By Robert Emslie
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.
There 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
Kamil Kaluski 
Jeff Glucker
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.
Agreed. It's still a trunk.
<img src="http://www.bugattibuilder.com/photo/albums/userpics/10107/normal_3~37.jpg">
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.
Ask any elephant: The trunk goes in the front!
Or, in Finnish, etureppu.
Or Polish bagaznik, cause of the love jalopnik has (had?) for the Tesla and Musk! Actually trunknik has got a nice ring to it.
Well, everyone wants to come into the fold, don't they?
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">
<img src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3137629184/h17EB15C3/">
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.
Had to google Skoda Estelle, as I was thoroughly unfamiliar with them. The things I learn here…
How about "the place where it's soul is supposed to be."
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.
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">
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
Storage compartment.
How about "cache"? It means "storage," and it sounds all computer-y… just like the car itself.
That term carries just enough of a cachet to fit this car to a T.
ha ha, very punny.
I'm amazed it's gone this long, I thought for sure we'd see another pun more quiply.
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.
How 'bout the Grocery Hole?
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?
And what about corn? Or Peeps? Or glory (though I guess it wouldn't fit, since it's not a physical object)?
Yeah. And they could park it in the house's car hole.
I immediately thought of this:
[youtube L3RD-hG4nbc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3RD-hG4nbc youtube]
Crumple Zone.
If the front trunk is a frunk, the rear trunk would be a runk?
I hate to break it to you, but Porsche-tards have been using the term "frunk" for years, heh.
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.
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" 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" 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.
Trunkception?
I don't really mind frunk to be honest. It sort of sounds like a dirty word but in a fun way.
Fruit? (as in Froot, short for front boot)