What the Frunk?

Robert Emslie

/comment

Comments

Frunk

In all the hoopla presently surrounding Tesla, what with it paying back its government loan early, Consumer Reports dreamy-eyed review, and sales supposedly beating the gas-powered competition – for a single news cycle at least – very little has been made over the fact that people are calling the front cargo hold on the Model S the Frunk. I think something needs to be done about that.

Frunk2There are a whole bunch of automotive nicknames that have stuck – three on the tree, broadie knob, dagmars (go look that one up, growwwwl), and the Hofmiester Kink among them. All of those have rightfully earned their place in the automotive lexicon. And although Tesla seems to be on a roll of late, I want to make sure that the Elon Musk-founded company fails on one point, and that’s bringing ubiquity to the term frunk.

First of all, the Model S isn’t the first car to have a trunk in its nose. In fact, one of the most popular cars on the planet, the Porsche engineered, built for decades Volkswagen Type 1 put its engine in back and its secured storage under its curvaceous front boot lid. Others, Porsche’s own 356 and 911, Chevy’s Corvair, Simca Imps, Fiat 500s, 600s, 750s – hell, most of their older number-based models – all kept their junk in the trunk. . . in the front.

None of them anointed this feature the frunk, and I am thankful for that small favor. Frunk you see, is not a good word. Trunk is a good word – it has precedence. Boot is a good word should you live under the watchful eye of the British Monarchy. I wonder, had Tesla seen its fortunes rise on the British Isles rather than the far sunnier climes of California, would proponents call the forward storage compartment the froot?

Here’s the thing, I’m sure you share my distaste for frunk and would like to see this particular portmanteau follow other recent attempts at expanding our global vocabulary such as Shizzle, Cray, Pronado, and Justin Beiber into history’s dust bin. All it takes is a concerted effort on all our parts to never use it again. 

Instead, we need to come up with another, far more acceptable term that accurately describes the forward storage facility of cars like the Tesla. I advocate the portmanteau  Fold – the combining of forward and hold – which I find far more pleasing than Frunk. What do you think, is there a better descriptor than Fold, or, obviously, Frunk? 

Images: CNN Money, TeslaMotorsClub

About

Robert Emslie

Robert Emslie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

34 responses to “What the Frunk?”

  1. danleym Avatar
    danleym

    I advocate for… trunk.
    Sure, as we know know the word, it means for the most part a seperate storage compartment in a car, commonly found behind the passenger compartment. But before that use a trunk was just a storage case. When cars were first built, the trunk was literally a trunk, not much different from the one at the end of one's bed. These were placed in the back because the engine was up front, but I'd be willing to bet someone on here could find one located up front, or maybe even on the side.
    So the term trunk, historically, has nothing to with the location. A storage chest placed up front, or on the roof, or even placed inside the passenger compartment, would still be a trunk. So there is no need for a new word, because putting the trunk at the front of the vehicle does not preclude it from being a trunk.
    So let's just call it a trunk.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      Agreed. It's still a trunk.
      <img src="http://www.bugattibuilder.com/photo/albums/userpics/10107/normal_3~37.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
      1. danleym Avatar
        danleym

        I almost called you out by name instead of just saying someone on here. I figured you were the most likely to know of one.

        Reply
    2. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Ask any elephant: The trunk goes in the front!

      Reply
  2. julkinen Avatar
    julkinen

    Or, in Finnish, etureppu.

    Reply
    1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
      ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

      Or Polish bagaznik, cause of the love jalopnik has (had?) for the Tesla and Musk! Actually trunknik has got a nice ring to it.

      Reply
  3. sjalabais Avatar
    sjalabais

    Well, everyone wants to come into the fold, don't they?

    Reply
  4. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    The storage compartment on Can-Am Spyders is also referred to as the frunk.
    <img src="http://www.ridermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/2008-Can-Am-Spyder-Motorcycle-Test-Drevenstedt-081.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  5. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    <img src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3137629184/h17EB15C3/"&gt;

    Reply
  6. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    When I was really little, also really stupid, I saw a family out shopping with their Skoda Estelle. I remember asking my Dad why the guy was lowering bags of groceries into his engine. I forget what he said but I like to think that he just rolled his eyes and ignored me.

