Top Ten Scariest Car Names

Halloween is the spookiest day of the year, and while there will be plenty of people donning frightening costumes and basic cable channels will be re-running horror flicks, there's another ghoulish aspect to the holiday that goes unnoticed by all but the most deranged gearheads—scary car names.

Whether born of attempts to sound bad-ass or to simply stand out from the crowd, automakers have a long history of saddling cars with names that sound evil. Manufacturers also like to borrow names from the animal kingdom, and they're generally based on predatory beasts. And some names aren't meant to be scary, but are so poorly thought out that they become the basis for unintentional comedy.

While Halloween is an annual holiday, these cars are stuck with their names every day of the year. And that may be the scariest thought of all.

Ford Probe: While the name "Probe" isn't meant to be scary, we think we can all agree that the name conjures up some disturbing imagery. Not to mention that Ford nearly killed the Mustang to replace it with this front-drive coupe. Yikes.

Dodge/SRT Viper: Indiana Jones' fear of snakes is well justified, and vipers aren't exactly known for being warm and cuddly. The car is scary, too, given all that power and the lack of safety aids (at least on the old model. The 2013 will have traction control, thanks to a federal mandate). We're shaking at just the thought of driving one in the rain.

Shelby Cobra: Cobras are just as scary as vipers, and the Shelby Cobra was likely a handful to drive (we've never had a chance to sit behind the wheel of this classic). Reptilian car names sound cool, but real snakes still scare us.

Lamborghini Diablo: It's named after the devil. Enough said.

Dodge Demon: This version of the original Dodge Dart borrowed from the supernatural for its moniker. Dodge was originally going to call it the Beaver, but since that word has a very inappropriate slang use, that plan was scrapped.

AMC Gremlin: What could be scarier than a car named for an evil creature that likes to damage machinery? Maybe the odd hatchback design? The '70s were weird, man.

Plymouth Prowler: Yeah, we know the name is supposed to evoke images of a hot rod prowling the roads. But it can also evoke images of creepy people prowling your neighborhood. That's enough to give us the willies.

Pontiac Banshee: This concept car never made it to market, and that's too bad, because a car named for a supernatural creature who wails when someone is about to die seems like an awesome idea to us.

Plymouth Fury/Gran Fury: It's not enough that the "Fury" name comes from the mythological spirits of vengeance who drove people mad, but a Plymouth Fury also played the murderous car in Stephen King's Christine. We'll be avoiding any houses with a Fury in the driveway while trick-or-treating this year.

Rolls-Royce Phantom: It's named after a ghost. It doesn't matter if the ghost is friendly or hostile—a ghost is a ghost, and ghosts are staples of Halloween.

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