Honda sues Ford over MKX name

[DaKat]

With only 26 letters in the alphabet, automakers are starting to quarrel over who owns which ones.

In the latest skirmish, Honda Motor Co. is suing Ford Motor Co. on the grounds that the new Lincoln MKX sport-utility vehicle sounds too much like its own premium Acura SUV, the MDX.

Honda is asking Ford not to use the name MKX or any name that too closely resembles MDX in the suit filed Wednesdayin federal court in Los Angeles.

"Our goal is to protect the Acura MDX name by ensuring that there's no consumer confusion between that and the new Lincoln MKX name," said Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Acura in Torrance, Calif.

Ford was not immediately available for comment.

Ford expects to start selling the MKX, a car-based SUV which it also calls the Mark X, later this year to bolster its flagging Lincoln brand.

LINK (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060127/AUTO01/601270358/1148)

[pro-five-oh]

Good...maybe they'll have to call it an Aviator again. :p This is what happens when you make last minute changes, further proof that Lincoln half-asses every product (product launch in this case) these days.

[Philip]

Well, they've already dissed heritage by naming a F150 Mark LT, why stop there. Avoid litigation and just use Mark X. The acronym thing is annoying when everybody seems to be doing it now. Whatever happened to car NAMES. Heritage names, thank you, not the weird crap they come up with now that has absolutely no passion to it.

[Sysanalyst]

Maybe they should have called it the MkASS - the A for advanced and the SS for Super Sport. Or perhaps the SEX for the Sport EX model. Perhaps next time they should think before "Acronym" themselves into a corner. Isn't GM suing some Chinese manufacturer that makes a car call a Chery or something like that?

[Philip]

Agreed, and laughing.

[Silver Cobra]

I think it's divine right that Lincoln stick with real physical names not made up chemical sounding names

[84mark]

i suspect they would rather not use 'mark x' because it would be pronounced as 'x' instead of '10'...so they fall back on the tired convention of '3 letter' appellations....and maybe they also wouldn't intend for an s/uv to get the numeric mark name, keeping that in reserve for a car...but simply to use the 'x' at all like that could certainly be confusing if they then would come out with a 'mark 10' automobile...

are there any plans to use the name 'mark ix'???

[Sysanalyst]

....
In the latest skirmish, Honda Motor Co. is suing Ford Motor Co. on the grounds that the new Lincoln MKX sport-utility vehicle sounds too much like its own premium Acura SUV, the MDX. ...

Probably Honda trying to recoup its losses for the bad transmissions it installed in all of it's 3.5L vehicles, including the ugly MDX. I must admit, the MDX is a horrible looking vehicle with a faulty transmission. I've also heard that the new 6 speed automatic is much better though the vehicle is still ugly, butt ugly.

[gadget73]

I can see where people would get confused. They're both boring uninteresting vehicles. Why does it even matter if they have a name? They should just be called what they are. I await the Chevy Sedan or Dodge EconoCoupe.

[91MochafrostLSC]

I think Ford needs to do a "retro" on the lincoln name just like they did with the mustang: Use whatever chassis they feel would be appropriate this week, come up with a design utilizing the looks of the Mark VII/VIII and call it whatever the bean counters think the name should be this week and power it by a Supercharged 3v 5.4. Can't call it the Terminator although that would be a fitting name, Hmmmmmmmmmm...this may take awhile to come up with a suitable name for a car that would just whoop ass....

[Sysanalyst]

I think Ford needs to do a "retro" on the lincoln name just like they did with the mustang: Use whatever chassis they feel would be appropriate this week, come up with a design utilizing the looks of the Mark VII/VIII and call it whatever the bean counters think the name should be this week and power it by a Supercharged 3v 5.4. Can't call it the Terminator although that would be a fitting name, Hmmmmmmmmmm...this may take awhile to come up with a suitable name for a car that would just whoop ass....
Heck... you can get the top of the line Mercedes with a multivalve supercharged engine, no no no, not a Lincoln.

At any rate, I've posted elsewhere that I'd even be okay with a 4V 5.4L with a supercharger in the current chassis. Remember the Maurader (only 4.6L - 4V). I thought that Lincoln would step up to the plate, but no no no, that is business they figured they could afford to loose out on, fleet customers aren't interested in that. Turns out fleet customers are not interested in Ford anymore.

[TofuDog]

I am honestly disappointed in this alphabetic naming system. How can anybody love a car called MKX? We don't name children just a few random letters, so why our cars?

And, then the nerve of Ford to put the prestigious "Mark" naming on that piece of crap they call a Mark X. Mark has always stood for quality, not cheap knockoff.

Ford needs to get their act together!

[93towncarexec]

I see nothing wrong with shortening the name. It's STILL the Mark X and Mark S, so what if they abbreviate it?

The problem is that there are fewer good names left to pick from. Keep in mind there's over 1500 different car models in the industry and more coming every year!

There's been plenty of forgettable, terrible car names over the years. And more than a few terrible cars... remember the K car? bleh.

I'm more excited about the Mark S than the Mark X, but that's only because I'm a car person, not a CUV person. I think they both represent a new direction that is sorely needed if Lincoln is going to capture attention from younger buyers. Gotta liven up the brand a little!

Have you heard about the airbag seat belts that Ford is working on? Cool stuff.

[TheSweetRossLg]

i dont know about this
i think
they should have come out with a new sports coupe luxary Mark series and not yoused that dam pick up