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Had to google Skoda Estelle, as I was thoroughly unfamiliar with them. The things I learn here…

      Reply
  7. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    How about "the place where it's soul is supposed to be."

    Reply
  8. Kogashiwa Avatar
    Kogashiwa

    MR2s have had a frunk for lo these many years now. Well except for the last one, which had less storage than a decent pair of cargo pants.

    Reply
    1. discontinuuity Avatar
      discontinuuity

      I agree. The term "frunk" should apply to any vehicle that also has a conventional rear trunk, like the MR2 or Model S, but not to vehicles without a rear truck, like a Volkswagen or Porsche.
      <img src="http://www3.telus.net/public/redenbac/MKI/mkifrunkroda.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
    2. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      and it's commonly referred to as a "frunk", too
      a friend of mine with an old beetle had somehow never heard the term before i used it w.r.t. my mr2

      Reply
  9. Rory Carroll Avatar
    Rory Carroll

    Storage compartment.

    Reply
  10. david42 Avatar
    david42

    How about "cache"? It means "storage," and it sounds all computer-y… just like the car itself.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      That term carries just enough of a cachet to fit this car to a T.

      Reply
      1. david42 Avatar
        david42

        ha ha, very punny.

        Reply
        1. danleym Avatar
          danleym

          I'm amazed it's gone this long, I thought for sure we'd see another pun more quiply.

          Reply
  11. Soundguy Avatar
    Soundguy

    I have usually seen "frunk" used with reference to mid-engine cars that have front and rear storage compartments. In that case it makes sense to contract "front trunk" into something still distinguishable from the "trunk" in the rear.

    Reply
  12. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
    Irishzombieman☆

    How 'bout the Grocery Hole?

    Reply
    1. danleym Avatar
      danleym

      If there was someone whose groceries consisted of a disproportionate percentage of circular baked goods with fruit inside, would it then become a pie hole?

      Reply
      1. Tomsk Avatar
        Tomsk

        And what about corn? Or Peeps? Or glory (though I guess it wouldn't fit, since it's not a physical object)?

        Reply
      2. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
        Irishzombieman☆

        Yeah. And they could park it in the house's car hole.

        Reply
  13. From_a_Buick_6 Avatar
    From_a_Buick_6

    I immediately thought of this:
    [youtube L3RD-hG4nbc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3RD-hG4nbc youtube]

    Reply
  14. Tomsk Avatar
    Tomsk

    Crumple Zone.

    Reply
  15. nanoop Avatar
    nanoop

    If the front trunk is a frunk, the rear trunk would be a runk?

    Reply
  16. ninjacoco Avatar
    ninjacoco

    I hate to break it to you, but Porsche-tards have been using the term "frunk" for years, heh.

    Reply
  17. labcoatguy Avatar
    labcoatguy

    Ask any MR2 owner, any real MR2 owner. It doesn't matter if it holds a cubic inch or a cubic mile. Frunk's a frunk.

    Reply
  18. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    Speaking of front trunks, last weekend at the Vancouver All British Field Meet I had a chance to inspect an MGF. In the front right-hand corner of the rear trunk I noticed a lever with a symbol on it showing a car with a raised hood (or, if one must, bonnet):
    <img src="http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x58/Lez325/020611_0477.jpg&quot; width="550">
    (Not this particular car, by the way.) I asked the owner if it really was the hood release. It turns out yes, that's how one gains access to the front storage compartment, which is mostly filled with the battery, spare tire, and the like:
    <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8410726479_ef7408330b.jpg&quot; width="550">
    I can see the case to be made for putting the release lever in a position easier to reach while working on the car, but it was still unexpected to find one trunk release located inside the other trunk.

    Reply
    1. zaddikim Avatar
      zaddikim

      Trunkception?

      Reply
  19. Bryce Womeldurf Avatar
    Bryce Womeldurf

    I don't really mind frunk to be honest. It sort of sounds like a dirty word but in a fun way.

    Reply
  20. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    Fruit? (as in Froot, short for front boot)

    Reply