Naming things is hard. Especially when that thing is a product you have to try and sell to people. Naming a car is particularly difficult, as the name has to appeal to a broad range of worldwide customers who speak different languages, and it should at least somewhat represent the vibe or intention of that model. Sometimes trying to strike the right balance results in a really fantastic name, but other times a car name ends up incongruous or just plain weird. To avoid that, many cars are named after actual places or landmarks around the world.
Bentley named the Bentayga SUV after Roque Bentayga, a rock formation on Gran Canaria, and the automaker is continuing that theme with its upcoming electric crossover. The new model is called Torcal, named after the El Torcal de Antequera natural park in Andalusia, Spain. Bentley describes it as “a dramatic limestone landscape of stacked rock formations, cliffs and labyrinths, shaped by nature over millions of years yet continuing to evolve,” and it does look like a spectacular place. But, to me (and perhaps only me), the name Torcal just makes me think of a Pokémon.
The Bentley’s name is also inspired by a Latin word
That Pokémon is Torkoal, the cutie you see above. introduced in the Hoenn region with generation three — my personal favorite era of Pokémon — Torkoal is a Fire type that looks like a tortoise and generates energy by burning coal in its shell, thus the name. Torkoal is one of a shrinking handful of Pokémon that’s never gotten an evolution or regional variant, so maybe this (very thin) connection will bring some new attention to it. At least they aren’t pronounced exactly the same, with Torkoal being “tor-coal” and Torcal being “tor-kahl.”
Bentley
Bentley says the Torcal name is also partially taken from “torquere,” the Latin word for “twist,” which is the root word for torque. “Torcal therefore also implies effortless progression, another hallmark of every Bentley from across the last 107 years,” according to the automaker. Bentley chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser says the Torcal “sets extraordinary benchmarks in every area that matters, and may just be the most considered car in our history.”
The sole teaser shows a boxy, smooth tailgate design with thin taillights, and there are shades of last year’s EXP 15 concept. While we thought the Torcal was originally going to be more of a Porsche Macan EV equivalent, the latest spy shots from Carscoops make it clear that the Torcal is to the Cayenne EV what the Bentayga is to the Cayenne. Bentley says it will be sending out more updates about the Torcal in the weeks leading up to its reveal in London on September 23
