred excoriation. It’s just that our ad guy (yes, we have an ad guy) is adamant: TWAT is an acronym too far. Potential advertisers (yes we have potential advertisers) can’t abide the locker room humor. I’ve made an executive decision to capitulate on this “issue” for the greater good (i.e. money), because TTAC needs more resources (i.e. money) to survive and thrive. In other words, needs must, and a pile of rolling garbage by any other name will still smell so sweet. Meanwhile, can you please help us devise a new, less sophomoric name? Suggestions below ASAP. We’ll use it tomorrow to start the official voting. Never a dull moment, eh?
113 Comments on “TTAC Kills “TWAT” Awards; New Name Needed STAT!...”
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Cars Really Aren’t Perfect?
Oh, you said *less* sophomoric. Why not just keep it simple and call it the “Worst List” or the “Bottom Ten” or something?
I guess that’s the end of TBAG, too.
How about TATA? Ten Autos To Avoid…
I like TRASH, also… “Ten Repugnant Autos Sold Here.”
Worst Ten Failures Automotive Award
WTF-AA? Oh dang it, that won’t work either.
I submit the following:
Rolling Examples of Automotive Mediocrity (or Manure, your choice :P)
WART – Worst Automobiles Running Today
TABLE: Ten Automobiles Befitting Low Expectations.
Put ‘em on the TABLE!
The wooden spoon award, or the golden cinderblock, or the bottom ten, or TWOM ten worst on the market, which could leave a spot for used cars.
CRUD – Cars Representing Unfortunate Decisions
Love it, Sajeev!
TOAD: Ten Obvious Automotive Disasters
A good business decision in my view. The former name’s unintended probable consequence is to severely restrict mainstream media mention. The loss of free publicity greatly outweighs any benefit gained from a one-time juvenile giggle.
WART is pretty good. But here is the thing, if you are changing an acronym because potential advertisers might be offended, isn’t this effectively censoring your opinion to appease advertisers?
If a car is a POS, then you should be able to say it. Once you start retracting criticism for ad dollars, you are already on the slope to being C&D.
Imagine if instead of writing this:
“But hey, if the Aveo is the thirstiest of all subcompacts, at least it’s the slowest!”
you wrote this:
“The Aveo’s mileage ratings and speed are up there, although we wouldn’t mind seeing a bit better.”
These are worlds apart.
Noncompetitve Operating Vehicle Award, or NOVA. Has good historical connotations to it.
I’m liking TRASH at the moment…
Deciding to not use colorful language isn’t the same as pulling criticism. Apples and oranges.
CRAP – Catastrophies Revolting to Automotive Pride
“Worst Automobiles Now Known Award” probably won’t fly either, but it is better than my first idea: “Completely Useless… “, you get the idea…
Acronym idea: “Most Awful Cars” (MAC). This lets you branch out to Big MAC, MAC Truck, etc.
Or, just forget about the acronyms and go with something classic, like “Edsel” or even “Aztek”. If you start giving out “TTAC Aztek” awards, there will be no ambiguity what that means.
Ten Autos Made Erroneously
THe Worst Autos Running Today, which borrows from TexasAg03 but makes it THWART. Ooh, how fun to THWART a car manufacturer.
Juvenile, I know, but how about VOMIT: Vehicles Of MedIocriTy? Vehicles Of Massive Institutional Terribleness?
FART – Fully Atrocious Rides Tallied
Allthom, I’ll see your “WANK” and raise you a “PRAT” – Positively Repugnant Automotive Ten.
WAAAT – Worst Automotive Achievements Available Today
akatsuki:
It’s not like TTAC’s changing their opinion on something they felt strongly about, they’re changing a juvenile acronym into something a little more appropriate. The list will still remain under a slightly more mature title
I like TRASH as well
Came up with WART too without reading the comments so +1
I like it Megan.
Best Avoided Recycler/Road/Retail/Rental Fodder ?
TWAAD – Ten Worst Attempts in Automotive Design
Using TWAT made this seem like some crude, male-dominated blog for aging pistonheads.
Better to keep that a secret.
Now, TATS – ten autos that suck – would make this seem like a crude, male dominated blog for aging pistonheads with skin illustrations.
Detroit’s Reward for Approving Garbage?
or
Toyota’s Uninteresting Robots Deserve Salute?
Ally,
Allong those lines: BARF Best Avoided Road Failures
The acronyms are fun, but something with the words “worst” and “cars” in it is probably good enough. Simple and to the point.
What you could do that’s a bit different is to honor three “winners” in different categories. Just as the Olympics award a gold, silver and bronze, you could honor the winners…er, losers, with some distinct prizes such as the Pinto (most defective), Pacer (most atrocious) or Vega (most unreliable) distinctions.
ANAL
Autos not anyone loves
I like TRASH as well. I think a more mass market friendly name will only help the profile of these awards, and shine more light on the truly bad rides out there (Kind of like the razzies do for movies).
Ten
Unloved
Rolling
Disappointments
Alex: Nice, just what I was reaching for.
UGH Unloved by Gear Heads ?
SCUD – Sickening Cars Unfit to Drive
CIMARRON – Cars Intended to Make A Ridiculous Revenue On a Name
Okay, it’s a reach…
Or, we could just borrow from Uncle Sam.
FUBAR
that name exudes the nature of this award.
STREISAND – Street Transportation Reviled Eternally In Serious Automotive News Dens
Really stretching???
TWIT: Ttac’s Woefully Inadequate Transportation Award. If you’ll allow an existing Acronym to be reused…
I was chuckling under my breath at work here so much that I had tears in my eyes.
I like TWIT. I’m 2nd’ing TWIT!
TRASH is good.
Plenty of public appeal, TTAC-style ‘tude, and way less childish than the old name.
Megan’s TOAD has to be the most quotable one to me. Could also be Totally Obvious…
We could call them the TOADies, too.
I will try to come up with some more. As much as I will miss the TWAT’s, I can’t fault your decision.
How about “TTAC’s CARbage Awards”?
Too corny……?
The Truth About Cars: The Truth Hurts List
The Truth About Cars: The FAIL List
The Truth About Cars: Cars to Avoid
I dunno.. I’m trying not to come up with funny acronyms, ones that are NOT at all ambiguous.. they kinda just tell it like it is.
BAD: Best Automotive Disasters
WAD: Worst Automotive Disasters
TAD: Ten Automotive Disasters
Eh, it’s a start. There are already some good ones out there…
TexasAg03’s WART (“Worst Automobiles Running Today”) gets my vote, followed by Megan’s TOAD (“Ten Obvious Automotive Disasters”). With these two gems, why spend the effort to come up with something else?
But I think we need to separate the awards into two categories: (1) truly attrocious vehicles, by any objective measurement (against other vehicles in the same class and price range), and (2) vehicles newly introduced that reflects a misstep by the manufacturer, e.g., new Scion xB.
Both WART and TOAD can be used for cars in my #1, but what about #2?
If you don’t need an acronym, then I suggest the Annual TTAC Penalty Box Awards.
Gotta vote for TOAD
TRASH is a close second, though.
CRUSH:
Cars
Reviled
on
US
Highways
Cars Lacking Idiot-proof Technology –
CLIpT